New Mexico

Eclipses, comets and meteor showers: Check out the celestial events viewable in 2024

Published

2 years ago

January 9, 2024

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Eclipses, comets and meteor showers: Check out the celestial events viewable in 2024

Turn your attention to the sky this year, New Mexico, and you’ll see celestial events happening every month of 2024.

What can I expect to see in the sky in 2024?

From full moons, new moons and planets to meteor showers, eclipses and a comet, 2024 is full of astrological happenings visible to the naked eye. The new year started with a continuation of the Quadrantids meteor shower, which started on Dec. 26.

Several super and micro moons are expected throughout the year. Micro moons are when the full or new moon is at apogee, or the farthest point on its orbit away from Earth. In contrast, the super moons are when the full or new moon is at perigee, or at the closest point on its orbit to Earth.

And along with the annual solar eclipse which will take place in October and is visible in New Mexico, there will also be two lunar eclipses and a total solar eclipse. The Penumbral Lunar Eclipse in March will show a lighter shadow around the main eclipse shadow. A partial lunar eclipse will be visible in September.

A total solar eclipse will pass through in April. According to the Time and Date website, North America will be the only continent to view the full eclipse. The site notes that the last time a total solar eclipse was visible from the entire lower 48 states in the U.S. was in August 2017 and in February 1979 prior to that.

The next time a total solar eclipse will be visible from the mainland U.S. will be in August 2044.

Another significant astronomical occurrence this year will be the Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS passing at its closest point to Earth in October. The comet was first detected in early 2023.

According to Starwalk, the comet is expected to develop a significant tail and be particularly visible from the northern hemisphere. This favoring of the north was last seen with Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997.

The comet will pass closest to Earth on Oct. 12 and will be visible to the naked eye through mid-November.

Calendar of New Mexico celestial events in 2024

Here is a list of dates for events you can expect to see in the sky this year.

January

Dec. 26 to Jan. 16 – Quadrantids Meteor Shower (peak viewing is between 1 and 5 a.m. with an average of 25 meteors per hour)
Jan. 1 to Feb. 11 – Venus at its brightest in the morning sky
Jan. 5 to Jan. 26 – Mercury at its brightest in the morning sky
Jan. 11 – New Moon
Jan. 25 – Full Wolf Moon

February

Feb. 9 – Super New Moon
Feb. 24 – Micro Full Snow Moon

March

March 10 – Super New Moon
March 10 to March 31 – Mercury at its brightest in the evening sky
March 24 to March 25 – Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
March 25 – Micro Full Worm Moon

April

April 8 – Total Solar Eclipse
April 8 – Super New Moon
April 15 to April 29 – Lyrids meteor shower
April 15 to May 27 – Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower
April 23 – Full Pink Moon

May

May 7 – New Moon
May 23 – Full Flower Moon

June

June 6 – New Moon
June 21 – Full Strawberry Moon

July

July 5 – New Moon
July 7 to Aug. 15 – alpha Capricornids Meteor Shower
July 14 to Sept. 1 – Perseids Meteor Shower
July 18 to Aug. 21 – Southern delta Aquariids Meteor Shower
July 21 – Full Sturgeon Moon
July 23 to Nov. 19 – Neptune at its brightest

August

Aug. 4 – New Moon
Aug. 19 – Full Blue Moon
Aug. 25 to Oct. 1 – Saturn at its brightest in the evening sky

September

Sept. 2 – New Moon
Sept. 17 to Sept. 18 – Partial Lunar Eclipse
Sept. 17 – Full Corn Moon
Sept. 23 to Dec. 8 – Southern Taurids Meteor Shower
Sept. 26 to Nov. 22 – Orionids Meteor Shower

October

Oct. 2 – Annual Solar Eclipse
Oct. 2 – Micro New Moon
Oct. 5 to Dec. 31 – Venus at its brightest in the evening sky
Oct. 12 – Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS makes closest pass to Earth
Oct. 13 to Dec. 2 – Northern Taurids Meteor Shower
Oct. 15 to Dec. 21 – Uranus at its brightest in the evening sky
Oct. 17 – Super Full Hunter’s Moon

November

Nov. 1 – New Moon
Nov. 3 to Dec. 2 – Leonids Meteor Shower
Nov. 14 to Dec. 28 – Jupiter at its brightest
Nov. 15 – Full Beaver Moon
Nov. 19 to Dec. 24 – Geminids Meteor Shower
Nov. 30 – Black Moon (second full moon in one calendar month)

December

Dec. 13 to Dec. 24 – Ursids Meteor Shower
Dec. 15 – Full Cold Moon
Dec. 18 to Dec. 31 – Mercury at its brightest in the morning sky
Dec. 30 – New Moon
Dec. 31 – Mars at its brightest in the night sky

Where is the best place to view celestial events?

