Have you ever looked up at the sky and saw something amazing? Whether it was a comet shooting across the night sky, or a lot of shooting stars, it always makes a person stop and think about all that goes on in our universe. It does not matter if you see it or not, already this year there have been a total sun and a total moon eclipse. You can be certain that there are always celestial things happening above you. In 2015, there are also a variety of things going on. How many will you be able to see? How many do you know about? Here are some of the most impressive astrological events to watch in 2015.
Spring and Summer 2015
During the spring and summer months, some pretty outstanding things will be happening in the universe. Venus will be visible, even during the middle of the night. In some cases, it will be visible until after midnight, which is a very rare occurrence. To see it, plan to look outside after the third week in May, but will be at its greatest angular distance on June 6. You will see it there just 45 degrees to the east of our sun. If you simply want to see it at its brightest, July 10 will be best for you when it is at 4.5 magnitude.
With Venus in the sky and glowing brightly, you will have the opportunity to view a double planet situation on June 30 when it and Jupiter get close together shortly after sunset. To see it, you will need to look in the west-southwest sky. They will seem about half the size of the moon when it is in the sky, which means it should be very impressive to see them together.
If you like meteor showers, August 12 is when you will want to spend some time in the great outdoors. It is an annual thing that happens and if you are lucky enough to witness it on a clear night you can potentially see up to 90 meteors in an hour. Last year, the moon was too bright for most people to enjoy the shower, this year, will not pose the same issue.
Fall 2015
If you prefer to be out during the fall when bugs are less bothersome, there will still be plenty of activity for you to enjoy. One of the first big events will be a lunar eclipse that happens on September 27-28. If you live on the eastern side of North America and west as far as Texas, you should be able to view the entire eclipse the night of the 27th. The west coastal areas will have to be outside watching when the moon rises to see approximately the last half of the show. If you are viewing from the other side of the Atlantic, you will need to get up before the moon sets on the morning of the 28th to see it. Asia’s western side will not be able to see the total eclipse because the moon will set before it is complete. All total, the eclipse will last 72 minutes from start to finish.
If you missed the first double planet, there is another chance to see Jupiter and Venus together on October 26th. They will be closer together and Venus will pass the southwestern edge of Jupiter. Venus will also be a lot brighter.
The yearly fireball show will begin again this year with its peak being November 5th through the 12th. This Taurid meteor shower has predicted 2015 as a great year for “Halloween Fireballs” because occasionally earth encounters a lot of larger particles and this can increase the fireball meteors.
The Geminid meteor shower will take place the night of December 13. It is during this time that people can expect to see as many as two meteors per minute when conditions are right. This year, a crescent moon is expected to set during the early evening hours, which will leave plenty of viewing time for you, provided the weather cooperates.
Throughout the year there will be comets buzzing by and certain objects hidden by others. Just keep your eyes pointed toward the night sky and you may find yourself amazed by the things you will see.