Who’s Canton? He is the fellow who updates your astronomy calendar (full moons, equinoxes, meteor showers, etc.) from his laptop in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It’s his birthday today!
This astronomy calendar is an effort of love and no reciprocity is needed or expected. If you’d like to donate something towards the hosting costs, or just say thank you for the calendar (or report an error!) please visit:
PS: Also, this is a great day to see Mercury low in the western sky just after sunset.
This one’s subtle. Something you might experience in your bones not with your eyes… A penumbral eclipse occurs when the moon passes through Earth’s faint outer shadow, the penumbra. This slightly dims the moon but doesn’t turn it dark or red like in a total lunar eclipse.
This event can be observed (felt?) anywhere on the night side of Earth, in this case much of the Americas and parts of East Asia.
It may seem obvious in retrospect… but have you noticed that the full moon rises exactly at sunset and sets exactly at sunrise? During a full moon, the moon is positioned directly opposite the sun relative to Earth. As a result, when the sun goes down on the western horizon, the full moon appears on the opposite horizon.
When you see an especially big moon and you’re wondering “is it full tonight?” you can answer that question by figuring out if it rose more or less exactly at sunset. Or you can check this calendar I suppose. 🙂
Approximately every 71 years, Comet Pons-Brooks, noted for its distinctive shape reminiscent of “devil horns” and sometimes compared to the Millennium Falcon from “Star Wars,” completes its orbit around the sun. As it nears the sun, the comet becomes brighter and develops a tail.
In early April, this comet may be visible to the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere. Particularly during the total solar eclipse on April 8th, those with a sharp eye and knowledge of its location could potentially spot it even in daylight.
However, by April 21, as the comet reaches its closest point to the sun, it may become more challenging to observe. Following this, as Pons-Brooks moves away from the sun, viewers in the Southern Hemisphere will have their opportunity to observe the comet before it disappears from view, not to return for another seventy years.
Especially if you live in North America, this is the chance of a lifetime. Totality with be visible in the 100-mile wide path that cuts through much of Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Don’t snooze on this perspective-shifting experience. It’s nothing like a partial/annular solar eclipse. Imagine the planets coming out mid-day after witnessing a 360 degree sunrise/sunset… The next opportunity in North America isn’t until 2045.
However, it’s storm season, so plan accordingly. The more south into the eclipse path you can go (Mexico FTW!) the more likely you are to have clear skies. Weather in places like Indiana could be a gamble, with a 75% chance of cloud cover.
Don’t forget to pack a few sets of solar eclipse glasses. If you have binoculars or a telescope, you don’t need to buy expensive fitted filters. Just cut your own from proper optical solar film like this stuff: https://amzn.to/3U9bLa5
Map and exact time by location: https://eclipsewise.com/solar/SEgmapx/2001-2100/SE2024Apr08Tgmapx.html
Weather expectations: https://eclipsophile.com/2024tse/