When is the next celestial event

It is thought to be produced by dust grains left behind by an extinct comet known as EH1, which was discovered in The shower runs annually from January It peaks this year on the night of the 2nd and morning of the 3rd. The waning gibbous moon will block out most of the faintest meteors this year.

But if you are patient, you should still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes, but can appear anywhere in the sky. January 13 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

January 24 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset. January 28 - Full Moon.

The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Wolf Moon because this was the time of year when hungry wolf packs howled outside their camps.

February 11 - New Moon. February 27 - Full Moon. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Snow Moon because the heaviest snows usually fell during this time of the year. Since hunting is difficult, this moon has also been known by some tribes as the Hunger Moon, since the harsh weather made hunting difficult.

March 6 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky.

Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise. March 13 - New Moon. March 20 - March Equinox. The March equinox occurs at UTC. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world.

This is also the first day of spring vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall autumnal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.

March 28 - Full Moon. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Worm Moon because this was the time of year when the ground would begin to soften and the earthworms would reappear. April 12 - New Moon. April 22, 23 - Lyrids Meteor Shower. The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak.

The shower runs annually from April It peaks this year on the night of the night of the 22nd and morning of the 23rd. These meteors can sometimes produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The nearly full moon will be a problem this year. Its glare will block out all but the brightest meteors. But if you are patient you may still be able to catch a few good ones. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Lyra, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

April 27 - Full Moon, Supermoon. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the first spring flowers. Many coastal tribes called it the Fish Moon because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn. This is also the first of three supermoons for The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

May 6, 7 - Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Eta Aquarids is an above average shower, capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak.

Most of the activity is seen in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the rate can reach about 30 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet Halley, which has been observed since ancient times. The shower runs annually from April 19 to May It peaks this year on the night of May 6 and the morning of the May 7. The second quarter moon will block out some of the faintest meteors this year. But if you are patient, you should still should be able to catch quite a few good ones.

Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky. May 11 - New Moon. For most viewers across the U. For those lucky few along the westernmost edge of California who will be able to view the total eclipse, that show will start at a.

Pacific time, according to National Geographic. The full annular eclipse will start in northern Canada at Coordinated Universal Time. On the same morning, just after sunrise from 5 to 6 a. Eastern time, viewers in the Eastern and Midwestern United States will be able to view a partial solar eclipse. Viewers of a partial eclipse should note that the sun will remain dangerously bright for human eyes at all times, according to NASA.

Plan to use special-purpose solar filters and avoid looking directly at the event. Even viewing the partial eclipse through sunglasses, unfiltered telescopes or binoculars can cause retinal damage, per the American Optometric Association. When a planet is at opposition, it forms a straight line with the Earth and the sun, with the Earth at the center of the three. According to Royal Observatory in London, opposition typically presents the best opportunities for viewing far-off planets like Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune because the planets will be brightly illuminated and riding high in the sky.

So don't miss the next opportunity and make the most of PhotoPills so that solar eclipse becomes a unique experience you'll never forget. People can't help but look at any Star Trails picture. Because it's something that's happening out there in the universe, but no one can see it with the naked eye.

You just need a good location with an interesting foreground, a clear night with no Moon and to decide the Star Trails pattern you want to capture. I almost always use this second option. So let's use it as an example to explain the workflow you should follow. Follow these steps to photograph Star Trails with multiple exposures the more shots you take, the longer the trails :.

Anyway, if you want to learn or review the whole shooting workflow, take a look at the Star Trails guide where I explain it to you step by step! This type of photography has a great advantage: you can always use the Moon as a reference. So the planning section 14 is easier than for other images. The nice thing about a conjunction between the Moon and a planet is that you have the opportunity to capture a star that is not always visible in the night sky.

Also, depending on its magnitude ie. The workflow is very similar to the one I described in the previous photo. The added difficulty in this case is that you can't use the Moon as a reference. But, as I explained in the plan section 14 , there are tricks to know where to point the camera to. Here's how we planned the shooting of the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Photographing a comet is a challenge. For starters because comets are celestial bodies whose behaviour, and above all their brightness, is quite unpredictable.

Actually, the most important thing is to find out in which direction you have to point your camera so that you can get a better framing. And since that's something you already found out during the planning section 14 , all you have to do is take the picture As with a conjunction between the Moon and a planet, if you want to capture the transit of a planet through the Sun you have a very clear reference: the Sun.

