Welcome to the Boston Astronomy website!
This website has been created by and is supported by John Sheff, a Boston, MA - area amateur astronomer and informal astronomy educator. You can contact me at jsheff@bostonastronomy.net. My intention in creating this site is to provide a convenient resource for access to news and information about astronomy and space-related activities of interest to the community and the public.
Upcoming Astronomy-Related Events in the Boston Area
Thursday, May 9, 2024, 8:00 PM - 10 PM
Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston (ATMoB) Monthly Meeting
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
60 Garden St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Speaker and Topic: TBA
The sky as seen from Boston on May 15, 2024, at 9:00 PM EDT
Major Astronomical Events |
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May 2024 |
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| May 1 | Wed. | 7:27 AM EDT | Last Quarter Moon |
| May 3 | Fri. | 5:27 AM EDT | Chang'e 6 farside sample return launches |
| May 3 | Fri. | 7:00 PM EDT | Moon 0.8° S of Saturn, 57° from Sun in morning sky |
| May 4 | Sat. | 3:00 PM EDT | Moon 0.3° S of Neptune, 46° from Sun in morning sky |
| May 4 | Sat. | 10:00 PM EDT | Moon 0.2° N of Mars, 41° from Sun in morning sky |
| May 5 | Sun. | 5:00 PM EDT | Eta Aquariid meteors peak (good) |
| May 5 | Sun. | 6:04 PM EDT | Moon @ perigee (363,163 km / 225,659 mi / 57.00 Earth radii) |
| May 6 | Mon. | 4:00 AM EDT | Moon 4° N of Mercury, 26° from Sun in morning sky |
| May 6 | Mon. | 10:34 PM EDT | Boeing Starliner launches to ISS |
| May 7 | Tue. | 11:22 PM EDT | New Moon |
| May 8 | Wed. | 7:00 AM EDT | Mars @ perihelion (206.6 million km / 128.4 million miles / 1.38 AU) |
| May 9 | Thur. | 3:44 AM EDT | Mercury @ greatest western elongation (26° W of Sun) |
| May 12 | Sun. | Juno perijove # 61 | |
| May 13 | Mon. | 5:04 AM EDT | Uranus @ solar conjunction |
| May 13 | Mon. | 4:00 PM EDT | Sun enters Taurus |
| May 15 | Wed. | 7:48 AM EDT | First Quarter Moon |
| May 17 | Fri. | 2:59 PM EDT | Moon @ apogee (404,641 km / 251,432 mi / 63.51 Earth radii) |
| May 18 | Sat. | 2:343 PM EDT | Jupiter @ solar conjunction |
| May 19 | Sun. | 11:00 AM EDT | Asteroid 2 Pallas @ opposition |
| May 23 | Thur. | 9:53 AM EDT | Full Moon ("Full Flower Moon") |
| May 30 | Thur. | 1:13 PM EDT | Last Quarter Moon |
| May 31 | Fri. | 4:00 AM EDT | Moon 0.4° S of Saturn, 81° from Sun in morning sky |
| May 31 | Fri. | 11:00 PM EDT | Moon 0.02° S of Neptune, 71° from Sun in morning sky |
Bold = cool or important |
* = not visible from Boston | ||
An Overview of Major Astronomical Events in 2024 |
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| Jan. 2 | Tue. | 7:38 PM EST | Earth @ perihelion (0.9833 AU / 147,093,163 km / 91,399,454 mi) |
| Jan. 3 | Tue. | 7:13:46 AM EST | Latest sunrise of the year (7:13:46 AM EST) |
| Jan. 4 | Thur. | 5:00 AM EST | Quadrantid meteors peak (fair) |
| Jan. 8 | Mon. | 2:18 AM EST | Astrobotic Peregrine launched to Moon on ULA Vulcan |
| Jan. 8 | Mon. | Autumn begins in Northern Hemisphere of Mars | |
