Spectacular night sky events to see in 2024

The year 2024 will be full of amazing astronomical phenomena that will delight sky watchers around the world. From eclipses to comets, from meteor showers to planetary conjunctions, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Here are some of the highlights of the celestial calendar for 2024:

On the night of January 18, the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter, will appear very close to the waxing gibbous moon in the sky. The two celestial bodies will be separated by only a very miniscule distance and you will be able to see them both with the naked eye or with binoculars. This is a great opportunity to observe the details of Jupiter’s cloud bands and its four largest moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.

One of the most spectacular events of the year will be the total solar eclipse on April 8, when the moon will completely block the sun’s disk for a few minutes, creating a dark shadow over a narrow path across North America. The path of totality will start in Mexico, cross the United States from Texas to Maine, and end in Canada. Millions of people will be able to witness this rare and awe-inspiring phenomenon, which will also reveal the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, as a faint ring of light around the moon. The total eclipse will last up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds, depending on your location. If you are not in the path of totality, you will still be able to see a partial eclipse, where the moon covers only a part of the sun. However, you will need to use special glasses or filters to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays.

In April, a new visitor from the outer reaches of the solar system will make its closest approach to Earth:12P/Pons-Brooks. According to current predictions, the comet will reach its peak brightness of magnitude 3.5 around April 12, which means it will be visible to the naked eye in dark skies, and even brighter with binoculars or a small telescope. The comet will appear in the constellation of Aquarius, and it will have a long tail pointing away from the sun. The best time to see it will be before dawn, when it will be high in the southeast sky.

Every year in late April and early May, the Earth passes through the debris left behind by Halley’s Comet, creating a meteor shower known as the Eta Aquarids. This shower produces up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak, which will occur on the night of May 4 and the morning of May 5. The meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation of Aquarius, but they can be seen anywhere in the sky. The best time to watch them will be after midnight, when the moon will have set and the sky will be darker. The Eta Aquarids are known for their speed and brightness, and some of them may leave persistent trails in the sky.

The Perseids are one of the most popular and reliable meteor showers of the year, occurring every August when the Earth crosses the orbit of Comet Swift-Tuttle. This shower produces up to 100 meteors per hour at its peak, which will happen on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13. The meteors will appear to come from the constellation of Perseus, but they can be seen all over the sky. The best time to watch them will be after midnight, when the moon will be in its waning crescent phase and the sky will be darker. The Perseids are known for their fireballs, which are very bright and colorful meteors that can light up the whole sky.

Another comet that will grace the sky in 2024 is Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), which was discovered in February 2023 by two separate surveys: the Tsuchinshan Observatory in China and the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Hawaii. This comet is expected to become a very bright object in the night sky in the fall of 2024, reaching its peak brightness of magnitude 2 around October 1, which means it will be easily visible to the naked eye in dark skies, and even brighter with binoculars or a small telescope. The comet will appear in the constellation of Pisces, and it will have a long tail pointing away from the sun. The best time to see it will be after sunset, when it will be high in the southwest sky.

On the night of September 17, the second largest planet in the solar system, Saturn, will appear very close to the full moon in the sky. The two celestial bodies will be separated by only 0.5 degrees, which is about the width of your pinky finger held at arm’s length. You will be able to see them both with the naked eye or with binoculars. This is a great opportunity to observe the details of Saturn’s rings and its largest moon, Titan.

On the evening of December 4, the brightest planet in the sky, Venus, will appear very close to the thin crescent moon in the sky. The two celestial bodies will be separated by only 1.5 degrees, which is about the width of three fingers held at arm’s length. You will be able to see them both with the naked eye or with binoculars. This is a beautiful sight to behold, as the moon and Venus will form a smiley face in the sky. The best time to see them will be shortly after sunset, when they will be low in the southwest sky.