I inspire people to go stargazing, watch the Moon, enjoy the night sky. The moon is out of the morning sky for the next two weeks, leaving the sky dark. Look for Venus and Neptune as they appear close together in the sky. On this map, the line of sunset is crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Life on Venus: What does phosphine discovery mean? How we test gear. You can use the star maps here (Northern Hemisphere) and here (Southern Hemisphere) to figure out Pluto’s location in the night sky. On the average, the moon travels eastward in front of the backdrop stars of the zodiac at 13 degrees per day, and the young moon travels eastward of the sun at 12 degrees per day. © Time and Date AS 1995–2020. The night of August 11-12 is projected to be the peak in 2020, but you can also try to spot meteors in the days before and after. March 24: greatest western elongation (view in eastern sky before sunrise). Don’t miss seeing Mars at opposition on October 13! In 2020, that means March 9, when it appears with Venus. Then expect the young moon to become more picturesque – and easier to see – in the following evenings, as a brighter, wider crescent. This site contains a wealth of information on the night sky. In 2020, the New Moon will occur on the following dates: You can use websites like Moon Giant to keep track of the phases of the Moon. Have we found life? Click on Heavens-Above to know the moon’s present position in front of the constellations of the zodiac. Dates and tips on how and where to see "shooting stars" from meteor showers all over the world. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you. Finally, a warning: Take care during your search for Mercury—due to its close proximity to the Sun, there’s a risk of accidentally looking directly at the Sun instead, which is dangerous and inadvisable. You can also find printable finder charts for Uranus at this page. Another person said: "If you're up and about and have a clear sky, look to the north east and you'll see a beautiful crescent Moon low in the sky, with a bright star beneath it. Once you’ve spotted the brighter planet Venus, you’ll know that Uranus can’t be far. As you can see, Neptune will be visible for much of 2020, though it will be brightest between. Valdivia (40 degrees south latitude): And although at first glance this might look like a star, it is actually a planet. There’s something so fundamental and human about the sense of awe and wonder that planets, stars, moons, and nebulae inspire in us. It will appear all night, closer and brighter than usual. In a total solar eclipse, the Moon crosses in between the Earth and Sun, totally blocking the Sun’s light and causing a dramatic darkness to fall. I highly recommend getting a good telescope or pair of binoculars to see it closer-up and in more detail. Beta The Interactive Night Sky Map simulates the sky above New York on a date of your choice. The path of this eclipse will cover parts of the Central African Republic, Congo, Ethiopia, southern Pakistan, northern India, and parts of China. Another complication: Mercury does not remain visible all night long, so you don’t have tons of time to look for it. I hope this guide helps you make the most of your 2020 stargazing! They are: And Honorable Mention goes to Earth, which is certainly visible but not really the point here. Our Visible Planets Calculator displays the rise and set times of the planets each night, their location in the sky, and how illuminated they will be. Also like Mercury, Venus tends to stay quite close to the horizon line. Or, if you belong to as astronomy club, you can ask for help from more experienced members. The calculator can display times for locations across the U.S. and Canada; simply input your ZIP or Postal code above to see times for your location. It has a volcanic landscape and is covered in acidic clouds. This year, Neptune will appear in the northeastern part of Aquarius. Although the moon will be over one day old at sunset October 17 in North America, it’ll still be hard to catch the lunar crescent on this date due to the ecliptic’s shallow autumn angle. What Planets Are Visible Tonight? Could This Army Weapon Bring Back the Battleship? When to head outside and watch? You can see a lot with just your eyes or with a good pair of binoculars. Uranus is roughly in the opposite direction of the Sun, so it is visible during most of the night. Venus is visible by day, but may be hard to find. Because the ecliptic – the monthly pathway of the moon – hits the horizon at a steep angle as the October sun sets in the Southern Hemisphere, the young moon stays out longer after sunset than in the Northern Hemisphere. How big are the planets and what is their order from the Sun? Dates and times also vary depending on your time zone, so make sure to double-check times for any event you’re hoping to observe. It is either visible just before sunrise or just after sunset. This faster-moving moon benefits the world as a whole in the hunt for the young moon. Beta The Interactive Night Sky Map simulates the sky above London on a date of your choice. This is just a sampler of the many exciting astronomical