Amazing events happen right above your head. That’s why you didn’t notice

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For years, small groups of astronomy enthusiasts have traveled the world to chase rare solar eclipses. They set out Cruises To the middle of the ocean, taken Air flights In the path of the eclipse and even traveled to it Antarctica. In August 2017, millions across the United States witnessed a Total solar eclipse It can be seen from Oregon to South Carolina, with a partial eclipse visible for the rest of the continental United States.

It is likely that interest in the astronomical events sparked by this eclipse will return Two eclipses are visible in the United States Over the next year — an annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023, and a total eclipse on April 8, 2024. But astrotourism — traveling to national parks, observatories or other dark-sky natural sites to view astronomical events — is not. Don’t just limit yourself to eclipse hunting.

According to a recent study, 80% of Americans And One third of the planet’s population They can no longer see the Milky Way from their homes Due to light pollution. As a result, most people have to travel to see meteor showers and other common astronomical events.

I am a space scientist With a passion for teaching physics, astronomy and night sky photography. Every summer, I spend several nights in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, where the sky is dark enough to allow the Milky Way to be seen with the naked eye. My son and I also like to take road trips — often along US 395, the Eastern Sierra Scenic Byway — that coincide with eclipses and meteor showers.

There are two types of eclipses. Lunar eclipse They occur when a full moon passes through the Earth’s shadow. Solar eclipse They occur when the new moon briefly blocks the sun.

There are three types of solar eclipse. During a total eclipse, the Moon completely covers the Sun, or the time during which the Sun is a total eclipse, lasting for up to seven minutes. During a total eclipse, those in the path of the eclipse will see the sun coronaOr its outer atmosphere behind the moon’s silhouette.

The Moon’s orbit around Earth is an ellipse, so the Moon can appear 15% smaller when it is farthest from Earth, its apogee, compared to its size when it is closest to Earth, or perigee. that Annular eclipse It occurs when the Moon does not completely cover the disk of the Sun, leaving a ring of sunlight around the Moon.

Finally, a Partial eclipse It occurs when the moon blocks only part of the sun’s disk, as the name suggests.

Meteor showers are a much more common astronomical event than eclipses, and can be seen from anywhere in the dark sky on Earth. Meteor showers occur when Earth’s orbit around the sun passes through dust Behind her is the comet. The ground sweeps up the dust like a car speeding through a cloud of insects on the highway.

Meteor showers are named after the constellations from which the meteors shoot It seems to emit, although it is not necessary to stare in this direction to see meteors. Among the most prominent meteor showers, which occur on approximately the same dates every year, are meteor showers Perseids, named after the constellation Perseus, peaked on the night of August 12-13; the Jiminides, named after the constellation Gemini, on December 14-15; And the Guitars, named after the constellation Lyra, takes place on April 21-22. It will be mostly night skies No moon on the first Monday of this year, but the nearly full moon will make it difficult to see 2024’s Lyrid shower.

One of the most important factors to consider when planning a stargazing outing or meteor shower viewing is the phase of the moon. The full moon rises at around 6pm and sets at 6am, making stargazing impossible due to its brightness. For ideal stargazing conditions, the moon should be below the horizon, and the best viewing conditions are during the new moon. You can use a Moonrise/moonset calculator To determine the phase and rise of the moon and set times for any location on Earth.

Another important factor is the weather. Amateur astronomers always joke that the sky is cloudy during the most interesting astronomical events. For example, most major cities in the United States that lie in the path of the April 2024 eclipse had cloudy skies on April 8. 60% of the time Since 2000.

Most Americans live in areas with high light pollution. Light pollution map e.g lightpollutionmap.info It can help pinpoint the nearest location in the dark sky, which, in my case, is hours away. These maps are often used Bortle dark sky scalewhich ranges from 1 for very dark skies to 9 for highly light-polluted city centers.

Although you may still see the brightest meteors from the outskirts of the city, the darker the sky, the more meteors you will see. In general, we expect to see Less than 25 meteors per hour. To see the complex structure of the Milky Way with the naked eye, look for a location with a Borthel index of 3 or less.

It is important to arrive at your chosen location early, preferably during daylight hours. Stumbling around in the dark in an unfamiliar location is a recipe for disaster and may also upset others already at the location. Arriving early also gives your eyes time to adjust to the darkness as night falls, which it usually takes 30 minutes Or even longer until your eyes reach their full dark-adapting potential.

Be sure to carry a headlamp or flashlight that has a red light setting, such as red light Does not spoil night vision. Avoid using your phone, as even a quick glance at the screen can disrupt your eyes’ adaptation to the dark. If you use an app to view the sky, switch the app to night mode.

Plan ahead if you’re thinking of traveling to see one of the eclipses visible in the United States next year. If you are in Eclipse path-Stay put! If you’re traveling, staying in the same location overnight before and after the eclipse can help avoid long hours traffic jam Which was witnessed by eclipse observers in 2017.

You should also not look at the sun directly with the naked eye. Even during a total eclipse. You will need a pair of inexpensive ones Eclipse glasses To see the eclipse and enjoy it in full, but get it early, as many stores do Running out of glasses During the 2017 eclipse.

No matter where you travel next year, don’t forget to look up at night and marvel at the beauty of the night sky far from the city lights.

Editor’s note:

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