Stargazers in New England
Though New Englanders will be missing out on a total solar eclipse passing over Western Australia in 2023, and a “ring of fire” eclipse crossing the Western United States, there’s still plenty to look for in the skies in the coming year.
Eastern observers will be able to catch the moon obscuring part of the sun’s face during the mid-October eclipse, and dark skies will accompany some of the year’s strongest meteor showers, the Perseids and the Geminids, thanks to the phase of the moon. That makes for ideal viewing — as long as the weather holds.
Here are some stargazing options visible to the naked eye, particularly in more rural areas with less light pollution:
February
Look to the night sky Feb. 21 to catch Venus, Jupiter and the crescent moon all in a vertical line. Look to the west-southwest between 6 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.
March
On the night of March 1, Jupiter and Venus will nearly touch in the sky in what’s known as a planetary conjunction. Look to the west-southwest, low in the sky, starting around 6:30 p.m. From there, the two planets will begin to separate as Jupiter sinks lower.
April
The Lyrids meteor shower peaks on the night of April 22. The Lyrids are a medium-strength shower best observed from the Northern Hemisphere. Meteor rates are usually good on the nights immediately before and after the peak night as well. With the moon only 9% full this time, expect good viewing conditions if the weather cooperates.
May
New Englanders can look to the skies on the night of May 5 for the peak of the eta Aquariids meteor shower — which usually produces medium rates of 10 to 30 meteors an hour just before dawn. But this time, the moon will be full during the peak, complicating observation.
July
July 3 will bring the first of the new year’s four “supermoons,” when the full moon coincides with the moon’s close approach to Earth. Sometimes, this full moon is called the Buck Moon, since it occurs when
male deer begin to grow new antlers.
If you’re planning to gaze at the sky on Independence Day in advance of a fireworks show, see whether you can spot this conjunction. At about 9 p.m. July 4, look to the west to see Mars hovering between the star Regulus and an exceptionally bright Venus. The display will repeat the next night.
August
August includes two full moons — both of which will be supermoons — on the first and last night of the month. The second of the two is sometimes called a blue moon for its relative rarity.
Among the most popular meteor showers to observe in the Northern Hemisphere, thanks to its midAugust peak, the Perseids will be best viewed on the night of Aug. 12. A bright moon can obscure the display, but this shower’s peak occurs ideally close to the new moon.
In rural locations with minimal light pollution, observers can see as many as 50 to 75 shower members per hour. The Perseids are particles released from the comet Swift-Tuttle as it returns to the inner solar system.
On the night of Aug. 27, Saturn will be at opposition, aligned between the Earth and the sun. The
planet will be as bright as it gets all year, and will rise at sunset and remain out all night.
September
For early birds, look to the right of the crescent moon just before dawn Sept. 11-12 to spot Venus.
Look to the sky Sept. 29 for the year’s final supermoon, occurring during the Corn Moon, named for harvest time.
October
For those in the Eastern U.S., the year’s most exciting astronomical event will take place in October — a partial solar eclipse.
The partial solar eclipse will begin Oct. 14 about
one minute past noon, when the moon will touch the sun’s edge. Be sure to observe the eclipse with protective eyewear, since the sun will never be completely covered.
The Orionid meteor shower is a mediumstrength shower with a peak on the night of Oct. 20, with the moon 37% full. Usually, this shower produces 10 to 20 meteors an hour at maximum. But in strong years — as between 2006 and 2009 — the shower has been on par with the Perseids.
November
On the night of Nov. 3, Jupiter will be at opposition, and it will be the
brightest object in the sky before Venus rises just before dawn.
If you happen to be up early on Nov. 9, look for the crescent moon and Venus side by side around 5 a.m.
December
The Geminids meteor shower, usually the strongest of the year, is easy to view in 2023 thanks to the phase of the moon. The shower will peak on the night of Dec. 13, with the moon just 1% full. Look for meteors starting about 10 p.m., when the constellation Gemini is well-placed.
With 2023 nearing its end, look forward to the next Great North American Total Eclipse on the afternoon of April 8, 2024, when the sun’s face will be almost completely obscured by the moon for viewers in New England.