events that you can observe this year. Right now, however, the moon is traveling faster than average! Look for Uranus on the following dates: One strategy for finding Uranus is to wait until it appears in conjunction with other, brighter planets. Have we found life? If you’re interested in finding Mars in 2020, I strongly recommend this description of its movements throughout the year. So, why pay attention to when the New Moon is? US meteorologist Brandon Spinner tweeted: "Excuse the blurry photo, but take a look at the Moon this morning! Need some help? For most months of 2020, there is at least one night when you can use the Moon as your anchor to locate Saturn, which will appear nearby. Mars is famous for its rugged reddish landscape which gains its color from iron minerals in the soil. On October 17, some people might spot the young moon’s rebirth at day’s end. Click on Heavens-Above to know the sun’s present position in front of the constellations of the zodiac. Tonight, Saturn will be visible and appear in super close proximity to the moon. Watch SpaceX's Raptor Vacuum Engine Roar to Life. One reason why Saturn will look so bright is because in a few weeks, it will be in opposition. Where should you look? In 2019, for instance, both the Perseid and Geminid meteor showers hit their peak shortly before or after a Full Moon, which meant that they weren’t as spectacular as they could have been. When it appears in the morning, it can be found in the east (like the rising Sun); when it appears in the evening, it is found in the west (like the setting Sun). If you do, enjoy it! The night of a New Moon (or the nights just before/after) is an excellent time to try observing dim, deep-sky objects such as star clusters and galaxies. It’s hard to spot a young moon that’s less than a day old (less than 24 hours after new moon), especially in the autumn. For our purposes, their section on “Tonight” is a great way to stay up-to-date on what’s visible. It comes down to three big questions: What, when, and where. I suggest checking In-The-Sky to get precise timings for your precise location. March 9, Conjunction of Venus and Uranus. Astronomers have detected a rare gas in the planet's atmosphere that may have been created by alien microbes, UFO hunter thinks he found an 'underground city' on Mercury, Alien base on Mercury - shock claim after 'interesting structure' find, Blink-182 rocker Tom DeLonge admits hunt for UFOs 'can change world'. The animation is not supported by your device/browser. (Caltech), the planet reflects up to 70 percent of the light that falls on it. Visibility deteriorates as the sky gets brighter. Tuesday, October 13, 2020: Mars at opposition. The ringed gas giant currently shines at at magnitude of +0.2, meaning it can be best seen with the naked eye if you're in a dark, rural area. April 21-22, Lyrids: This annual meteor shower will run for about a couple weeks from April 16 to 30, with 21 and 22 April supplying the best opportunities. That’s why we expect South American countries with clear skies and unobstructed western horizons to have a good chance of catching the young moon after sunset on October 17. Moon Giant also provides Moon calendars, lets you virtually explore the surface of the Moon, and has a gallery of vintage NASA pictures. I'm an experienced science, technology and travel journalist and stargazer writing about exploring the night sky, solar and lunar eclipses, moon-gazing, astro-travel, astronomy and space exploration. Your first step is to get outside and up a hill, ideally in a nice field without tons of trees to block your views of the horizon. Meteors should be visible all night long and at their best around 2am. Venus is the brightest planet in the Solar System.". There are some fantastic online resources that can save you time and jumpstart your astronomy education. If you’re having trouble with your finderscope, there are numerous video tutorials available to help you troubleshoot. (For reference, the moon’s angular diameter spans about 1/2 degree.). If you have a telescope, challenge yourself to find not only the planet itself but also its details and features. What does it look like? Many stargazers were surprised to learn the bright light near the Moon is not a star but the planet Venus. And, in springtime, the ecliptic – the monthly pathway of the moon – intersects the horizon at a steep angle at sunset and early evening. Try your luck in the pre-dawn hours of October 22. The ultimate beginner binoculars for any budding astronomer, the Cometron's 50mm objective lens make sure to capture lots of light for gazing clear night skies. You can click through week by week to see upcoming highlights like meteor showers or conjunctions. "Thought I'd give my new astronomy app a test run to find out what it was. Like Saturn, Uranus has rings, and it also has 27 moons (that we know of!). You decide! The EarthSky website as a whole contains seemingly endless information—it’s easy to get lost down the rabbit hole! Observe this gas giant for yourself on these dates in 2020: Jupiter is one of the brightest objects in the night sky, ranking just behind the Moon and Venus.