This year, skies will be dark after the Moon sets around midnight, leaving the sky ready for peak meteor viewing, up to 60 per hour . These meteors are leftovers from Swift-Tuttle comet and are a favorite among many skywatchers. The shower can be visible from July 17th through August 24th, and will peak overnight on August 12th at 60 sightings per hour. The Perseids tend to strengthen in number as late night deepens into midnight, and typically produce the most meteors in the wee hours before dawn.
Folks in North America, it’s time to make reservations for next year’s total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017!
THIS IS IT. A total eclipse of the sun that runs smack through the middle of the USA. Plan a car trip, bus ride, or plane trip to the narrow strip of Earth stretching from Salem, OR through to Nashville, TN where the sun will *completely disappear* for two minutes. (Not many large cities are in the path of the totality, so make your reservations early if you want to observe it from the comfort of civilization.)
If you’ve already got plans, the next total eclipse passing through the USA is on April 8, 2024…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_21,_2017
The two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, will appear to have an ultra-close encounter in the evening sky, coming within 0.06 degrees of one another. This starstruck lovers event will occur just after sunset in the western sky.
Please read the C.M. Crockett Page for park details.
see http://cantonbecker.com/retrograde for details…
Also known as the “Ring of Fire,” an annular solar eclipse is similar to a total eclipse, except that the Moon is farther away from the Earth, so it’s not large enough to completely cover the Sun. Observers in certain parts of Africa including Congo and Madagascar will be treated to this unique celestial phenomenon. If you won’t be there yourself, check the web for photos of the event afterward!