2024’s astronomical events in Northern Nevada — meteor showers, eclipses, comets and more

Here’s a look at what’s in store for skywatchers next year.

The annular eclipse that passed over Nevada in October wasn’t the only exciting thing happening in the skies above the Silver State — in fact, there’s a full lineup of celestial events to watch in 2024, including lunar eclipses, comets and planetary movements.

Here’s a look at what’s in store for Nevada skywatchers next year.

2024 eclipses above Nevada

March 24-25: Penumbral lunar eclipse: This eclipse will be visible from almost anywhere in North America (except for western Alaska). Don’t expect anything terribly dramatic; the moon only will pass through earth’s outer shadow. The event is between 9:53 p.m. and 2:32 a.m., with maximum coverage shortly after midnight.

April 8: Solar eclipse: If you kept your eclipse glasses from October’s annular eclipse, you’ll get one more chance to use them in 2024. Northern Nevada won’t be in the direct path of another solar eclipse, but it will see about 35% of the sun covered during the total eclipse on Monday, April 8 between 10:19 a.m. and 12:23 p.m.; maximum coverage will be at 11:19 a.m.

Sept. 17: Penumbral lunar eclipse: This eclipse will be visible from anywhere in the continental United States. Much like the March 24-25 eclipse, the moon mostly will pass through earth’s outer shadow, though a sliver of the moon will pass through the darkness of the earth’s umbra. The event will be visible as the moon rises shortly after 7 p.m., with maximum coverage at 7:44 p.m.; it ends at 9:47 p.m.

Comets arriving in 2024

Two comets will appear in our skies in 2024 — for certain optimistic definitions of the word “appear.”

Comet Pons-Brooks, March-April: The comet, first recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1385, passes close to the sun every 71 years. Its next appearance will be this spring, though it can be difficult to see with the unaided eye due to its proximity to the sun. It should be low in the western sky in the evening.

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, mid-October: This just-discovered comet will be most visible in the southwestern evening sky from Oct. 12 through Oct. 19, rising higher in the sky with each passing day. The full moon (a frequent nemesis for skywatchers) will be on Oct. 17, which will reduce visibility on later dates.

2024 meteor showers above Nevada

The end of 2024 is packed with meteor showers, with six showers reaching their peaks in an 11-week period between October and December. Meteor showers take place when the earth passes through the debris fields of extinct comets and meteors. The strongest meteor showers on the calendar are the five-day Perseid meteor shower, which peaks Aug. 12; and the four-day Geminid meteor shower, which peaks Dec. 14.

The best time to watch meteor showers is when the sky is dark during the new moon phase or before the moon rises. That bodes relatively well for late-night Perseid watchers in August — the first-quarter moon will set just before midnight — but it’s terrible news for Geminid watchers, who will contend with a full moon during the shower’s peak.

Below are the peaks of 10 meteor showers visible in the Northern Hemisphere in 2024, with their visual strength ratings, courtesy of britannica.com:

• Jan. 3-4: Quadrantid meteor shower (medium)
• April 21-22: Lyrid meteor shower (irregular)
• July 29: Alpha Capricornid meteor shower (medium)
• Aug. 12-13: Perseid meteor shower (strong)
• Oct. 7: Draconids meteor shower (irregular)
• Oct. 21-22: Orionid meteor shower (medium)
• Nov. 4-5: Taurid meteor shower (weak)
• Nov. 17-18: Leonid meteor shower (irregular)
• Dec. 13-14: Geminid meteor shower (strong)
• Dec. 21-22: Ursid meteor shower (medium)

Dates for all of 2024’s full moons

The year kicks off as it always does with the Wolf Moon on Jan. 25. The Old Farmer’s Almanac says the moon’s name is due to wolves howling at the full moon during the dead of winter; Indian Country Today says it comes from the Sioux name “Wolves Run Together Moon.” (Either way, it’s a great excuse to catch Wolf Pack basketball that week, with the Nevada women hosting Colorado State on Jan. 23, and the Nevada men hosting Colorado State on Jan. 24.)

Here are the dates for all 12 full moons in 2024:

• Jan. 25: Wolf Moon
• Feb. 24: Snow Moon  
• March 25: Worm Moon
• April 23: Pink Moon
• May 23: Flower Moon
• June 21: Strawberry Moon
• July 21: Buck Moon  
• Aug. 19: Sturgeon Moon
• Sept. 17: Harvest Moon
• Oct. 17: Hunter’s Moon
• Nov. 15: Beaver Moon
• Dec. 15: Cold Moon

Not 2024, and not celestial, but …

Another SpaceX launch is scheduled for next Thursday night, Dec. 28, from Southern California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base, 330 miles south of Reno, and the launch could be visible from Northern Nevada if the southern skies aren’t too cloudy.

The rocket will be carrying 21 Starlink internet satellites, which will be added to the thousands of Starlink network satellites which provide internet access to remote locations from 340 miles above the earth’s surface. The service has more than 1.5 million subscribers.

The launch is set for 9:09 p.m.; skywatchers in Northern Nevada can see it by looking due south. Keep up with launch schedule updates at spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/.