When will we be able to see the planets at their best in the next year 2024? Well, this guide will tell you. It will also provide information on when a particular planet might pass near another planet or a bright star and the constellation each will occupy throughout the year. Read on to learn more about the various situations, including conjunctions, oppositions, and elongations, that are on next year’s skywatching schedule.
1. Mercury
like the evening star, Mercury appears in the western sky and sets about an hour later Sun to do. Aspect morning StarIt appears in the eastern sky, rising about an hour before the sun. In these situations there must be a clear and unobstructed horizon. Mercury usually appears as a bright “star” of yellowish or ocher color. You can see the planet in the mornings of January 5 – January 26, May 2 – May 23, August 30 – September 19, and December 18 – December 31. In the evenings of 10 March – 31 March, 8 July – 29 July and 2 November – 23 November.
will be mercury brightest and easiest to spot in the evening sky Between 10 March and 31 March and brightest and easiest to spot in the morning sky From January 5 to January 26 and again from December 18 to December 31.
2. Venus
Always bright and steady, shining with a silvery light Venus Mornings in the eastern sky at dawn from January 1 to April 8; At dusk in the western sky from July 30 to December 31.
Estimated time to see Venus in the morning sky in 2024 It will arrive from January 1st to February 11th. Best time to watch Venus in the evening sky in 2024 It will arrive from October 5th to December 31st. On February 22, Venus will be very close to Earth. Anthem (It passes 0.6 degrees north of the Red Planet). venus and Saturn On the morning of March 21, they will appear significantly closer to each other (Venus is only 0.2 degrees N).
On April 3, Venus will shift south just 0.3 degrees Neptune. On August 5, Venus will pass 1.1 degrees north of bluish Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo. On November 22, Venus will pass 1.1 degrees north of Nunki, a second-magnitude star in the constellation Sagittarius.
3. Mars
This will be another “bad” year for Mars, as it will appear relatively dim as it loiteers in the morning sky for most of 2024. Mars will actually be invisible for the first 10 days of the new year, buried too deep in the bright dawn twilight to be visible. On New Year’s Day, it will be located 225.2 million miles (362.4 million kilometers) from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. Soil. It will be in the constellation Aquarius until April Fool’s Day, where it will be visible from below and glowing in the southeast a few hours before sunrise. size +1.2. After midnight on July 1, it will be visible in the eastern sky with a slight brightness down to magnitude +1.0.
Late at night on Halloween, Mars will be easily visible in the northeastern sky along with the “Twin Stars” of Gemini. Wheel And PolluxIt points directly to this yellow-orange planet, currently shining at magnitude +0.1.
From then on, throughout the rest of the year, Mars will rapidly increase in brightness as it approaches Earth. It will become fixed against the starry background space On December 6, it will perform a retrograde cycle on January 16, 2025, marking the beginning of its first opposition since 2022. On New Year’s Eve, Mars, currently in the constellation Cancer, will be 61.3 million miles (98.6 million km) from Earth and shines at magnitude -1.2, which is slightly dimmer. Siriusthe brightest star in the world night sky; It’s going to happen The brightest year of 2024.
Mars will pass 2.7 degrees north of the second-magnitude star Nunki in the constellation Sagittarius on January 21, and will come very close to Venus (passing 0.6 degrees south of that dazzling world) on February 22. Mars will move closer to Saturn (0.4 degrees N on April 10) and towards Neptune (0.1 degrees S) on April 29. The Red Planet will pass 4.9 degrees north of the similarly bright, orange star Aldebaran on August 4, and will shift 0.3 degrees north of Neptune on August 4. Jupiter On August 14th.
Finally, in the early morning hours of December 18, a waning gibbous moon will drift just above Mars. throughout the northern parts of North America, moon it will actually hide or overshadow the planet.
4. Jupiter
Jupiter will be quite bright in 2024, with a silver-white glow. He will start the year in the constellation. Aries Ram then crosses the street Taurus Taurus will remain for the remainder of the year on April 28.
It will shine brightly in the evenings from January 1 to April 26 and in the mornings from June 8 to December 6. Evening viewing will again be ideal from December onwards. 7 – 31 December.
Her Will be among the brightest of 2024 14 November – 28 December. Jupiter will oppose the Sun on December 7. On July 9, the first-magnitude star will pass 4.8 degrees north of Aldebaran and be just 0.3 degrees south of a much fainter star. Mars on August 14th.
5. Saturn
Saturn shines as a yellowish-white “star” of medium brightness. But the famous rings can only be seen through a telescope.
The rings were at maximum tilt towards Earth in October 2017 but are now rapidly approaching our field of view. They will return to Earth laterally in the spring of 2025. The process will begin in 2024 within the confines of the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer, and the planet will remain there for the rest of the year.
You can catch Saturn in the evenings from January 1 to February 11, in the mornings from March 17 to September 7, then again in the evenings from September 8 to December 31. Saturn’s brightest in 2024 It will fall between August 25 and October 1. On September 8, Saturn will be in opposition to the Sun. On the morning of March 21, Saturn and Venus will appear significantly closer to each other (Saturn by just 0.2 degrees S), and on April 10, Mars will be 0.4 degrees south of Mars.
6. Uranus
Uranus is an object that can be seen with the naked eye by those who have good eyesight and a clear, dark sky, as well as those who know in advance exactly where to look for it.
This planet shines brightest at magnitude +5.6 and can be easily spotted with good binoculars. A small telescope can reveal its small, greenish disk. Uranus It spends the entire year 2024 in the constellation Aries. You can see it in the evenings from January 1 to April 27, in the mornings from May 31 to November 16, then again in the evenings from November 17 to December 31. The brightest year of 2024 It will take place from October 15 to December 21. Uranus will oppose the sun on November 16.
7. Neptune
Finally, Neptune will spend the entire year 2024 in Pisces, that is, Pisces. This bluish world with a brightness of +7.8 magnitude can only be seen with good binoculars or a telescope. It will be in the sky for best viewing in the evenings from January 1 to March 1, in the mornings from April 3 to September 19, and then again in the evenings from September 20 to December 31.
The brightest year of 2024 It will take place from July 23 to November 19. Opposition on September 20. Two excellent opportunities to identify Neptune will come first on April 3, when Venus shifts 0.3 degrees south of Neptune, and again on April 29, when Mars passes a planet. Just 0.1 degrees south of Neptune. Note that compared to Neptune, Mars will appear 500 times brighter and Venus will appear approximately 58,000 times more dazzling.