Eclipses and other phenomena in the night sky have captivated people since ancient times.
Looking up at the night sky has captivated people since ancient times, with glowing and sometimes unexplained phenomena lighting up the heavens. Celestial, planetary or other phenomena that take place only sometimes and that occur high above our heads captivate, entertain and bring a certain joy to our curious minds. From meteor showers to eclipses, here are the most exciting skywatching events to look forward to in the new year. Quadrantids meteor shower (January) A meteor from the Quadrantid meteor shower captured over new New Mexico in the early hours of Jan 3,2013. (Image credit: NASA/MSFC/MEO) The new year will start out with some shooting stars, and (hopefully) some chances to wish upon them. The Quadrantids meteor shower, one of the best annual meteor showers, will peak on the evening of Jan.2 through the early morning hours of Jan.3, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Though light from the moon (which will be about 84% full at the time) may make the skies too bright to see most of the meteors, some more spectacular ones may be visible, according to Earthsky. You will have better luck at seeing them if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere. And compared with other meteor showers, the Quadrantids’ peak is very short, only lasting a few hours on Jan.3 at 9:30 a.m. EST (14:30 UTC), according to the International Meteor Organization. That would mean that western North America would have a good view of the meteor shower before dawn on Jan.3, according to Earthsky. Lyrids meteor shower (April) A Lyrid meteor captured by an Expedition 30 crew member aboard the International Space Station on Apr.22,2012. (Image credit: NASA) The Lyrids meteor shower is one of the oldest known; the first sighting of the shower dates back to 687 B.C., according to NASA. This year, they will run from April 16 to April 25 and peak before dawn on April 22 after moonset, according to Earthsky. The Lyrids can bring up to 100 meteors per hour, but on average about 10 to 15 meteors per hour can be expected during the peak, according to Earthsky. The space debris that interact with the planet’s atmosphere to form the Lyrids comes from the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, according to NASA. These beautiful meteors tend to leave behind a glowing dust train that can be seen for several seconds. Eta Aquarids meteor shower (May) Eta Aquarid meteors captured at the NASA All Sky Fireball Network station in Tennessee in May, 2013.
