March 2023

Tuesday March 28 – Saturday April 1

2023 Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo Event at Lakeland-Linder Airport
Tuesday March 28 – Saturday April 1
2023 Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo Event at Lakeland-Linder Airport

IPAS membership will provide daytime solar and evening celestial observing each day for event attendees.

April 2023

Friday April 21

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

May 2023

Friday May 19

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

June 2023

Friday June 16

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

July 2023

Friday July 21

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

August 2023

Friday August 18

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

September 2023

Friday September 15

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

October 2023

Friday October 20

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

November 2023

Friday November 17

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

December 2023

Friday December 15

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

January 2024

Friday January 19

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

February 2024

Friday February 16

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

March 2024

Friday March 15

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bartow Friday Fest Public

This is for anyone who wants to go to a block party. It’s o bserving and Q&A only. Solar scopes are welcome before sunset. Set up at Main St. & S Wilson Ave.
If you want to take a look around, someone will watch your scope for you. There’s usually some good food close by and music down the street.
The view is somewhat limited and there’s lots of light,but those who stop by, have some good questions, so, be readywith some goodanswers.
This is another event that has brought us new members.

Recurs monthly

March 2023

Friday March 24

All Day
Canton's Birthday

Who’s Canton? He is the fellow who updates your astronomy calendar (full moons, equinoxes, meteor showers, etc.) from his laptop in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It’s his birthday today!

The astronomy calendar is an effort of love and no reciprocity is needed or expected, but if you’d like to learn more about the calendar or say thank you for his efforts (or even report an error!) then please visit:

https://cantonbecker.com/astronomy-calendar/#credit

Tuesday March 28

10:32 pm
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

April 2023

Thursday April 6

12:35 am
πŸŒ• Full Moon

Tuesday April 11

All Day
Look at Mercury!

If you’re one of the people who subscribes to this calendar for the esoteric Mercury Retrograde dates, here’s your chance to behold your mischeivious astrological ally.

Mercury will be at its greatest eastern elongation of 19.5 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury in 2023 since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky, and the moon won’t have risen yet. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.

Thursday April 13

5:11 am
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Wednesday April 19 – Thursday April 20

Hybrid Solar Eclilpse
Wednesday April 19 – Thursday April 20
9:24 pm – 2:59 am
Hybrid Solar Eclilpse

The Ningaloo Eclipse : This hybrid solar eclipse takes its name from an Aboriginal word. The path of totality passes over North West Cape, a remote peninsula of Western Australia. Only about 375,000 people in the world are expected to be able to see this from their backyard.

A hybrid solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is almost too close to the Earth to completely block the Sun. This type of eclipse will appear as a total eclipse to some parts of the world and will appear annular to others.

Before you jump on a plane to North West Cape or East Timor, you might want to check out the safety and travel advisories…

… OR start making travel plans for the GREAT ECLIPSE OF APRIL 2024, a once-in-a-lifetime event especially for folks living in Mexico and the USA.

Thursday April 20

12:12 am
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Friday April 21

All Day
Mercury Retrograde Begins

This is of particular interest to astrologically minded folks. See URL for more info…

Saturday April 22 – Sunday April 23

Lyrids Meteor Shower
Saturday April 22 – Sunday April 23
Lyrids Meteor Shower

Huzzah! Nice dark skies this year. Late evening April 21 until dawn April 22 – or late evening April 22 until dawn April 23 – will be best.

The Lyrid meteor shower – April’s shooting stars – lasts from about April 15 to 29. About 10 to 15 meteors per hour can be expected around the shower’s peak, in a dark sky. The Lyrids are known for uncommon surges that can sometimes bring the rate up to 100 per hour. Those rare outbursts aren’t easy to predict, but they’re one of the reasons the tantalizing Lyrids are worth checking out. The radiant for this shower is near the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra.

Thursday April 27

5:20 pm
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

May 2023

Friday May 5 – Saturday May 6

Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower
Friday May 5 – Saturday May 6
Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower

Boo! Full moon falls at the peak of the 2023 Eta Aquariid shower, promising to drown out all but the brightest shooting stars. If you want to try watching in moonlight, try the mornings of May 5, 6 and 7, 2023, in the hours *before dawn*.

Like the Eta Aquariids in May, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower in July favors the Southern Hemisphere and tropical latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s well viewed from latitudes like the southern U.S. These faint meteors appear to radiate from near the star Skat, aka Delta Aquarii, in the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. The maximum hourly rate can reach 15 to 20 meteors in a dark sky. The nominal peak is around July 29-30, but, unlike many meteor showers, the Delta Aquarids lack a very definite peak. Instead, these medium-speed meteors ramble along fairly steadily throughout late July and early August. You’ll see plenty of Delta Aquariids mixed in with Perseids, if you’re watching in early August, and from a southerly latitude. An hour or two before dawn is usually the best time to watch the Delta Aquariids.

This shower is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23.

Friday May 5

11:14 am – 3:31 pm
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth’s partial shadow, or penumbra. During this type of eclipse the Moon will darken slightly but not completely. The eclipse will be visible throughout all of Asia and Australia and parts of eastern Europe and eastern Africa.

1:34 pm
πŸŒ• Full Moon

Friday May 12

10:28 am
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Sunday May 14

All Day
Mercury Retrograde Ends

This is of particular interest to astrologically minded folks. See URL for more info…

Friday May 19

11:53 am
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Saturday May 27

11:22 am
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

June 2023

Saturday June 3

11:42 pm
πŸŒ• Full Moon

Sunday June 4

All Day
Venus In The Evening

What’s that, a plane coming in for a landing just after sunset? No, that’s Venus blinding you from the western sky.

The planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation. This is the best time to view Venus without having to set your alarm since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky.

Wednesday June 7

All Day
Arietids Daytime Meteor Shower

Lucky and persistent dawn-watchers might try looking for shooting stars in the darkest hour right before dawn during this most active of Daytime meteor showers.

The shower’s radiant point is in the constellation Aries. You’ll find this constellation in the east before sunrise.

Meteor counts with radar and radio echoes have indicated a rate of 60 meteors per hour, and perhaps as high as 200 meteors per hour… Good luck!

Saturday June 10

3:31 pm
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Sunday June 18

12:37 am
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Wednesday June 21

5:58 pm – 6:58 pm
June solstice

In the northern hemisphere, this marks the first day of summer and is the day with most hours of light in the year — when the Sun is farthest north. In the southern hemisphere, this is your winter solstice, marking the shortest day of the year.

21 June will be the longest day of 2022 in the northern hemisphere.

Monday June 26

3:50 am
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

July 2023

Monday July 3

7:39 am
πŸŒ• Full Buck Moon

Sunday July 9

9:48 pm
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Monday July 17

2:32 pm
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Tuesday July 25

6:07 pm
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

Sunday July 30 – Monday July 31

Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower
Sunday July 30 – Monday July 31
Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower

The full moon arrives just after the peak of this year’s Delta Aquarids, so take advantage of the moon-free MORNINGS in late July for watching the Delta Aquariids (and early Perseids).

The rather faint Delta Aquariid meteors will fall most abundantly in the pre-dawn hours. Like the Eta Aquariids in May, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower in July favors the Southern Hemisphere and tropical latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s well viewed from latitudes like the southern U.S. These faint meteors appear to radiate from near the star Skat, aka Delta Aquarii, in the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. The maximum hourly rate can reach 15 to 20 meteors in a dark sky. The nominal peak is around July 29-30, but, unlike many meteor showers, the Delta Aquarids lack a very definite peak. Instead, these medium-speed meteors ramble along fairly steadily throughout late July and early August. You’ll see plenty of Delta Aquariids mixed in with Perseids, if you’re watching in early August, and from a southerly latitude. An hour or two before dawn is usually the best time to watch the Delta Aquariids.

This shower is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23.

August 2023

Tuesday August 1

2:31 pm
πŸŒ• Full Sturgeon Moon

While many people refer to August’s full moon as the sturgeon moon, that is just one of its many nicknames. The Anishinaabe people, for example, called it the ricing moon, as August was the time to harvest their wild rice crops. Some Northern Europeans referred to this full moon as the lightning moon, since there are frequent storms featuring thunder and lightning during late summer in their corner of the world. Another European term is corn moon, signifying the crop they were preparing to harvest.

Tuesday August 8

6:28 am
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Saturday August 12 – Sunday August 13

Perseids Meteor Shower
Saturday August 12 – Sunday August 13
Perseids Meteor Shower

The moon will be a waning crescent and only 10% illuminated during 2023’s peak of the Perseid meteor shower. Good watching! Although the predicted peak falls during the night of August 11-12, it has a long range: from July 14 to September 1. So, you can start watching for these meteors in early August morning hours, when the moon is waxing and will set before the night is over. You can also look after the peak in August, after sunset, as the moon rises later and later each night.