From there, it's much easier to work on the composition and also get the right focus and exposure. Keep in mind that the size of the planet compared to the Sun will be teeny-tiny. So you need a very long focal length. The shooting workflow of this type of shot is very similar to a partial eclipse of the Sun shooting workflow. So don't forget the solar filter and your solar eclipse glasses at home!

If you need a complete explanation on the matter, have a look at the blog post I wrote about the Mercury transit. As I told you in section 14 , the zodiacal light is a difficult phenomenon to photograph. You need very specific conditions for it to happen. Moreover, it's crucial that you look for a location without light pollution. Zodiacal light is very dim and you need as much darkness as possible in order to photograph it successfully. Sometimes it's known as false Sunrise or false Sunset, but I'm sure you'll photograph it as soon as you aim for it.

Throughout this guide I've been introducing a series of words and names that I had not explained before. So I thought that the easiest way to help you understand everything in a clear and simple way is to include this section: a glossary with definitions and explanations.

Bulge - The bulge is the area of the Milky Way or any other galaxy with the highest concentration of stars. It's located around the galactic center. Conjunction - From the point of view of an observer on Earth, two stars are in conjunction when they are in the same celestial longitude. However, since they're not at the same celestial latitude, you have the impression that they are very close in the sky.

That is why one passes over the other and in each of the events I tell you which one is north or south of the other. Ecliptic - It's the Earth's orbital plane around the Sun in the sky or celestial sphere. It's the line by which the Sun "moves" around the Earth, seen from the Earth.

Elongation - In astronomy, a planet's elongation is the angle between the Sun and a planet, using the Earth as the reference point. In fact, it measures the distance between the Sun and that planet, using the Earth as the reference point. Therefore, the maximum elongation of a planet means that its separation from the Sun is the maximum possible.

Furthermore, being as far away from the Sun means that it's the brightest moment in the sky. It's also its brightest area. Magnitude - In astronomy, magnitude is the measure of a star's brightness. Although in this guide I always mention the apparent magnitude , which is the brightness measure of a star as you can perceive it observing it from the Earth.

The smaller the number, the brighter a star looks to you. The Sun, for example, has an apparent magnitude of The smaller the magnitude number the brighter the object and vice versa, the larger the number the less bright it is.

Magellanic Clouds - Magellanic Clouds are two very small galaxies. You can see them if you are in the Southern Hemisphere. They appear in the sky as two small whitish spots, opposite the Southern Cross or Crux constellation if you take the South Celestial Pole as a reference point.

Opposition - From the point of view of an observer on Earth, two stars are in opposition when they meet at two diametrically opposed points in the sky. When opposition occurs near the perihelion, their distance from the Earth is the least possible.

Therefore, you can observe it more easily. Path of totality - A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon completely covers the Sun. This event can only take place when the Moon is near perigee, the point of the Moon's orbit closest to Earth. But because the full shadow of the Moon also called umbra is not big enough to cover the Earth completely, it only covers a portion. This area or path is called the path of totality.

In other words, it's the area from which the total solar eclipse can be seen. Perigee - The perigee is the closest point to the Earth in the orbit of the Moon or any artificial satellite. Perihelion - The perihelion of a star is the nearest point in its orbit around the Sun.

In the case of a comet, for example, the fact of being in the perihelion facilitates its observation. Each one is the main star of its constellation. In the Northern Hemisphere, you can see it during most of the nightime in summer.

In the Southern Hemisphere, you can see it upside down and at a lower elevation. That is, coordinated universal time. It's the main worldwide time standard and it's based on the international atomic time. This is a time standard calculated from a weighted average of the signals of the atomic clocks located in 70 national labs around the world.

In the Northern Hemisphere, you can see it during most of the nightime in winter. That is, it's centered on the ecliptic. Zodiacal light - The zodiacal light is a cone of very dim light that you can see before dawn or after dusk is over. Regardless of your location, you can see it in the west in late winter or early spring known as false Sunset.

While in the east you can see it before Sunrise in late summer or early fall called false Sunrise. In fact, zodiacal light is the result of the reflection produced by a large interplanetary cloud along the zodiac.

Each of them is an opportunity to test your creativity and your photographic skills. They are a challenge to improve and to get that image you've been dreaming about for weeks, months or years?

Whether traveling to remote and inaccessible places or staying close to home You must push your creativity to the limit. You'll need to use all the tools including PhotoPills to always be in the right place, at the right time, and to capture the scene you dream of. As always, should you or any member of your team be caught in the attempt, the PhotoPills team will disavow any knowledge of your actions.

