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The new year often brings an opportunity to set goals and a brand new planner. This year offers up another 366 days of stargazing, thanks to 2024 being a leap year. While the daylight may be short in the Northern Hemisphere, the dark skies provide more time for enjoying the stars. The cold air clears the summer’s haze, making the celestial bodies easier to see. Here are some fantastic cosmic events to look forward to as we enter 2024.
[Related: 7 US parks where you can get stunning nightsky views.]
January 3 and 4– Quadrantids Meteor Shower Predicted Peak
The Quadrantids technically kick off the year’s meteor shower season. Starting in the middle of November and continuing until mid-January, this year it is expected to peak in the early morning hours on January 3 and 4.
The Quadrantids won’t be as dazzling as the Geminids or the Persieds, but they can still produce more than 100 meteors per hour in a dark sky. Those lucky enough to view it may also spot a fireball on occasion. NASA explains, “fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak. This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger particles of material. Fireballs are also brighter, with magnitudes brighter than -3.”
In 2024, head outside to look for shooting stars after 1 a.m. local time, but be aware that the moon will also be rising, potentially drowning out faint shooting stars with its light.
January 12– Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
On January 12, Mercury will reach its greatest separation from the sun. Spot the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise local time. The planet will brighten rapidly at the beginning of this morning apparition. Before it appears, Mercury will have moved between the Earth and the sun. When its unlit side faces Earth, it will appear as a thin, barely-lit crescent. As the apparition continues, the crescent will grow and the planet will get brighter.
January 13 and 14– The Moon and Saturn ‘Dance’
This month, the moon will appear to hover near our solar system’s most famous ringed planet. The moon will seem to float above Saturn on the 13th and then dip below the ringed planet on the 14th. In Eastern Time, the two will be visible before the moon sets around 8:10 p.m.
[Related: ‘Skyglow’ is rapidly diminishing our nightly views of the stars.]
January 25– Full Wolf Moon
The first full moon of 2024 rises on January 25 and reaches peak illumination at 12:54 p.m.