The Perseid meteor shower is perhaps the most beloved meteor shower of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. It’s a rich meteor shower, and it’s steady. These swift and bright meteors radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero. As with all meteor shower radiant points, you don’t need to know Perseus to watch the shower. Instead, the meteors appear in all parts of the sky. These meteors frequently leave persistent trains. Perseid meteors tend to strengthen in number as late night deepens into midnight. The shower typically produces the most meteors in the wee hours before dawn

For a while there, astronomers calculated that the Swift-Tuttle would collide with the Earth during the Perseids in 2126. Such an impact would have spoiled any stargazing since the comet is the largest near-Earth object that periodically goes through our sky. If Swift-Tuttle ever does hit the Earth, its 60 km/s impact will be about 27 times more energetic than the astroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs.

The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 14 to August 24.

Wednesday August 16

5:38 am
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Wednesday August 23

All Day
Mercury Retrograde Begins

This is of particular interest to astrologically minded folks. See URL for more info…

Thursday August 24

5:57 am
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

Sunday August 27 – Monday August 28

Saturn at opposition
Sunday August 27 – Monday August 28
Saturn at opposition

Saturn will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn’s rings and a few of its brightest moons…

Wednesday August 30

9:35 pm
πŸŒ• Blue Supermoon

A blue moon isn’t really blue; it’s just a second full moon in a calendar month. Since there are about 29.5 days between full moons it is an unusual but not-so-rare phenomenon. Blue moons happen every two-and-a-half years in any given month, but never in February.

September 2023

Wednesday September 6

6:21 pm
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Thursday September 14

9:40 pm
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Friday September 15

All Day
Mercury Retrograde Ends

This is of particular interest to astrologically minded folks. See URL for more info…

Monday September 18

All Day
Venus at greatest brightness

The best time to watch Venus will be a couple of hours before sunrise in the morning sky. It will be visible low in the southeast sky and will resemble a crescent moon when looking through steady binoculars or a telescope. It will be visible across February and March and on March 20, it will reach a half-moon phase.

Friday September 22

3:32 pm
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

Saturday September 23

2:50 am – 3:50 am
September Equinox

The Sun will beam down directly on the equator giving us just about equal amounts of day and night in most parts of the world. North of the equator, this is your Autumnal Equinox. If you live south of the equator, this is your Spring Equinox.

Also, try balancing an egg on its end! Whether or not you succeed has nothing to do with the Equinox, but it’s still a fun game to try on any day of the year. πŸ™‚

Friday September 29

5:57 am
πŸŒ• Harvest Supermoon

October 2023

Friday October 6

9:48 am
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Saturday October 14

12:13 pm – 1:03 pm
Partial Solar Eclipse (Americas)

Perhaps this will rile you up for the AMAZING TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE IN APRIL 2024. Start making reservations!

This less spectacular but still fun annular solar eclipse will cross North, Central, and South America. It will be visible in parts of the United States, Mexico, and many countries in South and Central America.

In the U.S., this eclipse begins in Oregon at 9:13 a.m. PDT and ends in Texas at 12:03 p.m. CDT.

1:55 pm
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Saturday October 21 – Sunday October 22

Orionids Meteor Shower
Saturday October 21 – Sunday October 22
Orionids Meteor Shower

In 2023, the Orionid meteor shower should rain down its greatest number of meteors on the morning of October 22, in a moonless sky. But the morning of October 21 is worth a look, too.

On a dark, moonless night, the Orionids exhibit a maximum of about 10 to 20 meteors per hour.

These fast-moving meteors sometimes produce bright fireballs, which might be able to overcome a moonlit glare. If you trace these meteors backward, they seem to radiate from the Club of the famous constellation Orion the Hunter.

The Orionids is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Halley, which has been known and observed since ancient times.

Saturday October 21

11:29 pm
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

Monday October 23

All Day
Venus In The Morning

Wake up early, brew a coffee, and watch for Venus to rise in the east before the sun. While you’re waiting, read up on the Mayan myth of Popol Vuh which integrates Venus’ mercurial habit of cyclically switching between roles as our morning and evening star…

Today the planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation of 46.4 degrees from the Sun. This is a great time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky.

