Astronomer Adrian Shonka, coordinator of the Observatory “Admiral Vasile Urceanu” in Bucharest, listed the main astronomical phenomena of the year in his blog, writes news.ro In 2024 there will be a partial lunar eclipse, ordinary meteors in August. and December, but also some rarer phenomena. The most spectacular event is the appearance of comet C/2023 A3 behind the Sun in October.

This year, the Moon will pass through the stars of the Pleiades star cluster, and we will be able to see how it covers many stars. The Moon last visited the Pleiades in 2011.

February 22, before sunrise – the meeting of Venus with Mars

On February 22 +/- one day, Venus will pass by Mars. Venus is on its way to the Sun, and Mars is angled away from it. The time when the planets are visible is 6.00.

April 10 – 12, before sunrise – the meeting of Mars with Saturn

Mars also meets Saturn, around 6:00 AM, around April 11th. The two planets have the same brightness, but Mars will be higher than Saturn.

April 1-14, in the west – comet 12P, Jupiter and Uranus

In April, a comet that has not been with us for 71 years returns to the Sun. It will be very clearly visible with binoculars and perhaps even with the naked eye. It was also seen on five approaches to the Sun, from 71 to 71. The comet, called 12P/Ponce-Brooks, explodes frequently and is variable in brightness. It is best seen near the approach to the Sun. Between April 1 and 15, the comet will be in the sky near the planet Jupiter and will be easy to find.

April 29, before sunrise – Mars is very close to Neptune

On April 29, Mars sits in the sky next to Neptune. Neptune is not visible to the naked eye, but through binoculars or a telescope, around 5:00 AM.

August 13 – 16, before sunrise – the meeting of Mars with Jupiter

Jupiter and Mars meet every two years, and 2024 is one of those years. The planets meet in mid-August when they rise at 1:00 am.

August 21 – 6:00 a.m. – Saturn disappears behind the Moon

On the morning of August 21, the star will fly over Saturn. In a few seconds, the edge of the full moon will cover the planet. The moon will be visible around 6:00, with Saturn next to it. The two stars will be in the southwest, not very high in relation to the horizon. Vanishing occurs at approximately 6:41 a.m., depending on your viewing location, as the Moon approaches sunset.

August 22 – midnight – the Moon closes Neptune

At midnight on August 22, binoculars or a telescope will show the Moon accompanied by the planet Neptune. At 00.30 the Moon will pass over the planet, and at 1.05 it will move aside. According to Adrian Shonka, these hours refer to Bucharest. For cities in the west of the country, the eclipse occurs 10-12 minutes earlier.

August 26 – 5:00 am – Moon in the Pleiades

On August 26, there will be several stars near the Moon, in one place in the sky – the Pleiades star cluster (Closca cu Pui).

All of September – Saturn is in the best period for observations

Saturn in September is visible all night, not very high in the sky, but higher than in previous years. Even more impressive is its ring, which begins to be seen from the edge, that is, it is very difficult to see. Every 14 years, for two years, the ring is visible from an airplane, as if you were looking at a piece of paper from its edge. Because it is so thin, the ring is difficult or impossible to see, and those spectacular years are 2024 and 2025. The rings will be difficult to see in June and July 2024, the astronomer says.

September 18 – partial lunar eclipse

The eclipse can be observed on the night of September 17-18, and its maximum is observed two hours before the moon sets. To see it, the western horizon must be clear. The moon will not go completely into the shadow, so it will not be very red. Observations will begin at 4:00. Changes to the moon will be visible from 5:13 a.m. to 6:16 a.m., when a small portion of its disk will enter Earth’s shadow.

October 12, at sunset – Comet Zuchinshan – ATLAS appears from behind the Sun

Comet of the year – C/2023 A3. It will be at its shortest distance from the Sun on September 24, but will reach maximum brightness when it is near Earth in early October.

October 19 and December 13 – all night – the Moon in the Pleiades

This year, the Moon will pass by or pass through the Pleiades star cluster. They will also see each other on the night of October 19-20.