| Jan. 8 | Mon. | 9:46 AM EST - AM 10:55 EST | Moon occults Antares (daylight) |
| Jan. 12 | Fri. | 2:18 PM EST | Mercury @ greatest western elongation (25° W of Sun) |
| Jan. 19 | Fri. | 5:20 AM EDT | Japanese SLIM mission lands near Shioli crater |
| Feb. 3 | Sat. | Juno perijove # 58; Io flyby (1,500 km / 930 mi) | |
| Feb. 15 | Thur. | Intuitive Machiine's NOVA--C launched to Maalpert A | |
| Feb. 28 | Wed. | 4:16 PM EST | Saturn @ solar conjunction |
| Mar. 7 | Thur. | Juno perijove # 59 | |
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Mar. 10 |
Sun. |
2:00 AM EST / 3:00 AM EDT |
Daylight Saving Time begins |
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Mar. 17 |
Thur. |
6:53 AM EDT - 6:53 PM EDT |
Equilux (day and night of equal length) |
| Mar. 17 | Sun. | 7:13 AM EDT | Neptune @ solar conjunction |
| Mar. 19 | Tue. | 8:21 PM EDT - 10:16 PM EDT | China launches Queqiao 2 lunar farside relay satellite |
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Mar. 19 |
Tue. |
11:01 PM EDT |
March (Spring) Equinox |
| Mar. 24 | Sun. | 1:55 PM EDT | Mercury @ greatest eastern elongation (19.5° E of Sun) |
| Mar. 25 | Mon. | 12:53 AM EDT - 5:32 AM EDT | Penumbral lunar eclipse (max. @ 3:13 AM EDT) |
| Mar. 30 | Sat. | Parker Solar Probe perihelion # 19 | |
| Apr. 7 | Sun. | 12:44 PM EDT - 1:57 PM EDT | Moon occults Venus (daylight) |
| Apr. 8 | Mon. | Total solar eclipse | |
| Apr. 9 | Sat. | Juno perijove # 60 | |
| Apr. 22 | Mon. | 2:55 AM EDT | Lyrid meteors peak (poor) |
| May 3 | Fri. | 5:27 AM EDT | Chang'e 6 farside sample return launches |
| May 6 | Mon. | 10:34 PM EDT | Boeing Starliner launches to ISS |
| May 9 | Thur. | 3:44 AM EDT | Mercury @ greatest western elongation (26° W of Sun) |
| May 12 | Sun. | Juno perijove # 61 | |
| May 13 | Mon. | 5:04 AM EDT | Uranus @ solar conjunction |
| May 18 | Sat. | 2:343 PM EDT | Jupiter @ solar conjunction |
| Jun. 4 | Tue. | 12:03 PM EDT | Venus @ superior conjunction |
| Jun. 7 | Fri. | Winter solstice in Northern Hemisphere of Mars | |
| Jun. 14 | Fri. | 5:07 AM EDT | Earliest sunrise of year (5:07:00 AM EDT) |
| Jun. 20 | Thur. | 4:49 PM EDT | June (Summer) Solstice |
| Jun. 22 | Sat. | Juno perijove # 62 | |
| Jun. 27 | Thur. | 8:25 PM EDT | Latest sunset of year (8:25:23 PM) |
| Jun. 30 | Sun. | Parker Solar Probe perihelion # 20 | |
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Jul. 5 |
Fri. | 1:06 AM EDT | Earth @ aphelion (1.017 AU / 152.1 milion km / 94,510,886 miles) |
| Jul. 13 | Sat./Sun. | 11:22 PM EDT - 12:11 PM EDT | Moon occults Spica |
| Jul. 17 | Wed. | 4:06 AM EDT | Juno perijove # 63 |
| Jul. 21 | Sun. | 11:37 PM EDT | Mercury @ greatest eastern elongation (26° E of Sun) |
| Aug. 6 | ESCAPADE Smallsats launched on New Glenn to orbit Mars | ||
| Aug. 12 | Mon. | 10:00 AM EDT | Perseid meteors peak (fair) |
| Aug. 18 | Sun. | Juno perijove # 6 | |
| Aug. 23 | Fri. | JUICE Mission Moon (750 km / 466 mi)-Earth (6,800 km / 4,225 mi) flyby | |
| Sept. 4 | Wed. | 10:24 PM EDT | Mercury @ greatest western elongation (18° W of Sun) |
| Sept. 5 | Thur. | Bepi-Comobo Mercury flyby # 4 | |
