2024-01-01 16:58:29
Prepare your telescopes and look up to the sky, the year 2024 will be loaded with various and varied astronomical events. From January to December, fans will have the opportunity to witness spectacular meteor showers, a solar eclipse, a full solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse, and a partial lunar eclipse while taking advantage of suitable circumstances to observe certain planets in the Solar System.
Impressive phenomena from January
From the beginning of January 2024, the sky will be streaked with hundreds of meteors burning in the Earth’s atmosphere. The Quadrantids thus offer a spectacle of great beauty, provided you benefit from a clear and clear sky. The shower of shooting stars will reach its maximum on the night of January 3 to 4, with a falling rate estimated at 40 objects per hour. Like all meteor showers, observations may vary, but it is nevertheless recommended to move away from major sources of light pollution to benefit from the best conditions.
Dark side of the Moon
On many occasions, the Moon’s natural brightness will be slightly obscured by a penumbral eclipse. On March 25, our natural satellite will evolve in the Earth’s twilight. The effects on the Moon’s brightness are relatively small, with its natural whiteness yellowing or darkening. A few months later, on September 18, the Moon will undergo a partial eclipsepartial eclipse. This time, it will transit in the darkness but also in the direct shadow of our Planet. Unlike the penumbral eclipse, a portion of the Moon will become almost invisible here. Only one major problem: you will have to be on the American continent to take advantage of the darkening of the Moon on March 25. The partial eclipse will be visible in part of Western Europe, including France.
The Sun disappears over America
This will be the date not to be missed for photographers and passionate observers. On April 8, the Sun will disappear in broad daylight over a large part of the American continent. From northern Mexico to Canada via the east coast of the United States, the Moon will pass in front of our star. This rare event will allow us to observe the solar corona, highlighted by the black mass of the Moon. The eclipse should last between 5 and 10 minutes depending on the point of view. In the surrounding regions, the eclipse can be observed but only partially.
The return of the Pons-Brooks comet
Already in 2023, cometcomet 12/Pons-Brooks was making headlines. Discovered in the 19th century, photographers highlighted its singular appearance last year. Equipped with two asperities forming a sort of horn, the comet then gained several nicknames. The “horned comet” or the “Millennium Falcon” will be visible to the naked eye in 2024. It will approach Earth to reach perihelionperihelion on April 21. Closest to the planet, it will be “only” 230 million kilometers away. Its magnitudemagnitude will then be around 4. There is no doubt that some astronomersastronomers are already dreaming of photographing the comet during the total eclipsetotal eclipse of April 8…
#UMPlus – Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks by Alan Dyerhttps://t.co/6VuyT4GMST
Astronomer Alan Dyer’s image shows comet 12P/Pons-Brooks with exquisite beauty. Although this comet is smaller than…..#astronomy #space #astrophysics #cosmology #astrophotography pic.twitter.com/P2ODXRMIva— Magic Universe (@UnivMagicoPlus) December 21, 2023
From May to August, a shower of shooting stars in the night sky
From May onwards, the usual ballet of meteor showers begins once more in the celestial vault. On May 5, the Eta-Aquarid swarm will reach its peak for residents of the southern hemisphere. No need to be patient: up to 80 meteors can disintegrate in the atmosphere in an hour. From July 12 to August 23, it is the DeltaDelta-Aquarids which will streak the sky, with a peak on the night of July 28 to 29. Sightings are rarer here, with around twenty falls per hour. But it is when the Earth passes in the footsteps of the comet SwiftSwift-Tuttle that the nocturnal darkness stirs once more. With the PerseidsPerseids, no less than 60 meteors per hour split the Earth’s atmosphere during the peak of the rain, on the night of August 11 to 12.
Saturn and the Moon get closer
Lunar occultations of planets in the Solar System always offer striking views. So much so that in 2023, the Royal Observatory of Greenwich rewarded a photo capturing the passage of Mars behind the satellite. This year, SaturnSaturn and its rings will gradually fade behind the impeccable whiteness of the Moon on the night of August 21. Occultations are not rare, but the quality of observations can vary. From Europe, the gas giantgas giant will be completely “absorbed”.
Temporary disappearance, optimal observation
Saturn won’t be gone for long. If the ringed planet reappears in the April morning sky, it will gradually gain visibility. On September 8, it will be in opposition, reaching its closest point to Earth. So at 1.2 billion kilometers, however, it will appear almost twice as large as at its furthest point. Saturn will then be detectable with the naked eye, as bright as a large starstar. However, you will need to equip yourself with a telescope or telescope to admire its details. On December 7, the largest planet in the Solar System will also be in opposition. JupiterJupiter will reach its highest point around midnight and peak brightness, with a magnitude less than -2.
A little eclipse and then it goes away…
On October 2, a new solar eclipse will occur, called an annular solar eclipse. The Moon will be further from Earth than during the total eclipse in April. The visual result will then be different, with the crown not appearing as detailed. The lightlight from the SunSun will cause a strong bright halo around the Moon. The event will only be visible in the southern hemisphere of the planet, from the western Pacific Ocean to South America.
2024, the year of comets?
Again in October, an exceptionally bright comet will be revealed to observers. Identified in 2023, C/2023 (Tsuchinshan-Atlas) crosses the Solar System to approach our star. Between October 7 and 12, its magnitude will peak at around 0.3. A value sufficient to be able to observe it with the naked eye and to delight all astronomical photographers.
Meteors in the cold winter
2024 will end with two meteor showers which should delight the bravest, capable of resisting the cold. Between December 7 and 17, the GeminidsGeminids will cause a shower of celestial objects to fall, transforming into shooting starsshooting stars. Usually visible in the constellation Geminiconstellation Gemini, the majority of meteors should be obscured by the brightness of the full MoonFull Moon. Taking place from December 17 to 25, the Ursids will comfort the most patient. The quantity of meteors is, however, much lower than summer showers: between 5 and 10 objects fall per hour on average during the Ursids. Two more discreet events, but nicely rounding off a year that promises to be rich in beautiful observations!
1704129101
#shouldnt #sky