What do WWII battles, ballistic missiles, and the deadly brown tree snake have in common?
Viewers at the furthest tips of the Southern Hemisphere witnessed the phenomenal lunar occultation of Jupiter, during which the moon crossed over the face of Jupiter.
Stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere were able to enjoy the α-Centaurid (Alpha Centaurid) meteor shower at its height on February 8, although the shower lasted a month between the end of January and February.
The vernal equinox might not be a visually stunning event, but it is celestially important nonetheless. March 20 marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and most of the world will experience an equal amount of daylight and moonlight as the sun shines directly on the equator.
Venus, the second planet from the sun, got quite cozy with the brilliant Seven Sisters stars of the Pleiades cluster. These radiant objects appeared to shine together, despite being more than a quadrillion miles away from each other in actuality.
In the early hours of April 20, skywatchers in the Eastern Hemisphere were treated to a particularly rare sight. A hybrid solar eclipse took place early on Thursday morning as the moon passed between the sun and the Earth. It's known as a hybrid eclipse because the moon blocks the sun like a total eclipse, but we still see a solar ring around the moon instead, combining the total eclipse with the features of an annular eclipse. This only occurs a handful of times per century. The next hybrid solar eclipse is predicted to occur in 2031.
The night of May 6 brought a penumbral lunar eclipse to Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. This is caused by the moon passing through the Earth's penumbra, or shadow. This subtle eclipse doesn't make the moon disappear entirely, but endows it with a soft, blue-gray hue.
The first truly magnificent meteor shower of the year reached its peak on the night of April 23. In the past, the Lyrid meteor shower has shot as many as 100 meteors across the sky per hour.
The moon and Jupiter switched roles from their lunar occultation earlier in the year on May 17, when stargazers saw Jupiter fully disappear behind the moon, then reappear from the other side an hour later.
The first supermoon of 2023 appeared on the night of July 3. The full moon was closer than usual to Earth that night, making it appear even larger and brighter than usual.
Venus, already the brightest planet in the sky, shone even brighter just after sunset on June 4 when it reached its greatest degree of elongation from the sun.
The η-Aquariid (Eta Aquariid) shower, made up of meteors that once broke off from the famous Halley's Comet, was at its busiest on the night of May 6, making May 6 one of the most exciting nights of the year for professional and amateur astronomers all over.
By far the most popular annual celestial event of the year, the Perseids shower provides a spectacular light show that people can enjoy on the night of August 12.
The space debris left behind by the Marsden and Kracht comets make up the annual Delta Aquariid meteor shower, which reaches its peak on July 28.
Sources: (National Geographic) (iTech Post) (Sea and Sky)
See also: How the planets affect our daily lives
Just a few weeks after Saturn's time in the limelight, it's Neptune's turn. The blue, icy planet will be visible all through the night of September 19, but only with a powerful backyard telescope, considering the blue giant is 2.7 billion miles (4.5 billion km) from Earth.
On October 14, people in North and South America will get the chance to view an impressive annular, or "ring of fire," eclipse. In an annular eclipse, the moon appears slightly smaller than the sun, leaving a brilliant ring of light around the eclipse.
Saturn will be as close as ever to Earth on August 27, sitting at "opposition" to the sun with the Earth directly between them, meaning the sun will illuminate the planet all night long. Whip out your telescope to see the ringed planet in more detail than ever.
In 2023, the Southward equinox falls on September 23. For the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the beginning of autumn; for the Southern Hemisphere, it brings in the first days of spring.
The Draconids meteor shower will be in full force on October 7. The Draconids is unique in that it is easiest seen in the early evening, just after sunset, as opposed to most meteor showers that are brightest in the early hours of the morning.
The Leonid meteor shower is a dependable meteor shower that will be at its busiest in 2023 on November 23. But while 2023's spectacle is sure to dazzle, the real treat will come in 2034, when the Leonid's 33-year cycle will reach its peak, lighting up the sky with hundreds of meteors per hour.
Jupiter will have its turn at opposition on November 3. Take a pair of binoculars outside, and, weather permitting, you might even be able to catch a glimpse of the Gas Giant's moons.
Asia, Africa, and Europe will be treated to a spectacular partial lunar eclipse on October 28, when the Earth's shadow will eerily pass over a portion of the moon.
The objects of the Orionid meteor shower seem to burst out of the constellation Orion, but they are in fact old rocks torn from Halley's Comet and left trailing in its wake long ago. Catch the brilliant Orionid spectacle on the night of October 21.
The year closes out with the southern solstice on December 22. On this day, the sun will be closer to the South Pole than on any other day of the year, making it the longest day of summer for the Southern Hemisphere, and the shortest day of winter for the Northern Hemisphere.
Unlike the Leonid shower, the annual Geminid meteor shower is a consistently cramped affair, easily producing upwards of 120 meteors per hour.
One of the major celestial events to take place so far this year was the magnificent Venus Jupiter conjunction. A conjunction occurs when a planet appears close to another planet, star, or moon. The two planets had been growing closer and closer together during the previous weeks, and reached their closest point on March 1. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and Venus is the brightest so they put on quite a show. The spectacle was visible to the naked eye and the two planets looked like they were only a moon's width apart from our perspective down here on Earth. In reality, they were still 400 million miles (600 million km) apart. This is the closest the two planets are likely to come until 2032.
April's full moon is known as the Pink Moon, referring to the arrival of spring flowers rather than the color of the moon itself. Rather, skywatchers were treated to a beautiful view of the fully illuminated face of the moon.
Current events on Earth can get you down, and life here on the ground can sometimes feel monotonous. But staring up at the starry sky is a surefire way to put your problems in perspective, and is also simply a great way to spend a night. Some nights, though, are more special than others. In 2023, there are dozens of beautiful and beguiling celestial events that are sure to hold your attention and push worldly troubles from your mind. From meteor showers to eclipses and supermoons, there are more than enough opportunities in 2023 to bask in the brilliance of space.
The month of August is a special one as it features two supermoons! The first, known as the Sturgeon Moon, rose on Tuesday, August 1. Photos captured from around the world showed just how bright and spectacular it was. If you missed it, don't worry! A second full moon will occur at the end of August, and what's more, it's also a supermoon. It's rare for there to be more than one full moon in a month, and when it occurs, the second one is called a blue moon. This will be visible on Wednesday, August 30.
Get ready to mark your calendars for the upcoming sights you won't want to miss. Click on!
The most remarkable celestial events of 2023
The first supermoon of August dazzled the skies last night
LIFESTYLE Space
Current events on Earth can get you down, and life here on the ground can sometimes feel monotonous. But staring up at the starry sky is a surefire way to put your problems in perspective, and is also simply a great way to spend a night. Some nights, though, are more special than others. In 2023, there are dozens of beautiful and beguiling celestial events that are sure to hold your attention and push worldly troubles from your mind. From meteor showers to eclipses and supermoons, there are more than enough opportunities in 2023 to bask in the brilliance of space.
The month of August is a special one as it features two supermoons! The first, known as the Sturgeon Moon, rose on Tuesday, August 1. Photos captured from around the world showed just how bright and spectacular it was. But if you missed it, don't worry! A second full moon will occur at the end of August, and what's more, it's also a supermoon. It's rare for there to be more than one full moon in a month, and when it occurs, the second one is called a blue moon. This will be visible on Wednesday, August 30.
Get ready to mark your calendars for the upcoming sights you won't want to miss. Click on!