Look up! There are so many spectacular celestial events coming in 2024 that you'll want to mark your calendars for, including a total solar eclipse.
You'll want to keep your eyes on the skies in 2024, with some top-notch meteor showers, beautiful full moons, comets and even possible northern lights activity set to light up the skies.
The crème de la crème will be a total solar eclipse visible from Canada that will be the last eclipse like it until 2044.
Here are the celestial events you'll want to look for this year.
Full moons and supermoons
Twelve full moons will occur in 2024, according to the Farmer's Almanac. The next full Moon, the Wolf Moon, will occur on Thursday, January 25.
Here are all the full moons of 2024, along with their traditional names:
- 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
Then, the supermoon of October 17, 2024, which will be a Super Hunter’s Moon, will be the closest full supermoon for 2024.
Meteor showers
So many spectacular meteor showers will light up the skies in 2024, and you'll want to make sure you're not missing what's considered to be the best meteor shower of the year.
For those who don't know, meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids. According to NASA, each year, Earth passes through these trails od debris, allowing the bits to collide with our atmosphere and create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, which we know as meteors.
Meteor showers take place periodically throughout the year. They can be active for several weeks, but the best time to view them is at their peak.
The Perseids meteor shower is often considered the best meteor shower of the year, known for swift and bright meteors with long tails of light and fireballs that are larger explosions of light and colour.
This year, the Perseids meteor shower will peak on August 13, 2024. While it's sure to be a dazzling show, there are many other meteor showers you won't want to miss.
Here are all the meteor showers in 2024 to look for and their peak, according to the Farmer's Almanac:
- Lyrids - April 21-22
- Eta Aquarids - May 4-5
- Delta Aquarids - July 28-30
- Perseids - August 12-14
- Orionids - October 21-22
- South Taurids - November 2-4
- North Taurids - November 12-14
- Leonids - November 17-19
- Geminids - December 13-14
- Ursids - December 22-23
Comets
A giant comet called 12P/Pons-Brooks, or the "Devil comet" is expected to pass by Earth this year, making for a spectacular sight.
The comet, which is three times the size of Mount Everest, according to National Geographic, will swing by Earth and may even become bright enough to be seen by the naked eye.
According to Space.com, by the end of March, the comet may be visible without a telescope against the backdrop of the constellation Aries.
Look for it on April 12, when it will appear to travel close to the planet Jupiter, and on April 21, when it will reach its closest point to the sun and may peak in brightness.
Solar and lunar eclipses
Multiple eclipses that are visible from Canada will occur in 2024, including two lunar eclipses and a solar eclipse.
The solar eclipse will definitely be the highlight of the year, with a total solar eclipse set to take place.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the first eclipse will be a penumbral eclipse of the moon on March 25. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when part or all of the moon passes into the Earth's penumbra, aka the outer shadow of Earth.
According to the Almanac, lunar eclipses are technically visible from the entire night side of Earth, but during a penumbral eclipse, the dimming of the moon's illumination is only slight.
The moon will enter the penumbra at 12:51 a.m. EDT on March 25 and leave it at 5:35 a.m. EDT.
The next eclipse will be a total eclipse of the sun on April 8, 2024. During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. When this happens, the sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.
The eclipse will be visible from Canada, with the path of totality (where you'd be able to see the sun totally eclipsed) running from southern Ontario to the island of Newfoundland and crossing through parts of southern Quebec, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.
Most other areas in the country will be able to see a partial eclipse. The eclipse will begin at 11:42 a.m. EDT and end at 4:52 p.m. EDT. The duration of totality will last just under 5 minutes.
If you're planning to watch the solar eclipse, make sure you protect your eyes — it's not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing, like eclipse glasses.
You can also view the eclipse indirectly by using a pinhole projector.
The next eclipse will be a partial lunar eclipse that takes place in September and will be visible from most of North America. According to the Almanac, on September 17, the moon will enter the penumbra at 8:39 p.m. EDT and the umbra at 10:12 p.m. EDT.
It will leave the umbra at 11:17 p.m. EDT on September 17 and the penumbra at 12:49 a.m. EDT on September 18.
Northern lights activity
While Canada already has many places with great opportunities for catching the northern lights, this year could mean the opportunity of a lifetime to see auroras.
Experts say that solar activity will peak in 2024, meaning more chances to witness dazzling northern lights displays.
The sun is expected to reach solar maximum, or the peak of its current activity cycle, between January and October 2024, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
According to The Weather Network, experts believe that as we approach the solar maximum, we could see the "best aurora displays of the past 20 years" and the best displays of anything to come for the next decade.
Celestial Events In Canada 2024: Meteor Showers, A Total Solar Eclipse & More To Watch For
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