(
By Claire Thoma Emmons, Research & Evaluation Associate and amateur astronomer!
After years of sky watching, and even years of studying astronomy in college, the view of a clear night sky still takes my breath away. There’s nothing quite like looking up at the stars and moon and realizing that you are actually looking OUT at the Universe! Sky watching can spark curiosity, creativity, and a healthy sense of wonder for every family member, so mark your calendar for these special nighttime events, all of which have optimal visibility for Midwesterners.
Planetary Parade
First week of March, culminating March 8
Are you an early riser? If so, this sight is for you! If you have a clear view of the sky between 5:30-6:30 am in the first half of March, you’ll be able to see Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter all stretching across the sky in a line. Antares, a red giant star will be hanging out between Mars and Jupiter, just a bit below the line formed between the other planets. On March 7-10, the moon will help you find the parade as it passes above the line of planets! Jupiter will be the brightest of all three planets, and Saturn and Mars should both have a yellow or orange hue.
Observing Tip: Facing south, look about halfway between the horizon and straight up. You’ll see Saturn, Mars, Antares, and Jupiter as you look from left to right. (See this rendering for an example of what to look for.)
Jupiter Big and Bright
May 9
Jupiter will reach its closest approach to Earth on May 9, meaning it will be at its very brightest and will also be visible all night. Jupiter will be particularly obvious any time between May 1 and 15, so take advantage of any clear night. If you are looking between 9:00-10:00 pm, search the southeastern sky for the brightest “star” that doesn’t appear to twinkle.
Observing Tip: This is a great event for binoculars. You should be able to make out the four largest moons of Jupiter as small dots on either side of the bright planet. They are called the Galilean moons because Galileo was the first human to ever see them!
Perseid Meteor Shower
August 12 overnight
The Perseid meteor shower is usually considered to be among the best of the annual meteor displays thanks to its high number of shooting stars. Lucky observers can sometimes see up to 90 meteors an hour during the shower. The moon will set by 10:00 pm, leaving most of the night dark for prospective observers.
Observing Tip: You should plan to spend an hour watching the skies, so bring blankets and pillows to make yourself comfortable on the ground. A fun game is to make up your own constellations while waiting for the shooting stars. You will be able to see the brightest meteors even with streetlights around, but you will be able to see many more if you can get to a darker spot.
Observing Tip: Binoculars are not helpful during meteor showers because they restrict your field of view to a small amount of the sky. You’re more likely to miss a shooting star than see it through binoculars!
Geminid Meteor Shower
December 13 overnight
The moon will set at 11:00 pm, so it will be best to watch for shooting stars after that time.
Observing Tip: You should plan to spend an hour watching the skies, so bring blankets and pillows to make yourself comfortable on the ground, and bundle up! A fun game is to make up your own constellations while waiting for the shooting stars. You will be able to see the brightest meteors even with streetlights around, but you will be able to see many more if you can get to a darker spot.
Observing Tip: Binoculars are not helpful during meteor showers because they restrict your field of view to a small amount of the sky. You’re more likely to miss a shooting star than see it through binoculars!
A Comet Comes to Town
Forecasted to be brightest on Dec 12-17
Comet 46P/Wirtanen is scheduled to slingshot past the Sun and Earth in mid-December and might become bright enough to be seen with the naked eye! Comets get brighter and develop “tails” as they approach the Sun because they are made up of frozen gas and dust that start to “outgas” when they get close to the warm Sun. Comets actually pass by the Earth quite frequently, but they are usually still so dim that they can only be observed with a telescope.
Observing Tip: Look for Orion in the eastern sky, then working up toward the top of the sky, you should see a sideways V (Taurus) and then higher still a small cluster of stars called the Pleiades. The comet should be a bit below the Pleiades and might be bright enough to see with the naked eye or will definitely be visible with binoculars. Look for a faint smudge if you have binoculars as the comet should appear fuzzy compared to other stars. (See this rendering for help on where to look in the sky, but keep in mind that Orion will be much higher above your horizon by 8:00 pm or later.)
General Observing
All of these are special events to observe, but star-gazing can be fun any night! Pick up a constellation book and start becoming familiar with the stars you can see from your yard. If you need a flashlight to refer to your star chart while outside, buy one with a red filter or use red nail polish to paint the glass of a regular flashlight. Red light does not disrupt your “night vision” once your eyes have adjusted to the darkness, but a regular flashlight or your phone definitely will! If you’d like to look through a telescope, search for astronomy groups in your area, like the Indiana Astronomical Society and Butler University’s Holcomb Observatory, which has free tours, planetarium shows, and telescope observing most Friday and Saturday evenings during the school year.
