In 2020, stargazers received a surprise guest thanks to Comet NEOWISE. We also enjoyed a full moon on Halloween night, astronomers in Patagonia marveled at a total solar eclipse, and the planets Jupiter and Saturn gifted us with once-in-a-lifetime planetary conjunction.
What does heaven have in store for us by 2021? The first event of the year is when Venus appeared next to the moon on January 1 but many, many more astronomical events await us, such as two lunar eclipses in 2021, one in spring and one in autumn, the traditional meteor shower of the Perseids that will illuminate the sky once again in August, in summer in the northern hemisphere.
2020 was filled with exciting astronomical events, but there is even more on the horizon (and in the night sky) for 2021.
Do you want to take your stargazing to the next level? Well, if that’s the case, we recommend investing in a telescope or good binoculars so that you can see even more and better everything that happens in the night sky.
What can we not forget
The initial starting point for becoming as competent as the experts in astronomical observation is that you need a dark sky. While it is true that it is possible to hunt a meteor or more during a meteor shower while living in the city, to experience a true meteor shower or to gaze at the sky at its best, avoid city lights. In another article, we already recommended where to look for the best places to see the stars, so go ahead, take a look and locate your next favorite place to observe the night sky.
We review all those astronomical events of the year that you cannot miss, breaking them down month by month so that you can consult this calendar throughout the year and do not miss anything, thanks to the information collected from NASA and the American Meteor Society.
January
3-4 January: Quadrantid rain. During the highest level of activity, more than 40 meteors will be seen per hour. This shower is believed to have come from the debris left by an extinct comet known as 2003 EH1. If you are patient, you will get to see some until January 5. The best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors radiate from the constellation Bootes.
Mercury at its maximum elongation. The planet reaches its eastern elongation of 18.6 degrees from the Sun in January; undoubtedly the best time to view Mercury, as it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky.
February
There are no special events during the month of February, but we can observe both the new moon and the full moon: new moon on February 11, since our satellite will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky and full moon on February 27 (called the snow moon) as the Moon will be located on the opposite side to the Sun and its disk will be fully illuminated.
March
In March we will have two notable planetary elongations: that of Mercury and that of Venus. On March 6 we will have the largest western elongation of 27.3 degrees of the Sun of Mercury. It will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky; and on March 20, Venus at the largest western elongation of 46.6 degrees from the Sun. Look for it in the eastern sky before sunrise.
April
Lyrid: On April 22, 2021, we hit the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower, the shooting stars of the month of April that we will be able to see from approximately the 16th to the 25th. We can expect about 10-14 meteors per hour, as long as we Let’s meet in a dark place with no light pollution. The radiant of this shower is close to the star Vega in the constellation Lyra. Wait for the Moon to set to start observing.
Supermoon: On April 27 we will have precisely a supermoon. This phase will occur at 03:33 UTC (universal time). It is the first of the three supermoons that 2021 has in store for us. The Moon will be close to its closest approach to Earth and may appear a little larger and brighter than usual, as you have already seen on other occasions.
May
Eta Aquáridas: 6-7 May. Hopefully, the crescent moon will not diminish our vision too much, although we have to admit that it is the best meteor shower in the southern hemisphere (not in the north). The radiant is close to the star Eta in the constellation Aquarius. The best time for observation will be one or two hours before sunrise, no matter where we are on Earth.
Supermoon: May 26. The Flower Moon is the second of the 2021 supermoons. It may appear larger and brighter compared to other full moons.
Total lunar eclipse: A total lunar eclipse will grace the skies on May 26 and should be visible from East Asia, Australia, areas of the Pacific Ocean and most of the Americas, according to NASA. The total lunar eclipse means that the Earth’s shadow will completely block the moon, which can cause it to turn copper or red in color due to some light from the sun passing through the Earth’s atmosphere and reflecting off the moon. Moon.
June
Annular Solar Eclipse: On June 10 we have an appointment with a “ring of fire”. This eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth but does not completely cover our star, creating a bright ring (of fire) around the shadow. This particular annular eclipse will be visible only in northern Canada, Greenland and Russia, according to NASA. A partial eclipse will be visible in the northeastern United States, Europe, and most of Russia.
