Plan your trip to dark sky areas for better chances of viewing meteor showers. Did you know that New Moons provide the best time to view the stars and celestial objects.

 

Dark sky with tree silhouette and shooting stars.Dec 22/23: Ursid Meteors

Catch the shooting stars of the last major meteor shower of the year, the Ursids, when it peaks between the night of December 22 and 23, 2021.

Illustration of the Moon's position in space in relation to Earth and the Sun at New Moon.Jan 2: Super New Moon

The Moon will come between the Sun and the Earth, and the illuminated side of the Moon will face away from the Earth.

This New Moon takes place close to its perigee, when it’s closest to the Earth, making it a Super Moon.

Diagram showing the distance between the Sun and Earth at different times of the year (perihelion and aphelion).Jan 4: Earth’s Perihelion

At 06:52 UTC, the Earth will reach its perihelion—the point on its orbit closest to the Sun.

 

A howling lone gray wolf in snow-covered landscape.Jan 17: Wolf Moon

The first Full Moon of the year is colloquially known as Wolf Moon in many northern cultures. A Full Moon occurs when the Sun and the Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth.

Starry night sky over the mountain city in the fogMarch 2: New Moon

Dark nights a few days before and after the Moon reaches its New Moon phase at 17:34 UTC on March 2 are the best nights to do some night sky watching.

 

A spring robin pulling out a worm.March 18: Worm Moon

The Full Moon in March is traditionally called Worm Moon, after earthworms that tend to appear around this time in many locations in the Northern Hemisphere.

 

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