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Celestial Events 2024

The Event of the Year is the Total Summer Eclipse taking place on April 8.  See below for details.

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January 3-4 (peak nights):  Quadrantids Meteor Shower - The Quadrantids is an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at its peak.  (Actually runs from December 12, 2023 to January 12, 2024.)

January 11:  New Moon

January 12:  Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation - Best time to view Mercury is at its highest point above the horizon in the eastern morning sky just before sunrise.

January 25:  Full Moon - This moon is also known as the Old Moon and the Moon After Yule.

February 9:  New Moon

February 24:  Full Moon - This moon is also known as the Hunger Moon.

March 10:  New Moon

March 20:  Equinox - This is the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.

March 24:  Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation - Best time to view Mercury is at its highest point above the horizon in the western evening sky just after sunset.

March 25:  Full Moon - This moon is also known as the Crow Moon, the Crust Moon, the Sap Moon, and the Lenten Moon.

March 25:  Penumbral Lunar Eclipse - The eclipse will be visible throughout all North America, Mexico, Central America, and South America.

April 8:  New Moon

April 8:  Total Solar Eclipse - The total eclipse will be visible in parts of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.  Check here for more details.

April 22-23 (peak nights):  Lyrids Meteor Shower - The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak.  (Actually runs from April 16, 2024 - April 25, 2024.)

April 23:  Full Moon - This moon has also been known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.

May 6-7 (peak nights):  Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower - The Eta Aquarids is an above average shower, capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak.  (Actually runs from April 15, 2024 - May 27, 2024)

May 8:  New Moon

May 9:  Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation - Best time to view Mercury is at its highest point above the horizon in the eastern morning sky just before sunrise.

May 23:  Full Moon - This moon has also been known as the Flower Moon, the Corn Planting Moon, and the Milk Moon.

June 6:  New Moon

June 20:  Solstice - This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.

June 22:  Full Moon - This moon has also been known as the Strawberry Moon, and the Rose Moon, and the Honey Moon.

July 5:  New Moon

July 21:  Full Moon - This moon has also been known as the Buck Moon, and the Thunder Moon, and the Hay Moon.

July 22:  Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation - Best time to view Mercury is at its highest point above the horizon in the western evening sky just after sunset.

July 28-29:  Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower - The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak.

August 4:  New Moon

August 12-13 (peak nights):  Perseids Meteor Shower - The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak.  (Actually runs from August 11, 2024 - August 13, 2024.)

August 19:  Full Moon, Blue Moon -  Since this is the third of four full moons in this season, it is known as a blue moon.  This rare calendar event only happens once every few years, giving rise to the term, "once in a blue moon".  Blue moons occur on average once every 2.7 years.  This moon has also been known as the Sturgeon Moon, the Green Corn Moon, and the Grain Moon.

September 3:  New Moon

September 5:  Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation - Best time to view Mercury is at its highest point above the horizon in the eastern morning sky just before sunrise.

September 8:  Saturn at Opposition - The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun.  Saturn will be visible all night long.

September 18:  Full Moon, "Super moon" - This is the first of three super moons in 2024.  This moon is also known as the Corn Moon and the Harvest Moon.

September 18:  Partial Lunar Eclipse - The eclipse will be visible throughout most of North America, Mexico, Central America, South America, the Atlantic Ocean, and most of Europe and Africa.

September 20:  Neptune at Opposition - The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun.  Neptune will be visible all night long.

September 22:  September Equinox - This is the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.

October 2:  New Moon

October 2:  Annular Solar Eclipse - The eclipse path will begin in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America and move across parts of southern Chile and Argentina.  A partial eclipse will be visible throughout most of southern South America.

October 7:  Draconids Meteor Shower - The Draconids is a minor meteor shower only producing about 10 meteors per hour.

October 12-17:  Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS passes close to Earth.  It will be closest to Earth on October 12.

October 17:  Full Moon, "Super moon" - This is the second of three super moons for 2024.  This moon is also know as the Hunters Moon, and the Travel Moon, and the Blood Moon.

October 20-21 (peak nights):  Orionids Meteor Shower - The Orionids is an average shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour.  (Actually runs from September 26, 2024 - November 22, 2024.)

November 1:  New Moon

November 4-5:  Taurids Meteor Shower - The Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour.

November 15:  Full Moon, "Super moon" - This is the third and last of the super moons for 2024.  This moon is also known as the Beaver Moon, and the Frosty Moon, and the Dark Moon.

November 16:  Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation - Best time to view Mercury is at its highest point above the horizon in the western evening sky just after sunset.

November 17:  Uranus at Opposition - The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun.

November 17-18:  Leonids Meteor Shower - The Leonids is an average shower producing up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak.

December 1:  New Moon

December 7:  Jupiter at Opposition - The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun.

December 13-14 (peak nights):  Geminids Meteor Shower - The Geminids is the king of the meteor showers.  It is considered by many to be the best shower in the heavens, producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at its peak.  (Actually runs from December 4, 2024 - December 17, 2024.)

December 15:  Full Moon

December 21:  December Solstice - This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.

December 21-22:  Ursids Meteor Shower - The Ursids is a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour.

December 25:  Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation - Best time to view Mercury is at its highest point above the horizon in the eastern morning sky just before sunrise.

December 30:  New Moon

Information courtesy of Sea and Sky (http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2024.html)

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