Andrew Fazeka, “The Man in the Night Sky” National Geographic Science ColumnistSit down WABC-TV Chief Meteorologist Lee Goldberg For the lowdown of the best celestial treats this fall and winter, including meteor showers, full moons, and even partial lunar eclipses found in the United States.
He also pointed out how to look at the planet and find the major constellations.
Below is a complete schedule of autumn and winter night skies, as well as Andrew’s tips and tricks for the best viewing experience.
Meteor shower
- October 21: Orion meteor shower
- November 4-5: South Taurus Meteor Shower
- November 11-12: Northern Taurus Meteor Shower
- November 17: Leonids meteor shower
- December 13-14: Geminide
- December 22: Ursa Minor Meteor Shower
- January 3-5: Quadrantids Meteor Shower
According to Fazekas, the meteor showers experienced on Earth are actually sand-grain-sized particles emitted from comets. Each year, the Earth hits particles “like a clockwork” and creates these annual celestial shows.
“The individual small lines of light seen between the meteor showers are the small ones burning in the upper atmosphere. We are talking about 60-80 miles overhead. [where] All action is happening. “
come The night of October 21st to 22nd is the Orion meteor shower, Have to fight the light from the recent hunter’s moon. But Fazekas said that even shower scouters in urban and suburban areas should be able to see larger fireballs, which are actually just large fragments of comet wreckage. According to Fazekas, fireballs vary in size from golf balls to living room sofas and are much more likely to be seen at night when the shower peaks.
“”[Fireballs] Very bright and can cast shadows on the ground. They can appear to be burning in the traces of smoke, “he said.
The Leonids meteor shower, known for its large, bright streaks of light on the night of November 17-18, will also compete with the bright Gibbs moon this year. Usually, you can see about 10 to 20 shooting stars per hour.
There is a spectacular pre-Christmas sky in the sky. The Geminids meteor shower, the “grandpa” of the meteor shower, produces about 50 to 80 meteors per hour on the night of December 13-14.
And finally, Fazekas said the New Year’s Quadrantids meteor shower “never fails.” When the new moon arrives on the eve of the shower peak on January 3, you can clearly see 60 to 120 shooting stars per hour in the Quadrantids meteor shower.
Each meteor shower is named after the constellation it appears to radiate, giving the viewer a sense of where they are looking in the sky. For example, the Orion meteor shower appears to come from the constellation Orion, and the Gemini meteor shower appears to flow out of the Gemini meteor shower.
Full moon and partial lunar eclipse
- October 20: Hunter’s Moon
- November 19: Beaver Moon, paired with a partial lunar eclipse
- December 18: Cold Moon
- January 17: Wolf Moon
- February 16: Snow Moon
- March 18: Worm Moon
North Americans should expect fine weather on November 19th-a full Beaver Moon partial eclipse will look early in the morning.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is in the shadow of the Earth, Fazekas said. In this case, 95% of the month is covered.
“When is this [the moon] It turns into its eerie orange-red color.All sunsets and sunrises around the earth are given at the same time as the funnel where the thin veneers of our atmosphere shine. [the sun behind us] On the surface of the moon, “he said.
There is no supermoon in the fall and winter months. Instead, December’s cold moon is a micro moon. This means that the full moon disk looks unusually small in the sky.
According to Fazekas, the best time to see the full moon is after sunset.
“Find where the sunset is happening and turn your back on it. It’s the place to see the full moon rise wherever you are,” he said.
View of the planet
- Mercury From October 18th to November 1st, it will appear as a bright star in the dawn sky. It shines in the night sky from November 29th to December 31st.
- Venus It will appear in the western sky at dusk in the evening until December 31st. This is the second brightest celestial body in our sky after the Moon.
- Mars It will be reddish in the dawn sky from November 24th to December 31st.
- Jupiter It is the third brightest object in our sky. Look for it in the evening from now until December 31st.
- Saturn’s The ring can only be seen with a telescope, but the planet itself is visible to the naked eye until the night of December 31st.
Planet Spotter needs to be familiar with where the sun rises and sets, what astronomy calls the “ecliptic,” Fazekas said.
“And that’s because many of the planets we can see from here on Earth are hanging near where the Sun is, especially when talking about planets like Mercury and Venus,” he said. Said.
The moon changes its phase and position from month to month, so it is also a convenient guidepost for finding adjacent planets.
“And you don’t need binoculars or a telescope, you only need the naked eye and the clear sky,” Fazekas said.
sign
The night sky changes not only over time as the Earth rotates around its axis, but also in monthly and seasonal cycles.
This means that the new constellations of this season will rise to the east and the old constellations will be set to the west.
A longtime favorite of autumn is Pegasus, a mythical winged horse in Greek mythology.
As winter approaches, Orion, named after the mythical hunter, dominates the evening sky with three strips of stars.
Check it out to learn more about the night sky and what’s beyond it New map of the National Geographic solar system and the sun, Updated for the first time since 1986. The interactive experience is now natgeo.com/space..
CNN Wire contributed to this report.
Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of National Geographic Partners and this ABC station.
Copyright © 2021 WLS-TV. all rights reserved.
Tonight’s night sky: Everything you need to know about the full moon, meteor shower, lunar eclipse, and starry sky observations in 2021
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