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There is nothing more enjoyable than observing an interesting astronomical event in the sky, especially since following phenomena of this type does not require any cost or complicated tools except for your naked eyes. All that is needed is climbing to the roof of your house or going out into the street to follow it, with knowledge of the nature of the astronomical phenomenon. And when it occurs and how to monitor it, which we will present to you in the following lines.
Sun and moon phenomena
In the year 2024, planet Earth will witness two solar eclipses, and unfortunately we in the Arab world cannot observe either of them, as the first occurs on the eighth of April and is seen in the North American continent and is a total eclipse, and the second occurs on the second of October and is seen in the south. The continent of South America and it will be an annular eclipse.
As for the lunar eclipse, the western Arab world, starting with Libya, will witness a “penumbra” type eclipse before sunrise on March 25. In this case, the moon’s illumination decreases by a slight amount that is not noticeable except upon closer inspection due to the moon entering the Earth’s penumbra. To understand the idea, imagine that you are standing at night under a lighting pole. You may notice two shadows below you, the first heavy and the second light, so the second is a semi-shadow.
At dawn on September 18, the countries of the Arab world will witness a partial eclipse starting at exactly 05:12 am Mecca time, during which the size of the illuminated side of the moon will erode slightly, and the eclipse will reach its maximum at exactly 05:44 and then return again to its original state. .
Supermoon
Supermoon It is an enjoyable phenomenon for adults and children alike that occurs when the full moon phase coincides with the moon being at its closest point to the Earth, and thus the moon appears brighter and larger than usual, especially when you contemplate it immediately after sunset when the moon is on the horizon.
In 2024, the Arab world will witness three giant moons, the first on September 18, the second on October 17, and the third on November 15. During those three evenings, you can go out and gaze at the moon after sunset and throughout the night, and all that is required is your naked eyes.
Meteor showers
On normal nights, you may notice one or two bright meteors, but in specific seasons the number of meteors increases steadily, and may reach more than a hundred meteors per hour. This happens because the planet Earth passes through the remains of a comet or an asteroid while it is traveling in space. These rocky remains enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, so we see meteors.
The year 2024 is considered good for the main meteor showers in the Arab world, especially on the evening of August 12, when the peak of the meteor shower will be. PerseidsDuring which you can see 90 to 100 meteors per hour in remote areas. In general, the best monitoring of meteors is in remote areas, but in cities the number of meteors decreases significantly, and in the Perseids, for example, you can see about ten meteors in the city.
The moon sets early that night, leaving the period between ten in the evening and sunrise the next day for meteor enthusiasts, noting that the intensity of meteors increases the closer we get to dawn.
On the nights of December 13 and 14, you can observe the peak of a meteor shower. TwinsHowever, because the moon illuminates the sky that night, the number of meteors will decrease radically. However, it remains an enjoyable shower because the number of meteors on those nights exceeds the barrier of 100 meteors per hour.
The conjunction of the moon with the planets
The planets shine in the night sky like stars, and this happens simply because they reflect sunlight like the moon does, but because they are so far from Earth, they appear small like stars, and sometimes these planets are coupled with the moon or with each other, creating scenes worth contemplating.
And you can see a planet the buyer Shining clearly white at its closest distance to the moon on the evening of January 18. As for a planet Saturn Which usually shines in a yellowish colour, it will be in its best position relative to the Moon in 2024, as it stands very close to the Moon on July 24, August 21, September 17, October 14, and November 11.
The planet appears Mars The sky has a bright red color, and in the past people thought it was the color of blood, so they associated Mars with war and anger, but now we know that the reason for that red color is the oxidation of some iron compounds on the surface of the planet.
During the year 2024, the best views of the Moon standing next to Mars will be in the evenings of November 20 and December 18, as the red planet is seen almost throughout the year at dawn, but it is seen in the evening during the last months of the year.
The moon can be associated with more than one planet. On the evening of January 8, 2024, at dawn, you can notice the moon in the waning crescent phase standing next to the star Antares and both the planet Venus, which shines in a clear white color, and the planet Mercury Which shines in a yellowish color, in an enchanting sight.
Before sunrise on April 6, you will notice that the moon stands next to the red planet Mars and the planet Saturn, which usually shines in a yellowish color.
The planets may stand next to each other in captivating scenes. At dawn on April 11, Venus will stand at its closest distance to the planet Saturn, and at dawn on August 14, Mars will stand at a very close distance from Jupiter.
The conjunction of the moon with the stars
Sometimes the moon stands next to a group of bright stars, such as Antares, which is the brightest star Constellation ScorpioIt is a great red giant at the end of its life, and this type of star explodes at the end of its life, creating a massive supernova. At the dawn of May 24 and the evening of July 17 and August 14, you can see the moon standing next to Antares with its clear red color.
The star Aldebaran is the brightest Constellation TaurusIt was named so because of an Arab story that says that he was a shepherd who fell in love with a chandelier and wanted to propose to her, but she refused and said: I have nothing to do with this sprut (i.e., the abject poor), so he kept plotting for her without stopping to propose to her, but she refused, and from here the name came.
Aldebaran is a red giant. If it were the size of a football, the sun would be the size of a grape, for example. The moon is coupled with Aldebaran this year in remarkable scenes. For example, you can see it at a distance from the moon on the nights of January 21 and February 17, but at dawn June 31: The moon passes next to the trio: the red star Aldebaran, Mars, and Jupiter, and this wonderful scene is repeated at dawn on August 27.
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Source:
- Stellarium free software statements Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse
