Aurora, Meteors and the Eclipse Star naked: The summer night sky

The nights may be shorter and the stars less bright than the winter night sky, but northern summer is when the best views of our galaxy can be had. The view of the Milky Way arching across the sky after dark is worth a late night stay, as is the Perseid meteor shower. in August. There are even more reasons, in 2924, with the sun close to the “solar maximum” and likely to show the aurora borealis. Add in planetary conjunctions and some beautiful moon sightings, and it promises to be a summer to remember for sky watchers.

Here are the night sky projections for summer 2024 in the northern hemisphere—from the solstice of June 21 through the equinox of September 22:

1. Saturn conjunction with the moon

When: before dawn on Thursday, June 27

Where: eastern sky

Tune in at 1:00 a.m. or early morning to see the 68%-illuminated waning moon that appears to be very close to Saturn. According to In-The-Sky.org, the moon will make a “clean planet” for a few hours, as seen from eastern Australia and northeastern New Zealand. You can also see Mars and Jupiter nearby.

2. The Milky Way

When: June-September (between last quarter-new month)

Where: southeast

June to September is the best time of the year to see the Milky Way from the northern hemisphere when it is dark, but only if you get away from the pollution of light at 10 o’clock at the latest dark of the moon. Don’t make the mistake of going to a Dark Sky Park near a full moon—you won’t know anything! Instead, choose nights between the last quarter of the month and a few nights after the new moon.

3. Occultation of Spica

When: Saturday, July 13-Sunday, July 14

Where: southwestern evening sky, North and Central America only

One of the brightest stars in the summer night sky—Spica in Virgo—will be eclipsed by the moon in a rare celestial event in 2024 for North America and the U.S. Central. According to In-The-Sky.org, Spica will be eclipsed by the First Quarter Moon (shown half-illuminated from Earth) between 21:40 EDT on Saturday, July 13 and 00 :58 EDT on Sunday, July 14. The time is:

• Only absent: Eastern US states (11:30 pm EDT, low southwest).
• Full Magic: Western States (10:00 pm CDT)
• Just showing again: Northwestern US states (9:00 pm MDT).

4. Delta Aquariid Meteor shower

When: Tuesday, July 30-Wednesday, July 31

Where: all of heaven

The first meteor shower since April, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower runs from July 18 to August 21 each year and ends at 10:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, July 30, according to the American Meteor Society. You should expect about 10-20 “shooting stars” per hour at this point. Since the point is high as seen from the southern part of the United States, they are likely to have the best view.

5. Perseid Meteor Shower

When: Monday, August 12-Tuesday, August 13

Where: all of heaven

The peak of the largest and best display of meteors will occur during the night from August 12 to the morning of August 13. The moon will set before midnight. of the night, resulting in a moonless night sky at almost the same time as the predicted culmination. according to the American Meteor Society. With about 100 “shooting stars” per hour that can be obtained from a bright position that rises in the northeast, the Perseids 2024 should stay late for the entire north. . The shower is strong between July 17 and August 24, 2024,

6. Mars and Jupiter in Relationship

When: Wednesday, August 14

Where: east before sunrise

The two planets next in the solar system after Earth—Mars and Jupiter—will appear just one-third of a degree apart, high above the eastern sky at this morning. Both the planets are coming in the best position. Earth will pass between the sun and Jupiter in December—something that happens every year—making the “big planet” bigger and brighter. The same thing will happen to Mars in January for its opposition once in 26 months.

7. Saturn to Opposite

When: Sunday, September 8

Where: rise east

If everyone remembers one spacewalk moment, it’s their first look at Saturn through a telescope. It shouldn’t be too far. You won’t get a very different view with any binoculars you use. If you can get close to any telescope this summer, do it around September 8, when Earth is between the sun and the sixth planet. , and improved over the years.

8. A ‘Super Harvest Moon Eclipse’

When: Tuesday, September 17

Where: rise east

Perhaps the most famous full moon of the year is the “Harvest Moon,” so called because its light helps (or, rather than helps) agricultural laborers to gather the fruits of the late harvest. night. This one is a little different. It will appear slightly larger and brighter in the night sky—thanks to its “supermoon” status—and will move through Earth’s shadow in space. As a result there will be a partial lunar eclipse on the night side of the Earth, which includes North and South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

9. Aurora over the planet

Time: TBC

Where: TBC

Was it thought that the “strong storm” of May 10 did not happen again? You could be right, but the sun is now predicted to reach its “solar maximum” at the end of 2024, there is a good chance of seeing the aurora on the planet . As the hours of darkness decrease in June and July, there is little chance, but when August and September come, they are playing. The northern (and southern) lights are often said to be strongest at the equinox when our planet’s magnetic field and solar wind are aligned. That is why the weeks in the month of September 24 of the autumn equinox are useful either for a trip to the Arctic Circle (in Alaska or far north of Europe) or to have a dark sky place in mind to drive to see another rare display of the world’s aurora.

The times and dates given are for mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location information, contact online planetariums such as SkySafari Pro and Stellarium. Check planet-ascendant/planet-set, sunrise / sunset and rising/moon time for where you are.

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Let’s hope for clear skies and wide eyes.