The big astronomical event in 2024 is a Great North American Eclipse in April. In Maryland, the moon won’t cover the sun during the eclipse, but it will come close.
Read on for viewing tips, as well as other skywatching highlights and key astronomical dates for the next 12 months. For most events, the best viewing will be from rural areas with less lighting, and during clear weather. But some can be seen despite city lights.
January
Though winter is in full swing, the Earth will reach its closest point relative to the sun, known as perihelion, at 7:38 p.m. Tuesday. In fact, it is the tilt of Earth’s axis that determines our seasons.
The year’s first meteor shower — the Quadrantids — will peak Thursday from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., according to a prediction from the American Meteor Society. The moon will be about half-illuminated that night, which could interfere with the visibility of shooting stars. Seek a dark spot where the moon is blocked by a building or a tree, and look to the northern half of the sky.
The year’s latest sunrise is Friday at 7:26 a.m. After that, look forward to earlier morning sunshine.
Look to heavens in the early evening of Jan. 18 to find the half-moon and Jupiter in close proximity. Grab a pair of binoculars and look toward the gas giant planet to see if you can locate some of its many moons beside it in the sky.
February
Take advantage of the new moon on the night of Feb. 9 to gaze up at the stars without moonlight. See if you can find Jupiter, with fairly good visibility prior to midnight.
And if you’re looking skyward on Valentine’s Day, pinpoint the crescent moon to find Jupiter nearby once again, before 11:45 p.m.
March
Clocks will jump forward one hour at 2 a.m. March 10, with the beginning of daylight saving time.
The vernal equinox arrives March 19 at 11:06 p.m. At this point, which marks the beginning of spring, the Northern and Southern hemispheres receive equal amounts of the sun’s rays.
Early in the morning on March 25, gaze up at the moon during a penumbral lunar eclipse. Typically a subtle display, a penumbral eclipse occurs when the moon crosses into the faint outer portion of Earth’s shadow, called the penumbra. This usually only causes a slight darkening of the moon’s face, which isn’t easy to see. The eclipse will begin at 12:53 a.m. in Baltimore and peak about 3:12 a.m. Stay up late (or wake up early) and see if you can tell the difference.
Starting as early as mid- to late March, a comet could be visible with binoculars or even the naked eye. Comet 12P/ Pons-Brooks, which last came close to Earth in 1954, might be easier to find on the evenings of March 30 and 31, around twilight, when it will sit close to the brightest star in the Aries constellation, called Hamal.
This comet excited astronomers in 2023, when it had several unexpected outbursts during its journey closer to the Earth. Some likened its U-shaped appearance, seen through a telescope, to that of devil horns, a horseshoe crab or the Millennium Falcon spaceship of “Star Wars” fame.
This comet may also be visible during April’s solar eclipse, but using binoculars while the sun is out is best left to experienced astronomers because of the risk of eye injury.
April
On Monday, April 8, a total solar eclipse will be visible across the contiguous United States for the first time since 2017. At the eclipse’s peak, the moon will entirely cover the sun’s face in the middle of the day, darkening the sky as if it were dusk.
Starting along Mexico’s Pacific coast, the eclipse’s path sweeps up into the United States, from Texas to Maine.
Maryland is just outside of the eclipse’s “path of totality,” so viewers in the state will only see a partial eclipse. The display also hinges on clear weather. In Baltimore, the eclipse will cover about 88% of the sun’s face when it reaches its maximum point at 3:21 p.m. As a result, local eclipse viewers will need to wear protective glasses for the duration of the display. The sun will be partially covered from about 2:05 p.m. to 4:33 p.m. that day.
To see a total eclipse, Marylanders wouldn’t have to travel far. The phenomenon will be visible in cities such as Erie, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, and Buffalo, New York. A full eclipse will also grace the skies above Niagara Falls, promising a picturesque moment.
It is the last time a total solar eclipse will be visible in the contiguous United States until Aug. 23, 2044, a display that will be limited to the Western U.S.
May
The Eta Aquarids meteor shower could make for decent viewing in 2024, since the shower’s peak will arrive with a waning crescent moon, limiting bright moonlight that could obscure the display. The peak of the medium-strength meteor shower will be on the night of May 4 into May 5, according to AMS, which predicts that the shower could be stronger than usual due to interactions of the particles with Jupiter.
June
The summer solstice occurs at 4:51 p.m. on June 20. At this moment, the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere is tilted at its most extreme angle toward the sun. Signaling the beginning of summer, this will also be the longest day of 2024.
July
It will be hot outside in Baltimore, but Earth will actually be at its farthest point from the sun — known as aphelion — on July 5 at 1:06 a.m.
If you’re looking for a reason to stargaze on a summer night, look out for Mercury on July 22. It reaches its greatest eastern elongation from the sun that night, meaning viewing will be easiest. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.
August
Look to the skies after midnight on the morning of Aug. 13 to catch a popular meteor shower, the Perseids. In 2024, the moon will be about 54% full during the peak of the display, which could obscure some of the show. But the moon will set just after midnight, allowing for easier viewing in the pre-dawn hours. At its peak, this shower could offer 50 to 75 meteors per hour.
September
On Sept. 17, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible from Baltimore. During this display, the moon will only be subtly shrouded by the Earth’s penumbra at first, but then the Earth’s darker, inner shadow — called the umbra — will cover a small portion of the moon as well, creating a darker shadow. The eclipse will be at its maximum at 10:44 p.m. for viewers in Baltimore. That night’s moon is also considered a “super moon,” which isn’t a technical astronomical term, but the moon may appear larger and brighter than usual. Additionally, Saturn could be visible close by the moon on that night.
The autumnal equinox arrives Sept. 22 just before 9 a.m., marking the beginning of fall. It’s the other point in the year, together with the vernal equinox, when the two hemispheres get equal light despite the tilt of Earth’s axis.
October
On Oct. 2, an annular solar eclipse will be visible from Easter Island and southern parts of South America. In those locations, the moon will nearly cover the sun, except for its perimeter, creating a “ring of fire” effect in the sky. Sadly, viewers in Baltimore won’t be able to see the display.
A recently discovered comet, called A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, could be visible this month. If it survives its journey around the sun, ideal viewing begins around Oct. 13 and 14 for observers in the northern hemisphere. First sighted by telescopes in South Africa and China in 2023, the comet could create a good show, but comets are notoriously finicky.
The full moon on the morning of Oct 17 will be a “super moon” — the closest one of the year.
November
On Nov. 3 at 2 a.m., clocks will go back one hour with the end of daylight saving time.
The moon on the night of Nov. 15 will be the year’s final “super moon.”
December
Just after the sun goes down Dec. 4, look for the crescent moon to find Venus shining brightly beside it. The duo will be close enough that you can see them both when looking through binoculars.
The earliest sunset of the year occurs a few days later, on Dec. 6 at 4:43 p.m.
The winter solstice arrives Dec. 21 at 4:21 a.m., officially beginning winter, with the Earth’s northern hemisphere tilted the furthest from the sun. One of the year’s shortest days, it’s 5 hours and 32 minutes shorter than the June solstice.
