Stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts are going to have quite a few fascinating events to choose from in 2024, including a total solar eclipse and a series of big meteor showers that will occur under dark skies.
The solar eclipse of early April will undoubtedly be the highlight, visible across wide swaths of the Midwest, but there will be plenty of other things worthy of looking to the skies for throughout the year.
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Total Solar Eclipse – April 8
The highlight of the year for stargazers will occur on April 8 when a total solar eclipse will occur over North America, including southern Illinois and a wide swath of southern Indiana.
A partial solar eclipse will be visible from Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, but residents will only be able to view it through specialized glasses or via other methods of viewing partial eclipses.
As for totality, residents in southern Illinois and much of Indiana will get to see the show starting at 12:45 p.m., according to astronomers at NASA. Totality will occur at 2:02 p.m. and will last for approximately three minutes in parts of Indiana, allowing stargazers to view the eclipse with their own eyes.
Totality will end at approximately 2:05 p.m.
READ: When will Chicago's next total eclipse occur after 2024?
Lunar Eclipses
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SIGN UP There will be two different lunar eclipses visible in the Chicago area in 2024, including a penumbral lunar eclipse that will peak overnight between March 24 and 25.
Unfortunately, penumbral eclipses are very faint, so there will only be a slight darkening of the moon’s surface during the eclipse.
Another lunar eclipse will occur on Sept. 17, and that one will at least partially darken the moon’s surface as seen from the Chicago area.
2024’s Full Moons
Here are the dates of the 12 full moons in 2024.
Jan. 25 “Wolf Moon”
Feb. 24 “Snow Moon”
March 25 “Worm Moon”
April 23 “Pink Moon”
May 23 “Flower Moon”
June 21 “Strawberry Moon”
July 21 “Sturgeon Moon”
Aug. 19 “Blue Moon”
Sept. 17 “Corn moon”
Oct. 17 “Hunter’s Moon”
Nov. 15 “Beaver Moon”
Dec. 15 “Cold Moon”
All three supermoons in 2024 will occur on the new moon, meaning that the only one that will be visible will be the one that occurs April 8 during the total solar eclipse.
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2024’s Biggest Meteor Showers
There are plenty of meteor showers coming in 2024, but it will be a mixed bag in terms of how cooperative the moon will be in allowing residents to see the festivities in the skies.
Fortunately, one meteor shower peaking this week could provide a good show, as the Quadrantids hit their peak overnight on Wednesday and into Thursday morning.
According to the American Meteor Society, average hourly rates should be around 25, with some exceptionally bright fireballs in the sky.
With the waning gibbous moon in the sky, those residents who are able to block the moon’s light with a building could have a slightly better view of the festivities.
Later this year, the Lyrids will peak on April 21 and 22, but the moon will be nearly full, washing out a good number of meteors.
Another good chance at dark skies will occur when the Eta Aquariids peak in the Northern Hemisphere on May 4 and 5. The moon will set early, paving the way for 10-to-30 meteors per hour to be visible, especially toward dawn, according to astronomers.
“Interactions of particles with the planet Jupiter” could also help enhance the show, according to AMS.
The Perseids are one of the most popular meteor showers of the year, and the moon is expected to set at approximately 1 a.m. during the peak on Aug. 12, meaning that most of the peak period will be free of interference from moonlight.
The Orionids will peak on Oct. 20 and 21, and the Geminids will peak Dec. 13 and 14, but the moon will be nearly full on both occasions, really spoiling the show for most viewers in the Northern Hemisphere.
