You may have already read about the super blood wolf moon we're anticipating this January, but there's a lot more happening in our skies this year that we think you shouldn't miss. These astronomical events are something we can all appreciate, as long as the weather permits. What better than a sky calendar to plan camping or road trips around?
February 19 - Supermoon
February 26/27 - Say hello to Mercury!
It'll be low in the western sky that night, after sunset.
March 21 - Supermoon
April 11 - Mercury passes by us again.
You'll see it low in the eastern sky before sunrise.
April 22 - Lyrids meteor shower
It will be visible from April 16-25 but the peak is on the 22nd, at around 20 meteors per hour. The moonlight may prevent some of the fainter ones from being seen, but the brighter ones will still be visible. They'll radiate from the constallation Lyra.
May 6/7 - Eta Aquarids meteor shower
This shower will be visible from April 19th to May 25th, but the peak on the 6th/7th is your best bet. There's up to 30 meteors per hour during peak here in the Northern Hemisphere. Made of dust left behind from Halley's comet, most of these will radiate from the constallation Aquarius.
June 10 - Say hello to Jupiter!
Jupiter should be quite visible most of the night. With good binoculars, you might also see its four largest moons, appearing as bright dots surrounding the planet.
June 32 - Mercury's back!
Back in the western sky that is, right after sunset.
July 9 - Say hello to Saturn!
With a medium to large telescope, this planet is very visible almost all night long. You may even see a couple of it's larger moons as well! It would be a great time to get a group together to get a telescope and have viewing parties for these events!
July 28/29 - Delta Aquarids meteor shower
This one will be visible from July 12 to August 23, but the peak on the evening of the 28th will have around 20 meteors per hour. Some radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but also appear randomly.
August 9 - Say hello to Mercury yet again!
Man, this planet moves fast! You'll find it back in the eastern sky before sunrise just like before.
August 12/13 - Perseids meteor shower
The famour Perseids will be visible from July 17 to August 24, the peak happens on the evening of the 12th. This is one of the most famous, with up to 60 meteors per hour visible as long as you're somewhere dark away from civilization. They sometimes radiate from the constellation Perseus, but are also seen at random.
October 20 - Mercury is back!
It's back in the lower western sky during the evening, as it was back in June.
October 21/22 - Orionids meteor shower
This one's not too big but still beautiful. It's visible from October 2nd to November 7th, peaking on the evening of the 21st, and you'll see about 20 meteors per hour, radiating from Orion or happening randomly.
November 28 - Mercury's back!
We sure do see Mercury a lot during the year. This time, it's back in the lower east sky before sunrise.
December 13/14 - Gemenids meteor shower
This shower is "the king of all showers" that runs from December 7th through 17th, but the peak on the night of the 13th will be stunning. Up to 120 meteors per hour during the peak and all sorts of colors will be visible from your favorite dark place in Kansas. The full moon will block out some of the dimmer meteors, but you should still have an amazing show, radiating from the constellation Gemini outwards.
If you need the perfect place to view our amazing skies this year, why not check out one of these?
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