| Sept. 6 | Fri. | 11:31 AM EDT - 12:44 PM EDT | Moon occults Spica (daytime) |
| Sept. 8 | Sun. | 12:27 AM EDT | Saturn @ opposition |
| Sept. 17 | Tue. | 8:41 PM EDT - 12:47 AM EDT | Partial lunar eclipse |
| Sept. 18 | Wed. | 4:10 AM EDT - 4:35 AM EDT | Moon occults Neptune |
| Sept. 20 | Fri. | Juno perijove # 65 | |
| Sept. 20 | Fri. | 8:08 PM EDT | Neptune @ opposition |
| Sept. 22 | Sun. | 8:43 AM EDT | September (Fall) Equinox |
| Sept. 27 | Fri. | Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) @ perihelion | |
| Sept. 30 | Mon. | Parker Solar Probe perihelion # 21 | |
| Oct. 2 | Wed. | 11:44 PM EDT - 5:46 PM EDT | Annular solar eclipse (E. Pacific, Patagonia, S. Atlantic) |
| Oct. 8 | Tue. | 9:08 AM EDT | Draconid meteors peak (fair) |
| Oct. 10 | Thur. | Europa Clipper launch to Jupiter | |
| Oct. 12 | Sat. | Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) @ closest approach | |
| Oct. 23 | Wed. | Juno perijove # 66 | |
| Oct. 21 | Sat. | 8:00 PM EDT | Orionid meteors peak (excellent) |
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Oct. 28 |
Sat. |
5:40 PM EDT |
Partial lunar eclipse |
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Nov. 3 |
Sun. |
1:00 AM EST / 2:00 AM EDT |
Daylight Saving Time ends |
| Nov. 6 | Wed. | Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby # 7 | |
| Nov. 11 | Mon. | 9:19 PM EDT - 10:28 PM EDT | Moon occults Neptune |
| Nov. 12 | Tue. | Spring begins in Northern Hemisphere of Mars | |
| Nov. 16 | Sat. | 4:18 AM EST | Mercury @ greatest eastern elongation (22° E of Sun) |
| Nov. 16 | Sat. | 9:37 PM EST | Uranus @ opposition |
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Nov. 17 |
Sun. |
7:00 PM EST |
Leonid meteors peak. (poor) |
| Nov. 25 | Mon. | Juno perijove # 67 | |
| Nov. 27 | Wed. | 5:39 AM EST - 6:55 AM EST | Moon occults Spica |
| Dec. 2 | Mon. | BepiColombo Mercury flyby # 5 | |
| Dec. 7 | Sat. | 3:51 PM EST | Jupiter @ opposition |
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Dec. 8 |
Sun. |
4:11 PM EST |
Earliest sunset of year (4:11:40 PM EST) |
| Dec. 13 | Fri. | Lucy Earth flyby # 2 | |
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Dec. 14 |
Thur. |
2:00 PM EST |
Geminid meteors peak. (poor) |
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Dec. 21 |
Sat. |
4:20 AM EST |
December (Winter) Solstice |
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Dec. 22 |
Thur. | 5:00 AM EST | Ursid meteors peak (fair) |
| Dec. 24 | Tue. | Parker Solar Probe perihelion # 22 (6.1 million km / 3.8 million mi / .04 AU | |
| Dec. 25 | Wed. | 2:10 AM EST | Mercury @ greatest western elongation (22° W of Sun) |
| Dec. 28 | Sat. | Juno perijove # 68 | |
| Dec. 30 | Mon. | Rocket Labs Venus Life Finder launch | |
| Dates to be announced: |
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| Apr. | Sierra Space's Dream Chaser launched to ISS | ||
| Oct. | ESA Hera mission launched to asteroid Didymos/Dimorphos | ||
| Nov. | NASA VIPER lunar rover launches to Moon's South Pole | ||
| 3Q - 4Q | Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander launched to Mare Crisium | ||
Bold = cool or important |
* = not visible from Boston | ||