Supermoon: We reached the last of the three supermoons of 2021. It will be on June 24, when we can see it a little brighter and bigger than what we are used to.
July
Elongation of Mercury: This planet reaches the largest western elongation of 21.6 degrees of the Sun. Take advantage of July 4, because it will be the best time to see Mercury. To find it, I go down in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
Delta Aquarid Rain: This meteor shower also favors the southern hemisphere and tropical latitudes in the northern hemisphere. However, the Moon will greatly obstruct your vision. The meteors appear to radiate closely from the star Skat or Delta in the constellation Aquarius. The maximum rate per hour can reach 15 to 20 meteors in a dark sky. If you want to observe them, there is greater abundance in the hours before sunrise.
August
Saturn in Opposition: On August 2, the planet with the rings will be closer to Earth and its face will be completely illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than at any other time of the year and, in addition, throughout the night. If you are lucky enough to have a medium-sized or even larger telescope, you will be able to see the rings of Saturn and some of its brightest moons.
Perseid Rain: August 12-13. According to the American Meteor Society, the Perseid shower can produce between 50 and 75 visible shooting stars per hour in an average year. This year will be a good year to see the Perseids as the peak of the rain coincides with a dark, moonless sky. . The meteors come from Comet 109P / Swift-Tuttle. Better, from the northern hemisphere in the hours before sunrise.
Mars-Mercury conjunction: August 18, Similar to the Venus-Jupiter conjunction in February, the conjunction between Mars and Mercury will be difficult to detect due to its position relative to sunset. We will need a telescope or a pair of binoculars.
September
Neptune in Opposition: The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth on September 14. We must take advantage of this day to contemplate it, as it will be brighter than at any other time of the year. Due to its incredible distance from Earth, it will only appear as a small blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes, of course.
Full Moon: On September 20 the full moon will take place. This phase will occur at 23:54 UTC. It is known as the Harvest Moon, as it takes place very close to the September equinox each year.
October
Rain of Draconids: October 7. As the radiant of the Draconid meteor shower almost coincides with the head of the constellation Draco the Dragon in the northern sky, this meteor shower is best viewed from the northern hemisphere. For this year, we recommend you to contemplate it at dusk. Fortunately, the thin crescent moon sets before dark and won’t get in the way of the 2021 meteor shower.
Orionid Rain: October 21-22. The Orionids can ‘discharge’ up to 20 meteors per hour at their peak. It is produced by the dust grains left by Halley’s Comet, although the full moon will be a problem this year, as its glow will block all but the brightest meteors.
November
Taurid Rain: November 4-5. With just 5-10 meteors per hour, this meteor shower radiates from the constellation Taurus.
Leonidas rain: November 17-18. The Leonids represent a rather special meteor shower because it has a cyclonic peak approximately every 33 years where hundreds of meteors can be seen per hour. For the next, there is still. Leonids are produced by the grains of dust left by Comet Tempel-Tuttle. Behold it after midnight.
Partial lunar eclipse: On November 19 a partial lunar eclipse will take place that will be visible from America, Australia and some parts of Europe and Asia. It will be the second and last lunar eclipse of 2021, according to NASA. The show will start at 07:18 UTC and end at 10:47 UTC.
December
Total solar eclipse: At the end of 2021, specifically on December 4, we will have the opportunity to witness the total solar eclipse that will only be visible from Antarctica, although spectators from Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Namibia and Australia will have the opportunity to see “a bite of the Sun” as the moon partially darkens.
Geminid Rain: December 13-14. It is one of the best meteor showers in the Northern Hemisphere. Its meteors rival the Perseids. They are white and shiny. The Moon will be a problem this year, so the most interesting thing will be to wait for the dark skies in the early hours of the morning.
Rain of Ursids: December 21-22. Unfortunately, the full moon will block almost all but the brightest meteors. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor, but they can appear anywhere in the sky.