2022 was a memorable year in astronomy. The James Webb Telescope started beaming back stellar images from around the universe, two lunar eclipses graced the nighttime skies, and Mars was back – big, bright and shining like an orange beacon. So, what are the can’t-miss events in the skies for 2023?
Get your calendars and mark these down.
Planet pairings: Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter
Mars is still shining brightly in the eastern sky after dark. And after sunset on Jan. 3, the Red Planet will be only 2-3 degrees from the waxing gibbous moon. When you have two space objects near each other, astronomers call that a conjunction.
On Jan. 22, the planets Venus and Saturn will only be about 1/3 of a degree apart – so close together that you may be able to see them both at the same time through a telescope. On Jan. 25, the crescent moon will be in conjunction with the giant planet Jupiter.
Possibly the best conjunction of 2023 will occur on the evening of March 1. Just after sunset when you look low in the western sky, you will see two incredibly bright “stars.” These are actually the two brightest planets: Venus and Jupiter. They will appear about 1/2 degree apart from each other and almost seem to touch.
Meteor showers: Lyrids, Orionids, Leonids, Geminids
It’s always difficult to predict what kind of show a meteor shower will bring. Most times, if there are clear skies with no moonlight, you can see about 12-15 shooting stars (meteors) per hour. There will be several promising meteor showers to look for in 2023. The Lyrids peak on the night of April 22-23 but are generally a second-tier meteor shower. The showers with a higher chance of creating more shooting stars are the Orionids on Oct. 21, the Leonids on Nov. 17, and the Geminids on Dec. 13.
Space missions: JUICE, Psyche, dearMoon
Several space missions are planned to launch in 2023. The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft is scheduled to blast off in April and take 8 years to reach orbit around the planet Jupiter. JUICE hopes to study three moons of Jupiter which have water ice: Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
NASA’s Psyche mission was scheduled to launch this past September to visit the iron-rich asteroid 16 Psyche. The construction of the craft took longer than expected and NASA pushed the launch date back 13 months when 16 Psyche will be easier to reach.
Sending humans into space is always dangerous, but a new mission called dearMoon is planning to propel a crew of 11 people around the moon and back. Financed by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and utilizing SpaceX’s Starship rocket, dearMoon plans to launch these astro-tourists sometime in 2023. Only 24 people have been around the moon and it has not been repeated since 1972.
Aug. 30-31 Blue Moon Supermoon
When you have two full moons in one calendar month, the second of the pair is often called a Blue Moon. The Moon doesn’t actually turn the color blue, it was just a nickname for a rare occurrence.
The next Blue Moon is on the night of Aug. 30-31 and it should look a little larger in the sky. This is because that night we will also have a supermoon. The moon varies its distance from Earth and when it is close to us and at full moon status, you get a supermoon. On Aug. 30-31 around midnight, the moon will only be about 220,000 miles from you – which is much closer than the average of 239,000 miles. See if you can tell the difference.
Oct. 14 annular solar eclipse
The absolute, most breathtaking astronomical event has to be a total solar eclipse. That’s when the New Moon completely blocks out the sun, turning the sky all eerie shades of silver-purple. The sun is suddenly gone, replaced by the dark side of the moon and rimmed by a halo of wispy light the kind you will rarely see.
Aug. 21, 2017, was the last time we had a total solar eclipse visible in the United States. And the next one is not too far off: April 8, 2024. However, we will have an almost-total eclipse during the daytime hours of Oct. 14, 2023.
What you will see on Oct. 14 depends on where you live. For most of the United States, a portion of the sun will be blocked by the moon, creating a partial solar eclipse. But a narrow swath of the country, from southern Oregon to southeastern Texas, will be treated to an annular eclipse. It will look like a ring of fire in the sky.
During an annular eclipse, the moon is farther from the Earth and does not appear large enough to completely block the sun. At the heart of annularity, the moon slides in front of the sun and seems to nestle completely inside the solar disc. Though not as dramatic as a total solar eclipse, an annular solar eclipse is still well worth a trip to observe. This annular eclipse will be visible from some truly beautiful locations such as Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park, Monument Valley in Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Looking at the sun is dangerous and you need certified eye protection when even looking at a sliver of sun. This would be a good time to purchase specially made eclipse glasses so you can be ready for both the 2023 and 2024 eclipses. Consider the annular solar eclipse of Oct.14 as your practice session for the bigger show in 2024.
Make 2023 an astronomical year and try to see as many of these out-of-this-world events as possible.
Intro to Astronomy: Online course with the Cincinnati Observatory
What: This online three-night astronomy course led by astronomer Dean Regas is perfect for beginners who want to learn more about observing the night sky.
When: 7-8:15 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 3, 10 and 17.
Tickets: $30 per household.
Information: Reservations required, cincinnatiobservatory.org.
Dean Regas is the Astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory, and author of the books "1000 Facts About Space" and "How to Teach Grown-Ups About Pluto." He can be reached at dean@cincinnatiobservatory.org.