It's going to be a year full of legendary photos. Don't forget to send them to the PhotoPills Awards You might even become a legend! And as always, if you need help, I'm here for you. Just whistle or leave a comment below. I'll do my best to solve your problem. Antoni Cladera is a landscape photographer with commitment to the environment. He's part of the PhotoPills Team. Special thanks to Sandra Vallaure , a great photographer and friend, for her tremendous help in making this article possible.

Note : Some links on this page are affiliate links. What does this mean? Thank you for your support. No matter where you are on Earth. As a photographer, you're always looking for great photo opportunities, right?

To find them The possibilities are endless. But the problem is How are you going to photograph all these magical events if you don't know when they happen? Well, you're in luck because I've done almost all the work for you! Then, move the Red Pin to where you want to plan the photo. The UTC time will automatically convert to the local time of the location you choose. So tell me! Are you ready to experience some amazing and unique space events?

Feel free to use this guide as a reference and check it out as the year goes by! Astronomical Events: The Definitive Guide. The Milky Way arch is displayed on the map white dotted arch. Above the map you see Panel 7, which shows the Galactic Center visibility times for the selected date. PhotoPills Planner - Now you see Panel 8 above the map. The icon tells you the inclination of the Milky Way arch in the sky. The blue energy bar is linked to the Moon phase.

When full, it means it's New Moon. And when it is empty, it's Full Moon. You also have the position azimuth and elevation of the Galactic Center and the highest point of the Milky Way arch. PhotoPills Moon - Moon calendar where yellow circles show the Supermoons. PhotoPills Planner - Supermoon planning for April 27, The center of the Moon will be aligned with the roof of Torre Sevilla at pm and will have a diameter of 10 m. The thin blue line shows the position of the Moon for the selected time.

The calendar of the most important Meteor Showers for the selected year Swipe left or right to change the year. Map view of the Meteor Shower radiant and path, and the Meteor Shower information on Panel 11 at the beginning of the shooting session. PhotoPills Planner - Eclipse calendar where you can select the eclipse you want to plan.

PhotoPills Planner - Eclipse information on the map and top panels. It's very easy to visualize where you can photograph all the phases of the eclipse or the phases you'll be able to see from the Red Pin position. It's very easy to visualize where you can photograph all the phases of the eclipse path of totality or the phases you'll be able to see from the Red Pin position.

On the map, the thin blue line shows the direction of the Moon. Panel 3 shows the Moon elevation. PhotoPills Planner - On the map, the thin blue line shows the direction of the Moon at am local time on the same day. On the map, the thin yellow line shows the direction of the Sun. Panel 3 shows the Sun elevation. PhotoPills Planner - On the map, the thin yellow line shows the Sun direction at pm local time UTC on the same day, when the transit ends. PhotoPills Planner - According to the position of the Red Pin Cala Presili in Menorca, Spain and the shooting date September 7, , the zodiacal light will be visible in the Sunrise direction thick yellow line , before the astronomical twilight begins at am, just before Sunrise.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tell a friend. If you are patient, you should still should be able to catch a few good ones. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky. May 19 - New Moon. May 29 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of June 4 - Full Moon.

This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Strawberry Moon because it signaled the time of year to gather ripening fruit. It also coincides with the peak of the strawberry harvesting season. This moon has also been known as the Rose Moon and the Honey Moon.

June 4 - Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation of This is the best time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky.

Look for the bright planet in the western sky after sunset. June 18 - New Moon. June 21 - June Solstice. The June solstice occurs at UTC. The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at This is the first day of summer summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. July 3 - Full Moon, Supermoon.

This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Buck Moon because the male buck deer would begin to grow their new antlers at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Thunder Moon and the Hay Moon. This is also the first of four supermoons for The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual. July 17 - New Moon. July 28, 29 - Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak.

It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August It peaks this year on the night of July 28 and morning of July The nearly full moon will block most of the fainter meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few good ones.

August 1 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Sturgeon Moon because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year.

This is also the second of four supermoons for August 10 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. August 12, 13 - Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August The crescent moon should not be too much of a problem this year.

Skies should still be dark enough for a good show. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky. August 16 - New Moon. August 27 - Saturn at Opposition. The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long.

This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn's rings and a few of its brightest moons. This is also the third of four supermoons for Since this is the second full moon in the same month, it is sometimes referred to as a blue moon. September 15 - New Moon. September 19 - Neptune at Opposition. The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun.

This is the best time to view and photograph Neptune. Due to its extreme distance from Earth, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes. September 22 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. September 23 - September Equinox. The September equinox occurs at UTC.