On April 21, 2024, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, commonly referred to as the ‘Devil Comet,’ will reach its perihelion, the closest point to the Sun, at a distance of 0.785 astronomical units (117 million km / 73 million miles). This celestial event will allow the comet to be visible just after sunset within the Taurus constellation, marking its peak visibility period.
A total solar eclipse dubbed the Great North American Eclipse will occur on Monday, April 8, 2024, and be visible from parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This is the first time a total eclipse of the Sun will be visible from the contiguous United States since 2017.
In a stellar event anticipated to occur between now and September 2024, the T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) star system, located 3 000 light-years away, is predicted to undergo a nova outburst, becoming visible to the unaided eye. This rare occurrence, last witnessed in 1946, will temporarily elevate the system’s brightness to match that of the North Star, offering a unique viewing opportunity.
An extremely rare celestial event will unfold at the beginning of next week as the main belt asteroid Leona transits in front of Betelgeuse, the famed red supergiant in the Orion constellation. This rare astronomical occurrence, observable from regions stretching from South Florida to Italy and Greece, will offer a unique spectacle where the luminous Betelgeuse may temporarily dim or even vanish from the night sky.
A partial lunar eclipse will be visible across the eastern Americas, Europe, Africa, Russia, Asia, Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica on October 28, 2023. The event will peak at 20:14 UTC and will be part of the Saros 146 series.
An annular solar eclipse will cross North, Central, and South America on October 14, 2023. Offering a “ring of fire” effect, this celestial event will be a sight for millions across the Western Hemisphere.
The penumbral lunar eclipse of May 5, 2023, will be visible from Africa, Asia, and Australia. This is the first of 2 lunar eclipses in 2023. It’s taking place 2 weeks after the hybrid solar eclipse of April 20, 2023.
A rare hybrid solar eclipse will take place on Thursday, April 20, 2023. The eclipse path starts out as annular, changes to total, and then changes back to annular before the path ends.
A partial solar eclipse – visible from the northern hemisphere – will take place on October 25, 2022. Most of Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and northeastern Africa will be in the path of the Moon’s penumbral shadow on this day.
Comet 2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) – dubbed ‘The Record-Breaker’ – will make its close approach to Earth on July 14, 2022, and then reach perihelion (the closest point to the Sun) on December 19, close to the orbit of Mars. The comet is record-breaking because it was already becoming active when it was discovered in 2017 under the feeble glow of the distant Sun.
