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From Meteor Showers And Solar Eclipses To Supermoons And Visible Planets.
Watch out for these spectacular stargazing events in 2023 coming to a Gozo sky near you.
Gozo Island, Malta’s little sister is a small island filled with natural spaces, fields, and coastal rock formations. With very little man-made light, especially near the sea, stargazing in Gozo is almost unavoidable. The night sky is full of cosmic wonders and if stargazing is your thing, plan your trip to Gozo around these astronomical events in 2023.
Stargazing in Gozo begins with the Quadrantids Meteor Shower in January and ends with the spectacular Geminid meteor shower late in December. In between, look out for partial solar eclipses, supermoons, and planets. Here is our roundup of some of the most spectacular celestial moments worth circling on your calendar for 2023.
stargazing events in 2023: January to april 2023
January 3, 4 – Quadrantids Meteor Shower.
The first of the stargazing events in 2023 is the Quadrantids Meteor Shower. The shower runs every year from January 1-5. The best viewing will be from Dwejra or a similar open space in Gozo after midnight.
March 20 – March Equinox
The March equinox occurs when the sun shines directly on the equator. There will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.
April 20 – Hybrid Solar Eclipse.
A hybrid solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is almost too close to the Earth to completely block the Sun. This type of eclipse will appear as a total eclipse to some parts of the world and will appear annular to others. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
April 22, 23 – Lyrids Meteor Shower.
The Lyrids is an average shower that runs from April 16-25 every year. These meteors can sometimes produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The thin crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for what should be an excellent stargazing event in Gozo.
stargazing events in 2023: May to august 2023
May 6, 7 – Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower.
The Eta Aquarids are produced by Comet Haley’s dust particles and can produce up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. In the Northern Hemisphere, the rate can reach about 30 meteors per hour. The shower runs annually from April 19 to May 28. The nearly full moon will be a problem this year, blocking out all but the brightest meteors, but if you are patient, you should be able to catch a few good ones.
May 29 – See Mercury!
The planet Mercury reaches its greatest western elongation of 24.9 degrees from the Sun on 29th May. This is the best time to see it as it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
June 4 – See Venus!
The planet Venus reaches its greatest eastern elongation of 45.4 degrees from the Sun. Look for the bright planet after sunset.
June 21 – June Solstice.
The June solstice is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
July 3 – Full Moon, Supermoon.
Stargazing events in Gozo do not get better than this! The Supermoon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This is the first of four supermoons for 2023. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
July 28, 29 – Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower.
The Delta Aquarids is a shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius but can appear anywhere in the sky.
August 1 – Full Moon, Supermoon.
The second Supermoon of 2023 is one of the most spectacular stargazing events in Gozo. It will be located opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
August 12, 13 – Perseids Meteor Shower.
As we mentioned, stargazing in Gozo is almost unavoidable. And seeing the odd meteor shower is too. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24.
August 27 – See Saturn!
Stargazing in Gozo would not be complete without seeing the ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn’s rings and a few of its brightest moons.
August 31 – Full Moon, Supermoon.
The third Supermoon and another one of the awesome stargazing events of 2023 is the biggest of the year. Located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun, the face of the moon will be fully illuminated. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
stargazing events in 2023: september to december 2023
September 19 – See Neptune!
The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Neptune. Due to its extreme distance from Earth, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
September 23 – September Equinox.
The September equinox is a one of the most well-known stargazing events in Gozo and occurs at 06:43 UTC. There are lots of rituals and smaller events to join if you are here at this time of year. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.
September 29 – Full Moon, Supermoon.
The fourth Supermoon of 2023 and the last of the moon stargazing events in 2023, is one where you will once again, see the face of the moon fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 09:59 UTC. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
October 14 – Annular Solar Eclipse.
Stargazing events in 2023 would not be complete without an annular solar eclipse which occurs when the Moon is too far away from the Earth to completely cover the Sun. This results in a ring of light around the darkened Moon. The Sun’s corona is not visible during an annular eclipse. The eclipse path will begin in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern Canada and move across the southwestern United States and Central America, Columbia, and Brazil. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout much of North and South America. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information) (NASA Interactive Google Map)
October 28th- Partial Solar Eclipse
A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth’s partial shadow, or penumbra, and only a portion of it passes through the darkest shadow, or umbra. During this type of eclipse a part of the Moon will darken as it moves through the Earth’s shadow. The eclipse will be visible throughout all of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and western Australia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
November 3 – See Jupiter!
The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. A medium-sized telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter’s cloud bands. A good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter’s four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side of the planet.
November 13 – See Uranus
The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view Uranus. Due to its distance, it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
December 13, 14 – Geminids Meteor Shower.
The Geminids is the king of meteor showers. It is considered by many to be the best shower in the heavens, producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered in 1982. The shower runs annually from December 7-17. It peaks this year on the night of the 13th and the morning of the 14th. This should be a great year for the Geminids. The nearly new moon means dark skies for what should be an excellent show. The best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Gemini but can appear anywhere in the sky.
December 22 – December Solstice.
The December solstice occurs at 03:21 UTC. The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its southernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
Don’t Miss Our Live Astrology Forecasts with Penny Dix, Astro Coach Every Month On Our Facebook Page.
Ref: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2023.html
Author: GITH
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