last year 2022 It’s been a great year for the amateur astronomers and for those who enjoy getting away from the city to be able to see all kinds of celestial events that sporadically grace the darling. This year promises another amazing set of cosmic eventsincludes dark skies for both meteor showers most anticipated: the perseids Y the Geminids.
For this reason, a list has been made with dates of 2023 that explain all those space phenomena that are yet to come and some recommendations to be able to enjoy them. Parachute observe these and other phenomenaall you need is a dark place, weather-appropriate gear, and the occasional binocular.
February 2: Comet C/2022 E3 approaches Earth
In early February, the comet C/2022 E3 will travel to about 42.5 million kilometers of our planet, the closest it has been to Earth since the Homo sapiens began to settle in Europe Y Asia since Africaaccording to researchers eric henrikson Y KTLA’s Cameron Kiszla.
This particular comet may be visible to the naked eye. under dark skiesalthough those with a binocular or a telescope I could see it much better. The viewers of the North Hemisphere will be able to detect the comet in the morning sky in the northwest during January, while those in the southern hemisphere You will need to be on the lookout starting in early February. The comet has a green color very wispy and a long tail.
March 1: Venus-Jupiter conjunction
In astronomy, a conjunction occurs when a planet appears near a moon, another planet, or a star. The conjunctions occur quite frequently and «have no deep astronomical significance, but they are nice to see«, according to POT. Although the two appear relatively close, they are actually separated by millions of kilometers and to see them you must look west-southwest at dusk.
During the first months of the year, these two planets will begin to converge in ethe southwestern skyand the March 1st they will reach their closest points to each other. should be able to see both a simple view, but also can be observed from the smallest garden with the telescope, writes Andrew Fazekas of National Geographic.
April 15 to 29: Lyrid Rain
Meteor showers occur when the Land it passes through debris left behind by comets and asteroids, which is why it occurs around the same time each year. In this case, the lyrids originate from the cometThatcher‘, which orbits the sun every 415 years. This is one of the oldest recorded showers, with observations dating back to the 687 BC c.writes daisy dobrijevic parachute space.com.
This year’s rainfall will peak in the night of april 22 And according to expert astronomer Dobrijevic, viewing conditions will be favorable: the crescent moon will only be 6 percent illuminated. Observers of the phenomenon can generally see around 18 meteors per hour in a clear and dark sky, although on very rare occasions, the lyrids they can surprise viewers with up to 100 meteors in an hour.
To better observe the stars, the POT recommends looking for a dark zone between moonset and sunrise. Lie on your back with your feet up the East and I look up to the sky.
April 15 to May 27: Eta Aquarids meteor shower
This rain is known for its fast meteors They leave long, bright trails. meteorites eta acurids they can travel to 238,000 kilometers per hour into the atmosphere of the Landaccording to POT. One of the curiosities of this phenomenon is that the point from which it appears is the Aquarius constellation.
These meteorites come from Halley cometIt completes one orbit around the sun about once every 76 years. This comet also produces the meteor shower. Orionids, which can also be seen in October. Halley was last seen for casual watching in 1986 and is expected to do another appearance in 2061.
The Eta Aquarids this year will reach its better visibility the night of May 5 to 6. Unfortunately, the full moon will appear on May 5, 2023 to will hinder plus clear vision of the event.
Even though Bill Cookeleader of the Meteoroid Environment Office in it marshall space flight of the POTHe said a significant outburst could occur with meteors raining down at twice their usual rate, and while the moon can wipe out many, it still «could be a pretty decent show,» he said. kitchen room.
A priori, this meteor shower best seen from the southern hemispherebut they can also be seen north of the equator at a common rate of about 10 to 30 per hour in good conditions.
July 14 to September 1: Perseid rain or Tears of San Lorenzo
The perseid rain it is one of the best of the year for its visibility. Frequent bright meteors with long tails will again light up the sky at a rate of 50 to 100 per hour. The rain is visible when the Land passes through the debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle.the perseids last year coincided with a full moon, which made some shooting star hazards hard to see. But this year, the rain will reach its spectacular peak, two days before the new moon, on August 11 and 12.
For the best viewing experience, Greenwich Royal Museums He recommends going somewhere dark and giving your eyes 15 minutes to adjust, which means taking a break from your phone.
August 31: a super blue moon
Those who look at the sky at night August 31 You may notice that the full moon appears a bit larger and brighter than usual. That’s because the moon lies closer to elliptical orbit to Earth, turning it into a Super moon.
According to NASA, in 2023 there will appear four supermoons in a row: July 3, August 1, August 31 and September 29. Because the month of August will see two full moons and the second one is considered a blue moon. blue moons happen every 2.5 yearsand the last precedent was in August 2021.
September 26 to November 22: Orionids
The Orionids They are not usually as sharp as the perseids waves Geminidsbut still worth watching. It is advisable to go to a dark place, to be able to see between 10 and 20 meteors per hour at the peak of the shower, which falls around the morning of October 22, according to Deborah Byrd Delaware Earth Heaven.
Like Eta Aquarids, this shower comes from Halley’s comet, named after the English astronomer edmond halley. Likewise, he was the first to calculate the comet’s orbit and accurately predicted his return in 175816 years after his death. This year, the moon will set at midnight on the peak night, needing little interference to viewers looking up at the early morning.
October 14: annular solar eclipse
In mid-October you will be able to see a annular solar eclipse. according to astrocantabriaSolar eclipses occur when the Moon passes in front of the Sun and hides it from us. But sometimes the Moon is a little further away and the Sun a little closer, and the Moon doesn’t look big enough to hide all of the Sun.
In this case, the Moon hides the center of the Sun and reveals the edge of the Sun around it, like a ring (hence the name of the annular eclipse). Such an annular solar eclipse could last up to 12 minutes and 30 secondsaccording to Dobrijevic and joe rao from Space.com.
October 28: partial lunar eclipse
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the shadow of the Land Darkens the entire surface of the Moonwhile a partial eclipse occurs when the moon passes only partially through the shade of the Land and you can see it on October 28 during big part of the day. Unlike a solar eclipse, you don’t need any equipment to view a lunar eclipse.
Also, a third type of eclipse called penumbral lunar eclipse, more subtle, it occurs when the faintest outer shadow of the Earth, called the penumbra, is cast on the moon.
November 19 to December 24: Geminid Meteor Shower
The Geminids are another fan favorite and one of the last meteor showers of the year. This shower is known for its fast-moving meteorites, which can travel 125,000 kilometers per hourmore than 40 times faster than a bullet, according to the POT.
Most of the meteorites are forecast to shower in the nights of December 13 and 14with the chance for star viewers to see 120 meteors per hour. Unlike many other showers, the Geminids come from a rocky celestial object called asteroid instead of an icy kite.
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Scientists aren’t exactly sure how the asteroid, named Phaetoncould cause a meteor shower, but some theorize that it could actually be a dead comet, or a comet that has lost its ice capaccording to POT.
Finally, as reportedbyrd Y kelly kizer white Delaware EarthSkyla young crescent moon, it will set early in the evening this year at the peak, it will need a dark sky for the lingers. The ideal time to see the Geminids is from two o’cloc after midnight (Spanish time), and you should be able to see these cosmic rocks in all parts of the sky.