2021 Sky Is an Opportunity to Stargazers
Watching day and night sky since childhood is one of our unremitting and soul speaking hobbies. Most of the times, we want the company of the night sky. The longer you being immersed in the night sky, the deeper your thoughts get. It is an unprecedented adventure. We will never get bored while watching the night sky.
If you are a stargazer, you already have experienced the dazzling “Great Conjunction " of planets just before Christmas, the spectacular total solar eclipse and the impressive "Blue Moon "on Halloween as well as the rare bright Comet NEOWISE in July in the closing weeks of 2020. That’s why 2020 was more impressive for stargazing.
So here we are in 2021 now. As usual, we will be able to get multiple opportunities to see a new line up of intoxicating celestial sights.
Three Super moons,
Super moon is a full moon that coincide with the moon's perigee; the closest point in the Moon's monthly orbit that it comes toward Earth. It is a result of the Moon's orbit being slightly elliptical, which make the full Moon sometimes makes slightly larger. In 2021, this will happen in three times.
So, there will be three super moons in 2021; a full "Super Pink Moon" on 27th Monday of April, a full " Super Flower Blood Moon Eclipse " on 26th Wednesday of May, a full " Super Strawberry Moon " on 24th Thursday of June. You can see them at the direction of east at sunset.
A Triple Conjunction Of Planets.
You can experience this on 9th Saturday of January, at the southwestern horizon just after sunset.
This is our last chance to see Jupiter and Saturn before they move into the Sun's luster for some weeks and it won’t be easier as you thought. It also comes with the little planet Mercury, which few people make the trouble to find it. You need to observe this immediately after sunset and look low on the southwest horizon. Then you can see these three worlds from a small triangle by preferably using binoculars.
A Red Planet in the "Seven Sisters".
In a slight re-enactment of a visit by Venus in 2020, Mars will drop by the stars called “Seven Sisters", also called as Pleiades and M45. The red planet will appear close to this gleam tangle of stars for a few nights, although it will be best seen on 3rd Wednesday of March.
A "Ring of Fire " Solar Eclipse for North America.
Most of the USA and Canada will be able to see a huge partial solar eclipse on 10th Thursday of June, yet for those who travel to certain so far places, the gift will be the spectacular " ring of fire" annular solar eclipse lasting 3 minutes and 33 seconds. This will only be perceivable from far north, Ontario, Canada.
A Total Solar Eclipse In Antarctica.
Every 18 years, 11 days and 8 hours a total solar eclipse is viewable from Antarctica. On 4th Saturday of December parts of the white continent and the Weddell sea will be thrown under the Moon's shadow for about two minutes.
Giant Planet Month,
The solar system's largest planets; Jupiter and Saturn will enter their annual oppositions on 2nd Monday of August and 19th Thursday of August when they are aligned with the Earth and the Sun. They are fully lit by the Sun as a full moon and consequently that is why they are brightest and biggest in our night sky. Both planets will rise in the east at sunset on the night of their opposition and set with the sunrise following morning.
An "Evening Star" Planet.
The Evening Star or else Venus spent the first half of super bright in the evening sky and currently we will be able to observe before the pre sunrise night sky as a " Morning Star". We can see this scenario throughout the month of April immediately after sunset at the western night sky.
A "Blue Moon" And Jupiter.
On 22nd Sunday of August we can see the full " Sturgeon Moon" at east night sky. It is the third of four full Moons in the same summer season. As a result of orbital motion of the Moon around the Earth for 29.53 days if there's a full Moon right at the beginning of Sumer, it’s possible to squeeze in four.
A Moonless Meteor Shower.
After the few nights of appearing of the new Moon; the most popular annual meteor shower; the Perseids will be there on 12/13 of August whole over the night sky. The sky should be nice and dark for a good sight if an estimated 100 shooting stars per hour. The Perseids will be active from July 17 through August 26, 2021.
2021 is truly a unique year for celestial observation. It is something that can be enjoyed by all, young and old alike, with immense interest and huge curiosity. The year 2021 will undoubtedly give it a good foundation.
Words by- Dilshani Raveesha
Design by - Vidheesha Abeysinghe