Showers of shooting stars, occultations, planetary approaches and even a comet: here are the most beautiful moments awaiting this year, with the promise of offering a beautiful celestial spectacle every time.
Apart from the numerous dust flows at the origin of the meteor showers, the year 2023 will be marked by several more or less rare phenomena. A comet spotted last year is expected to become visible in the coming days as it warms as it nears Earth.
All planets aligned
Note that at the beginning of the year almost all planets visible to the naked eye are aligned in the sky, on the invisible line of the EclipticKliptic, which unfolds between the northeast and southwest. Here’s how you can follow the sun’s chariot in the twilight glow (in order from west to east): Mercury (but it’s getting harder and harder because it’s too low and too close to the sun star); VenusVenus, as gorgeous and incandescent as ever (at a magnitude of -3.9, it’s the brightest planet in the sky); Saturn, higher, in Capricorn (magnitude +0.8); JupiterJupiter (magnitude -2.3), on the meridian meridian, in PiscesPisces; and Mars (magnitude -1.1), always bright and very high in the sky (in Taurus, not far from the PleiadesPléiades). Since the Red Planet was closest to Earth in December 2022, it still benefits from very favorable conditions for observation with the naked eye and in an instrument (reflecting telescope, monocular).
Astronomical events in 2023
Here’s everything not to miss in 2023 in Earth’s skies, month by month.
January
- January 3: Conjunct Mountain Moon Conjunct Mountain Moon with Red Mars. A beautiful lunar occultation of Mars can only be seen in the southern hemisphere, from Madagascar, Réunion to the Atlantic coast of southern half of Africa.
- January 3: on the night of January 3rd/4th maximum activity of the Quadrantids, a meteorite swarm important meteorite swarm. However, the gibbous moon interferes with the observation.
- Jan 4 @ 5:17pm: it is the perihelion, the day the earth is closest to the sun (147,098,924.7 kilometers in 2023).
- January 12: Discovered last year, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) reaches its shortest distance from the Sun at 1.11 AUAU. Very active, it should become visible to the naked eye at the end of January.
- January 23, at nightfall: Just above the horizon, between southwest and west, Venus and SaturnSaturn form a sparkling duo under the aegis of the crescent moon. This beautiful connection can be admired with binoculars or a telescope. The moon shows a magnificent ashen light at the beginning of the cycle.
- January 25: the moon shines between Jupiter and Neptune (however, the latter is not visible to the naked eye).
- January 30th: new lunar occultation of Mars. The event will only be visible from Central America and the Caribbean (from the southern United States to the Isthmus of Panama).
February
- 1st-2nd February: Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) reaches the closest point in its orbit (0.28 AU). Its luminosity should reach its peak at this point: will it be the comet of the year?
march
- March 1st, at nightfall: above the western horizon Venus visits Jupiter this time. A beautiful meeting of the two brightest planets in Earth’s sky, which can be observed without moderation with binoculars or a telescope.
- March 20 at 21:24 GMT: Spring Equinox Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumnal Equinox Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Winter winter lasted 88 days 23 h 36 min 13.50 s in the northern hemisphere (source IMCCE).
April
- April 22: the crescent moon shoots over Venus like golden horns, like the bull in which it shines at this time. A comparison that can easily be enjoyed with the naked eye, binoculars or of course a telescope.
- 22-23 April: maximum activity of the showers of LyridsLyrids shooting stars. The moon sets early enough not to disrupt meteor viewing. On average, almost twenty will be visible per hour.
Allowed to
- 5th-6th May: Watch for peak activity at night from the eta-Aquarides, a meteor swarm fed by the passages of the famous Halley’s Comet. However, the nearly full moon will limit visibility of the brightest meteors.
June
- Between June 1st and 3rd: Seen early in the night, Mars is passing open star cluster Messier 44 (M44M44). Will the Red Planet devastate this swarm of young stars visible to the naked eye (under favorable conditions), nicknamed the Beehive or Nursery (Praesepe), at the heart of the constellation Cancer? Of course, that will be impossible, because this beautiful beehive is more than 600 light-years light-years from Earth, while Mars is only … 17 light-minutes away. Nonetheless, the spectacle of their meeting will be great to watch in an instrument.
- June 13: as night begins, heading northwest, it’s your turn to graze dazzling Venus with sparkling Hive. In ancient times, Aratos called this faint speck, visible to the naked eye, a “light mist” or “cloud”.
- June 21 at 14:57 GMT: Summer SolsticeSummer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and Winter SolsticeWinter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Spring will have lasted 92 days 17 h 33 min 23.24 s in the northern hemisphere (source IMCCE).
- June 22: Our two neighbors Venus and Mars meet in the terrestrial sky over the west. The moon shines a little higher, delicately draped in its ashen light.
July
- July 20, at nightfall: a beautiful trio visible over the west: Venus, Mars and the still young Moon with a very thin crescent.
August
- 12-13 August: Tonight, look out for one of the most beautiful meteor showers of the year – the most famous of all – the Perseids. The waning moon will rise late, which will leave an interesting boulevard for a dark night with no light pollution and light pollution, favoring the observation of a large number of meteors.
September
- Sept. 23 at 6:50 p.m. UT : Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and Vernal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. Summer will be the longest season in the Northern Hemisphere with a total duration of 93 days 15 h 52 min 9.81 s (source IMCCE).
October
- 20-21 October: tonight, Oriondes is at its maximum activity, averaging about twenty visible meteors per hour. The meteor shower is also associated with the passages of Halley’s Comet, Halley’s Comet.
November
- 17-18 November: maximum activity of the LeonidsLeonids. The waxing moon sets fairly early, giving way to beautiful dark skies for the latter part of the night when meteors are more numerous (about fifteen an hour).
December
- 13-14 December: tonight is the peak of activity from the most beautiful meteor swarm of the year, the GeminidsGeminids. And friends! The moon will be absent almost all night: ideal conditions (provided you are in a place without light pollution) to admire this magnificent meteor shower whose hourly rate can reach 150. The Geminids are descended from 3200 Phaeton, a possibly wrung-out comet.
- December 22 at 3:27 UT: Winter solstice in the northern hemisphere and summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. The fall will have lasted a total of 89 days 20 h 37 min 22.30 s.