Stargazing calendar 2021: Eclipses, meteor showers and other astronomical events this year

Break out the telescope and stretch your neck, because another year of star gazing is just around the corner.

Two lunar eclipses, a good summer meteor shower and a nearby planetary conjunction highlight the stargazing calendar in 2021, which will otherwise be relatively quiet.

In the absence of major events like the historic great conjunction in late 2020 or the upcoming 2024 total lunar eclipse, the astronomical calendar still has a lot to offer for amateur and experienced stargazers alike.

The big event in 2021 is the supermoon’s total lunar eclipse, which will be seen over the Pacific Northwest in the early hours of May 26. shadow goes over it.

It also promises to be a good year for the Perseid meteor shower in August, which will coincide with a new moon making the sky dark enough to see a good show. The shower reaches its peak on August 12-13, a beautiful time of the year in the northwest.

And while there isn’t a major conjunction to look forward to this year, there will be a close conjunction of Mars and Venus on July 13, which is a great excuse to break out the telescope under a bright summer sky.

Here’s what to look for when looking at the night sky in 2021:

JAN. 2-3

Quadrantid meteor shower

The early winter meteor shower won’t provide much of a show to those in the Pacific Northwest. Aside from possible cloud cover, the waning moon during the meteor shower’s peak will make the meteors harder to see, which would be about 25 per hour under a dark sky. It might be possible to see a little closer to the end of the shower on January 12.

APRIL 23-24

Lyrid Meteor shower

Conditions won’t be optimal for the peak of this year’s Lyrids meteor shower, with a crescent moon brightly hanging in the sky. The Lyrids are known for their fast and bright meteors, although there are usually only about 20 per hour. Some may be visible around the start of the meteor shower on April 14.

APRIL 27TH

Super moon

A “super moon” is a term used for a full moon that is closest to Earth and appears larger and brighter than usual. April’s supermoon will be the first of two in 2021 (a third on June 24 is also considered by some to be close enough to be considered “super”).

MAY 6-7

And Aquarid Meteor Shower

Best viewed from the southern tropics, the Eta aquarids usually produce 10 to 30 meteors per hour at their peak for those in the Northern Hemisphere. A crescent moon at the peak of this year’s meteor shower darkens the sky.

MAY 26

Supermoon total lunar eclipse

The great astronomical event of the year will be a total lunar eclipse overlapping with the second “super moon” of the year. Look for the full moon that turns red when the shadow of the Earth falls over it.

JUNE 10TH

Annular solar eclipse

This is not a total solar eclipse, nor will it be visible from the Pacific Northwest, but the annular solar eclipse – where a smaller moon blocks only part of the sun and creates a ‘ring of fire’ effect – will be visible in the northeast of the US and part of the Midwest.

JULY 13

Combination of Mars and Venus

Summer stargazers will be able to place both Mars and Venus in one telescope image because they appear close to each other during a conjunction of the two planets. With a thin crescent moon and clear summer skies, it should be a great opportunity for star gazing in the Pacific Northwest.

28-29 JULY

Delta Aquarid Meteor shower

Like the Eta Aquarids, the Delta Aquarids are best seen from the southern hemisphere, causing a slight downpour in the north. A waning moon at its peak will likely drown out the sparse meteors.

Alpha Capricornid Meteor Shower

With the same two nights as the Delta Aquarids, the Alpha Capricornids will be another faint rain shower, thanks to the bright moon. Typically, this shower is known for its bright fireballs and is equally visible on both sides of the equator.

AUG. 12-13

Perseids Meteor shower

One of the best meteor showers of the year, the Perseids promise to be a good show this year, with a new moon just a few days before the shower’s peak. Under dark skies, the Perseids usually count 50 to 75 per hour. Clear summer skies and warm temperatures make it a reliably good event.

AUG. 22

Blue Moon (seasonal)

We tend to think of a “blue moon” as the second full moon that occurs within a single calendar month, but the term is also used for an additional full moon in a single season. Confusingly, it is the third full moon in the season, not the extra fourth, which is considered the blue moon. This year, the blue moon is coming in the last third of summer.

OCT. 19-20

Orionides Meteor shower

The Orionids typically produce 10 to 20 meteors per hour, although the number can be as high as 75 in good years. This year doesn’t look promising, as a full moon will drown out most of the screen.

NOV. 16-17

Leonids Meteor shower

The Leonids are debris from Comet 55P / Tempel-Tuttle, known for its erratic bursts of activity, most recently in 2001. There won’t be major Leonid events until 2099 and no good showers until around 2030, although the storm still produces peaks of about 15 meteors per hour. This year’s peak will be drowned out by a nearly full moon.

NOV. 19

Partial lunar eclipse

While not technically a total lunar eclipse, in this partial solar eclipse, Earth’s shadow will cover 97% of the moon. The event will be visible to the entire US, reaching its maximum solar eclipse in the early hours of the morning. The moon is almost at its farthest point from Earth, so it will appear a bit smaller in the sky.

DEC. 13-14

Geminids Meteor shower

The strongest meteor shower of the year comes on the last days of autumn, peaking at 120 meteors per hour. The Pacific Northwest is usually a bad place to look for Geminids due to reliably cloudy skies, and this year’s peak will be further hampered by a waxing moon. Stargazers who want to see the shower should go outside a few hours before sunrise, or hope to get lucky in the early days of the shower, which will be active between December 4 and 20.

DEC. 21-22

Ursid Meteor shower

Overshadowed by the Geminids and the holidays, the Ursid meteor shower rounds out the year with peak activity of about five to 10 meteors per hour, running from December 17-26. Observers may be able to spot the meteors in the late morning hours. on the peak days of December 21 and 22, although an almost full moon can ruin your chances.

– Jamie Hale; [email protected]; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB