This Year’s Night Lights: Upcoming Astronomical Events In 2024
Roan Church | April 18, 2024
With the solar eclipse happening only last week and another one not expected for another twenty years, plenty of astronomical events are coming up in the following year.
From comets to planets, the 2024 year has a lot to offer that is otherworldly. However, a fair warning is due: Because of North Carolina's location (N.C.), your experience may be limited due to the severe light pollution in the east of the United States, as seen in Fig 1.
Light pollution is the effect of large amounts of concentrated light in an area and how it contaminates the night atmosphere. For example, a less light-polluted area will always have a darker night sky, while a light-polluted one almost has a halo of light. The closest to us in the light-polluted area will be anywhere in the Pisgah Forest, Pisgah. In contrast, still light-polluted, Pigsah will offer a better and more stunning experience of this starry world outside ours.
Fig. 1, picture from lightpollutionmap.info
Lyrid Meteor Shower - April 21
Meteor showers are always exciting and offer a beautiful light show at night. The Lyrid meteor shower is expected on the night of April 21 and continues until the early morning of April 22. There have been incredibly few meteor showers this year, with the last shower occurring in January. The shower is likely to peak at 5 a.m. on the 22, meaning it is very long-lasting, so you won't have to move your schedule around it. This shower is expected to be the brightest in the northern hemisphere, which is excellent news. However, the moon will be in its waning gibbous phase, which means it's quite close to being a full moon (when it's brightest). This may limit your visibility of the shower due to the moon's brightness. But you're not totally out of luck; you can use the map above to find a darker place near Warren Wilson College (WWC).
Earthshine Mornings - May 4 and 5
Earthshine, for those unfamiliar, is when the sun reflects off the Earth and bounces off the moon's surface. This is a beautiful event in which the reflection lights up the moon's dark side. This glow, however dull, is an amazing sight in which this commonly dark area has been given light. This year, on May 4, you'll be able to see this effect in the early morning after the full moon.
Mercury Visible - May 9
Mercury is always visible with a good enough eye or an expensive enough telescope; however, on May 9, Mercury will be at one of its longest elongations of the year. Due to its proximity to the sun, Mercury is always tricky to observe. However, when the planet is at its furthest from the sun, it allows it to be visible by the naked eye much better. The best time to try and find this tiny planet is just before sunrise or shortly after sunset. If you have a telescope, this viewing process will be much easier!
Eta Aquarid Meteors - May 5 and 6
What's so unique about this meteor shower is the speed at which the objects travel into our atmosphere, averaging 148,000 mph speeds, almost double the average speed of a meteor. This is important because these meteors are typically way brighter than the typical rock in our atmosphere, meaning they have higher visibility. May 5 and 6 are when these meteors peak; if you're lucky, you'll see a large flash of light in the night sky. There will be about ten meteors an hour this year, so your chances are high if you're dedicated to it!
The conjunction of Mars and Jupiter - August 14
This is a fascinating event. Both celestial planets line up and can be viewed with the naked eye through binoculars. This cosmic event will be visible between 1 a.m. and daybreak that morning. It is pretty far out, but it will be a beautiful sight to behold, and the waiting will be worth it!
More Tips
Many apps and books will help you locate these events if you are unfamiliar with your local night sky. Feel free to explore your options—there are many out there!
An upcoming night walk and stargazing event is happening here at WWC on April 19 at 8:30 p.m., starting at Bryson Gym. It is free and might help you expand your sense of this world and explore what is out of bounds!