According to NASA, the best places to skywatch are found away from urban areas where light pollution hinders viewers’ ability to see fainter stars, planets and other objects. Open areas such as large fields, valleys, hiking trails and camping sites. However, be sure to ensure your safety before stargazing in a secluded area.

Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on X, formerly Twitter.

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New Mexico

New Mexico Environment Department to hold hearings on Project Jupiter air quality

Published

6 hours ago

March 26, 2026

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New Mexico Environment Department to hold hearings on Project Jupiter air quality

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New Mexico

UNM plans to build new gates along Central

Published

18 hours ago

March 26, 2026

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UNM plans to build new gates along Central

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico plans to build new gates at four campus entrances along Central that will close nightly.

The gates will replace manual barriers in a project expected to cost about $1.5 million.

The Board of Regents approved the security upgrades for the UNM campus.

University officials said the gates will automatically close nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The gates will go in near Princeton Drive, Stanford Drive, Yale Boulevard and Terrace Street on the south end of campus.

A current rendering shows the gate completely blocking the road. Officials said the change will reduce unauthorized traffic and allow police officers to focus more effectively on prevention and response.

Construction will start in May. University officials hope to finish the project by September.

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New Mexico

9-year-old who pleaded to go to spelling bee is released from ICE detention

Published

1 day ago

March 25, 2026

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9-year-old who pleaded to go to spelling bee is released from ICE detention

A 9-year-old boy who begged to be released from an immigration detention center so he could attend his state spelling bee has been freed with his family, their lawyer said Wednesday.

Deiver Henao Jimenez made the plea during a video call this month with children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso.

“I don’t want to be here anymore,” Deiver said on the call, which was later shared on Accurso’s social media pages. “Nothing is good here.”

He and his parents, asylum-seekers from Colombia, had been held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas since early March, when they were detained during a routine immigration check-in in New Mexico, according to their lawyer, Corey Sullivan Martin.

ICE freed the family on humanitarian parole Wednesday, about a week after Martin filed a request for their release and days after NBC News reported on their case.

Deiver Henao Jimenez finished third in a Spanish spelling bee organized by Las Cruces, N.M., Public Schools.Las Cruces Public Schools

His elementary school principal wrote a letter in mid-March supporting the family’s release, which was later delivered to immigration officials, describing Deiver as “a dedicated student with excellent attendance and high marks.”

Sullivan Martin said Deiver is eager to return to school, rejoin his gifted and talented classes and get back to practicing his spelling words.

“I don’t see how it was necessary at all to detain a child who was doing exactly what we want children to do,” Sullivan Martin said.

The family planned to return to New Mexico, she said, where they will continue checking in with immigration officials while their case proceeds.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Deiver was released a day after ICE freed another child whose case drew widespread attention following a video call with Accurso. Gael, a 5-year-old boy with developmental disabilities, had experienced worsening medical issues while he was detained at Dilley, his parents said.

The facility has faced growing scrutiny from immigration lawyers and advocates, who say children there have struggled to access adequate medical care and education in an environment where lights remain on around the clock and officers stand guard. Some families have described poor food and long waits for medical attention.

DHS has disputed those accounts, saying families are provided appropriate care in a facility designed for their needs.

After her video meetings with the children, Accurso — known for her signature pink headband and singsong delivery — called for Dilley to be shut down and for families to be returned to their communities.

During their conversation, Deiver told Accurso he missed his friends and said the food at Dilley made his stomach hurt. But he was most worried about getting out in time to compete in New Mexico’s state spelling bee in May after he earned a spot by placing third at a regional competition.

“We’re trying to get a child out of a jail to do a spelling bee,” Accurso said last week. “I just never thought those words would go together.”

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