Astronomy events are some of the most amazing natural wonders the Earth has to offer us.
There are some must-see moments throughout the year to look out for – depending, of course, on good weather and clear skies.
The tricky part can sometimes be knowing when they all taking place and when you need to either be looking up or digging out that old telescope.
So, starting today and going into late summer, we have the lowdown on the main events to look for the next couple of months.Â
Pink moon on the night of April 26 and 27
Starting tonight, April will simultaneously bring a Full Moon and a Super Moon, so it will definitely be worth a look.
April’s Full Moon is traditionally known as the Pink Moon and, tonight, it can appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter.
Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower, on the week of May 2 to May 8
Next week, there will be one of the most expected astronomical events of the year: the Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower.Â
Annual meteor showers usually take place over several days, sometimes even weeks or months. This year, it will be happening from May 2 to May 8, with the peak of its activity on the night of May 5 to May 6.
The meteors will produce long streaks of light and, that week, they are expected to last several seconds.Â
Solar eclipse, June 10
Rather than at night, like most of the events on this list, this solar eclipse will be happening in the morning, just after 10am and it will last around two hours.Â
It will be a partial solar eclipse, in which the moon obscures part of the sun. At the maximum eclipse, at 11.13am, almost 20% of the solar disk will be blocked out.Â
Do not forget, in order to see this safely, you will need to either buy or make your own eclipse glasses.
June solstice, June 21
The summer solstice happening on June 21 will be the longest day of the year, with daylight in London lasting for over 16.5 hours.
Solstices occur when the northern and southern hemispheres are most tilted towards or away from the sun, creating either the longest or shortest day of the year.
Persei Meteors, from June 17 to August 24
This meteor shower is known to be one of the most active and brightest of the year, so definitely do not miss out on this natural wonder.Â
The Persei Meteors will peak around August 12 or 13. Although the night-time that day will be short, the moon will be a thin crescent, so the night will be dark enough to see one meteor a minute.