Saturday October 28

4:24 pm
πŸŒ• Full Moon

Sunday October 29

2:01 pm – 6:26 pm
Partial Lunar Eclipse

A portion of the Moon will be fully darkened by Earth’s shadow. Regions seeing, at least, some parts of the eclipse: Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, North America, Much of South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic, Antarctica.

November 2023

Thursday November 2

All Day
Jupiter Crazy Bright

Jupiter will be at opposition — its closest approach to Earth for the year. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. A medium-sized telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter’s cloud bands. A good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter’s four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side of the planet.

Saturday November 4 – Sunday November 5

(Possible) Taurid Fireball Meteor Shower
Saturday November 4 – Sunday November 5
(Possible) Taurid Fireball Meteor Shower

The second quarter moon will block most of the dim meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few good ones.

Keep your fingers crossed! Every now and then (like in 2008) the Taurid meteor shower β€” normally modest β€” produces spectacular fireballs. There seems to be a seven year periodicity with these fireballs. 2008 and 2015 both produced remarkable fireball activity.

The meteoroid streams that feed the Southern (and Northern) Taurids are very spread out and diffuse. Thus the Taurids are extremely long-lasting (September 28 to December 2 in 2022) but usually don’t offer more than about five meteors per hour. That is true even on their peak nights. The Taurids are, however, well known for having a high percentage of fireballs, or exceptionally bright meteors. Plus, the two Taurid showers – Southern and Northern – augment each other. In 2022, the expected peak night of the South Taurid shower is that of November 4-5, but the waxing gibbous moon will be bright at 87% illumination. Peak viewing will thus be in the pre-dawn morning of November 5, just after the moon has set at 3 a.m.

The North Taurids meteor shower is (October 13 – December 2 in 2022) but modest, and the peak number is forecast at about five meteors per hour. The North and South Taurids combine to provide a nice sprinkling of meteors throughout October and November. Typically, you see the maximum numbers at or around midnight, when Taurus the Bull is highest in the sky. Taurid meteors tend to be slow-moving but sometimes very bright. In 2022, just as for the South Taurids, the bright moon interferes with your viewing. The meteor peak takes place just after full moon and the waning gibbous moon rises a bit later every night, providing dark skies only a few hours after nightfall.

The South and North Taurid meteors continue to rain down throughout the following week, but the moon will keep getting fuller, so the best viewing is during mornings before the peak rather than after.

The Taurids is unusual in that it consists of two separate streams. The first is produced by dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10. The second stream is produced by debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke.

Sunday November 5

3:37 am
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Monday November 13

4:27 am
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Friday November 17 – Saturday November 18

Leonids Meteor Shower
Friday November 17 – Saturday November 18
Leonids Meteor Shower

In 2022, the expected peak night of the Leonids is from November 17 until dawn November 18. The waning crescent moon doesn’t rise until about 2 a.m., so the best peak viewing is just before that time. The famous Leonid meteor shower produced one of the greatest meteor storms in living memory. Rates were as high as thousands of meteors per minute during a 15-minute span on the morning of November 17, 1966. On that beautiful night in 1966, Leonid meteors did, briefly, fall like rain. They streamed from a single point in the sky – their radiant point – in the constellation Leo the Lion. Some who witnessed the 1966 meteor storm had a strong impression of Earth moving through space, fording the meteor stream. Leonid meteor storms sometimes recur in cycles of 33 to 34 years. But the Leonids around the turn of the century – while wonderful for many observers – did not match the shower of 1966. And, in most years, the Lion whimpers rather than roars. In a typical year, you’ll see a maximum of perhaps 10-15 meteors per hour on a dark night. Like many meteor showers, the Leonids ordinarily pick up steam after midnight and display the greatest meteor numbers just before dawn, for all points on the globe.

This shower is unique in that it has a cyclonic peak about every 33 years where hundreds of meteors per hour can be seen. That last of these occurred in 2001. (So I guess start making plans for November 2033?)

The Leonids is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1865. The shower runs annually from November 6-30. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Monday November 20

5:50 am
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

Monday November 27

4:16 am
πŸŒ• Full Moon

December 2023

Friday December 1

All Day
2024 Astro Calendar Updates Coming Soon!

Hello! I hope you have some VERY HAPPY HOLIDAYS coming up.

