See A ‘Great American Eclipse' As Winter Stars Wane: The Sky This Week
Young people look at the rare sight of the setting sun appearing as crescent during a partial solar ... More eclipse on January 26, 2009. (GIL NARTEA/AFP via Getty Images)
Each Monday, I pick out North America's celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also applies to northern hemisphere mid-northern latitudes). Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.
When is the next eclipse? It's this week — and just 354 days (one lunar year) after the 'Great American Eclipse' on April 8, 2024, it's another fine view for some in North America.
A solar eclipse can, by definition, only occur at a new moon — when the moon is between the sun and the Earth — which means it's lost in the sun's glare and out of the night sky for a few evenings on either side. So the week of any solar eclipse is ideal for stargazing, with the last week of March ideal for grabbing one last longing look at the bright stars of winter before they sink into the western horizon and disappear from the evening night sky for six months.
This picture taken on October 25, 2022 shows a view of the moon partially obscuring the sun disk ... More during a partial solar eclipse visible from Baghdad University in Iraq's capital. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)
A partial solar eclipse will be visible today from northeastern North America, eastern Canada, and parts of Europe. The best views will be from eastern Canada and along the northeastern coast of North America, where the sun will rise partially eclipsed. Observers in the northeastern U.S. (New England, Maine) and eastern Canada (Quebec, New Brunswick) will see up to 94% of the sun obscured.
You can find an exact schedule for your location here, but remember — always use proper eclipse glasses and solar filters on cameras, binoculars and telescopes, to observe the event safely. It is never safe to look at a partially eclipsed sun with the naked eye.
Sunday, March 30: Young Crescent Moon
A fine challenge to set yourself up after seeing the partial solar eclipse yesterday is to catch sight of the youngest possible crescent moon.
Find a position where you can see low to the western horizon, and, for a brief time after sunset, you may be able to spot a 3%-lit waxing crescent moon. It will appear below bright Jupiter, but binoculars will likely be needed.
Asterism of the Week: The Winter Triangle
There may be 88 official constellations, but there are many more unofficial asterisms — shapes of stars — that are just as important, if not more, to anyone wanting to navigate and know the night sky. One such is the Winter Triangle — formed by Sirius, Betelgeuse and Procyon — that's still visible in the southwest after sunset, but not for long. Having dominated the winter sky for months, the reign of this bright asterism is now coming to an end. If you look beyond Procyon, you'll find Mars, and beyond Betelgeuse, you'll see Jupiter.
The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium and use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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