Meteors, eclipses, stars & space: What to watch for in the sky in 2024
A guide to everything happening in the sky and in space for 2024, including eclipses, meteor showers, supermoons and more.
Posted — UpdatedFor stargazers, the rest of 2024 offers no shortage of opportunities for lunar and celestial events worth looking for. Highlighted by a much-anticipated total solar eclipse, lovers of space and sky will want to mark their calendars for plenty of astronomical goings-on this year.
Total solar eclipse, April 8, 2024
Weather permitting, it will be visible on a path from Mexico through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before venturing into eastern Canada.
How to spot the International Space Station
When to see full moons and supermoons
A supermoon is when a full moon is closer to the earth than normal and appears larger and fuller in the sky. Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90 percent of perigee — its closest approach to Earth in orbit.
There are 12 full moons during 2024 with September and October's lunar events being considered supermoons as well.
- January 25: Wolf moon
- February 24: Snow moon
- March 25: Worm moon
- April 23: Pink moon
- May 23: Flower moon
- June 21: Strawberry moon
- July 21: Buck moon
- August 19: Sturgeon moon
- September 17: Harvest moon
- October 17: Hunter’s moon
- November 15: Beaver moon
- December 15: Cold moon
Rare comet visible in 2024
If you own a large telescope, you may be able to spot the comet now. It could reach binocular range by March. It will share the sky with the eclipsed sun in April.
"It's always really cool to see a comet and it's a pretty rare thing," said NASA Ambassador Tony Rice.
"You just never know if it's actually going to be visible or not," Rice said. "You never know if a comet is going to exist by the time that it reaches that point mathematically, but it could very well break apart between now and that time."
When to see meteor showers
Meteor showers are always a favorite for stargazers.
"To see the most meteors, it's best to look to the darkest part of your sky," Rice said. "The way you are going to absolutely see the most meteors is patience. The longer you're out there looking, it gives your eyes time to adjust to the darkness and you'll see a lot more that way. The meteors aren't spread out and can come in clumps. The longer you're out there, the more you're likely to see."
Here is a list of some of the more visible meteor showers occurring in 2024. Some of them will make for better viewing experiences than others.
Unfortunately, conditions are not as good for viewing Lyrids this year because light from the nearly full moon will make meteors more difficult to see.
Conditions could be good, with only about 15 percent of the Moon lit. The Aquariids constellation is Aquarius, hence the shower's name, and lies on the ecliptic, the Sun's path in the sky.
The Aquariids will be best viewed in the pre-dawn hours. The shower will reach peak activity the night of July 29.
Aphelion (July 5-6) and Perihelion (Jan. 2)
In 2024, July 5-6 marks aphelion, which is when the earth is at its furthest from the Sun. Earth will be more than 94.5 million miles from its star during aphelion. The earth was at its closest to the sun on Jan. 2, which is referred to as perihelion. At that time, the earth was about 3 million miles closer to the sun than at its furthest point in orbit.
Moon mission delayed for 2025
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.