Canton (canton@gmail.com) will be researching and adding 2024 calendar events (meteor showers, etc.) during the last week of this month. Feel free to email him any suggestions! Also, if you do your holiday shopping on Amazon, you can support the work of this calendar by starting your shopping spree here: https://amzn.to/31jLBYH (Then click anywhere to buy whatever you intended to buy anyway.)

Starting on or around January 1, 2024, new events should automatically flow into your calendar once they are made available. Moon phases are already in place.

Meanwhile, start making plans RIGHT NOW for The Great American Eclipse of April 8, 2024! The more south you can go (Mexico FTW!) the more likely you are to have clear skies. Weather in places like Indiana will be a gamble, with a 75% chance of cloud cover…

Peace and good health to you,
Canton Becker
Santa Fe, New Mexico USA

Saturday December 2 – Sunday December 3

Andromedids meteor shower?
Saturday December 2 – Sunday December 3
Andromedids meteor shower?

A short and strong return of the Andromedids was last observed on 2021 November 28, producing about 50 meteors per hour. The Andromedids are a historical shower previously thought to be defunct. They are expected to flare once again this year, although nobody knows how strong they may be. In ten days, around Dec 10, we may encounter meteoroids released from comet 46P/Wirtanen for the first time. Keep looking up!

Tuesday December 5

12:49 am
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Tuesday December 12

6:32 pm
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Wednesday December 13 – Thursday December 14

Geminids King Meteor Shower
Wednesday December 13 – Thursday December 14
Geminids King Meteor Shower

Since the radiant rises in mid-evening, you can watch for Geminids all night around the peak dates of December 13 and 14. Plus, a young waxing crescent moon will not interfere with the Geminids in 2023, hooray!

The bold, white, bright Geminids give us one of the Northern Hemisphere’s best showers, especially in years when there’s no moon. They’re also visible, at lower rates, from the Southern Hemisphere. The meteors are plentiful, rivaling the August Perseids.

You can watch the usually reliable and prolific Geminid meteor shower from evening December 13, with the best views probably just before or around midnight. Under a dark sky with no moon, you might catch 120 Geminid meteors per hour.

These meteors are the debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered in 1982. The shower runs annually from December 7-17. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Gemini, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Wednesday December 13

All Day
Mercury Retrograde Begins

This is of particular interest to astrologically minded folks. See URL for more info…

Tuesday December 19

1:39 pm
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

Thursday December 21

10:27 pm – 11:27 pm
December solstice

This marks the beginning of winter (in the northern hemisphere) and the beginning of summer (in the southern hemisphere.) The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, respectively, in the sense that the length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset on this day is a minimum for the year. Of course, daylight saving time means that the first Sunday in April has 23 hours and the last Sunday in October has 25 hours, but these human meddlings with the calendar and do not correspond to the actual number of daylight hours.

If you live in the southern hemisphere, this is your Summer Solstice, and good cause for celebrating the longest day of the year.

Friday December 22

All Day
Ursids Meteor Shower

The waxing gibbous moon – at 86% illumination – will mask much of hte Ursids display in 2023 until the moon sets about three hours before sunrise.

This low-key meteor shower is somewhat overlooked due to the season and that its rates are much lower than the popular Geminids, peaking just a week before. Ursids range from December 13 to 24, so some may intermingle with the peak of the Geminids. The Ursids usually peak around the December solstice, perhaps offering five to 10 meteors per hour during the predawn hours in a dark sky.

The Ursids is a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790.

Tuesday December 26

7:33 pm
πŸŒ• Full Moon

January 2024

Monday January 1

All Day
2024 Begins, Mercury Retrograde Ends

Happy New Year! Time to review your computer’s backup strategy!

Mercury Retrograde is of particular interest to astrologically minded folks, and some people who have to deal with. communications technology. See URL for more info…

Wednesday January 3

10:30 pm
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Thursday January 11

6:57 am
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Wednesday January 17

10:53 pm
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

Thursday January 25

12:54 pm
πŸŒ• Full Moon

February 2024

Friday February 2

6:18 pm
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Friday February 9

5:59 pm
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Friday February 16

10:01 am
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon

Saturday February 24

7:30 am
πŸŒ• Full Moon

March 2024

Sunday March 3

10:24 am
πŸŒ— Last Quarter Moon

Sunday March 10

5:00 am
πŸŒ‘ New Moon

Sunday March 17

12:11 am
πŸŒ“ First Quarter Moon
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