Stargazing Calendar for December 2023
Explore the celestial wonders of December 2023 with meteor showers, planetary alignments, and cosmic events that paint the night sky. Discover the grandeur and beauty of astronomical phenomena in this captivating journey through the stars.
Stargazing Calendar for November 2023
November 2023 brings celestial spectacles: meteor showers, planetary oppositions, and captivating conjunctions. Don't miss these cosmic events!
Stargazing Calendar for October 2023
October's night sky is set to dazzle with celestial spectacles. From planetary alignments to meteor showers and eclipses, don't miss these captivating astronomical events.
Stargazing Calendar for September 2023
This month, the night sky beckons with a captivating celestial lineup. Look forward to the intriguing dance of planets in conjunctions, the mesmerizing streaks of meteors during showers, and Venus radiating at its brightest. Don't miss the chance to witness Comet Hartley 2's close encounter or the majesty of the 47 Tuc globular cluster. The September sky promises a celestial spectacle for all to enjoy!
Stargazing Calendar for August 2023
Get ready for a celestial spectacle in August! This month promises a series of exciting events in the night sky, including many conjunctions, meteor showers, and oppositions of asteroids and Saturn. Whether you're a seasoned stargazer or a curious observer, there's plenty to look forward to in the awe-inspiring cosmic events unfolding above us.
Stargazing Calendar for July 2023
Get ready for a month filled with celestial wonders! In July, Mercury transitions in the sky, Venus and Mars dance closely, and comets reach perihelion and perigee. Don't miss the supermoon, many conjunctions, asteroid 15 Eunomia and Pluto at opposition, three meteor showers, and other breathtaking events. Grab your telescope and prepare for a dazzling show in the night sky throughout the month of July.
Stargazing Calendar for June 2023
Hello fellow stargazers! June offers a range of astronomical events, including Mars and M44's close approach, many conjunctions, and asteroid Parthenope at opposition. Meteor showers like the Daytime Arietids and June Bootids also grace the sky. Don't miss them!
Top Mistakes Beginning Astronomers Make
Amateur astronomy is not for everybody, just like golf or football is not for everybody, but if you are sure that you want to take up the hobby of gazing at the Universe (or at least some of it) in your free time, you need to get the basics right. Getting it wrong, like so many other beginner amateurs have done, means that your expensive new equipment will almost certainly end up gathering dust in your garage - never to see starlight again.
Stargazing Calendar for May 2023
Hello fellow stargazers! This month the big event will be a penumbral lunar eclipse, but there are also two meteor showers, two comets at perihelion, many conjunctions, and one near-Earth object making a close approach to Earth.
Stargazing Calendar for April 2023
Hello fellow stargazers! This month the big event will be a rare hybrid solar eclipse, but unfortunately it will be visible to only a few small areas of the world. For the rest of us, we have two large objects at opposition: dwarf planet Haumea as well as large asteroid Iris. There will also be two meteor showers as well as many conjunctions.
A Good Time to Observe Dwarf Planet Ceres
On March 21, we have a great opportunity to observe the dwarf planet Ceres. It will be at opposition, which means it will reach the highest point in the sky at around midnight and opposite to the Sun. At the same time Ceres will be closest to the Earth (perigee) at a distance of 1.59 AU. At this time it will be the brightest, with an apparent magnitude of 6.9. Look in the constellation of Coma Berenices with binoculars or a telescope.
Stargazing Calendar for March 2023
Hello fellow stargazers! This month we only have one small meteor shower, but instead we can look forward to a comet visiting the inner solar system (just barely) and more interestingly two dwarf planets at opposition - Ceres and Makemake.
