By Heather Durham | May 31, 2024
For a few days around the summer solstice each year, New Yorkers are treated to a special celestial display called “Manhattan Henge.” This occurs when the setting sun aligns perfectly with the east-west street grid in Manhattan, creating a stunning vista of sunlight blasting across the urban canyons (Beatty, 2017). On the evenings of May 29th and July 12th in 2024, the full sun will be visible setting directly along the borough’s main thoroughfares like 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street and 42nd Street. Crowds gather along these corridors to photograph the dazzling scene as the fiery orb sinks between the towering skyscrapers. It’s a remarkable example of how the cosmos can intersect with the rigid geometry of the modern cityscape, offering a unique astronomy experience in the heart of the Big Apple’s concrete jungle (Zimmer, 2019).
June 2, 2024
Get ready for a celestial treat! The waning crescent Moon will snuggle up close to the red planet Mars in the evening sky (Starwalk, 2023). Both objects will be visible to the naked eye in the constellation Pisces. This cosmic duo is sure to delight stargazers of all ages.
June 4, 2024
Keep your eyes peeled for a rare planetary conjunction! The gas giants Jupiter and Mercury will appear to meet up in the constellation Taurus, separated by a mere 0°07′ (Starwalk, 2023). While conjunctions like this are not uncommon, they’re always a joy to witness with your own eyes or a pair of binoculars.
June 6, 2024
Tonight marks the New Moon phase, when the Moon’s unilluminated side faces the Earth (Starwalk, 2023). This is an excellent opportunity for some prime stargazing, as the Moon’s bright light won’t wash out the fainter celestial objects. Grab your telescope or binoculars and explore the wonders of the night sky!
June 10, 2024
For early risers, the waning crescent moon will be visible low in the eastern sky before dawn. Mercury and Mars will be nearby the slender morning moon, making for a lovely celestial tableau to start the day (Kelley & Milone, 2011). Set those alarms and let the cosmic wakeup call pull you out of bed!
June 16, 2024
The new moon occurs tonight, making for prime dark sky viewing across New England. With no bright moonlight to dampen the view, take advantage by scanning the heavens for the summer Milky Way arching across the sky. See if you can discern its cloudy, faint glow cutting a path from the southern horizon through the constellations Scorpius, Sagittarius and northward (Dickinson, 2014).
June 20, 2024
Rejoice, for today is the June solstice – the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere (EarthSky, 2023)! This is the day when the Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky, resulting in the longest period of daylight (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2024; BBC Sky at Night Magazine, n.d.). Celebrate by spending some extra time outdoors and soaking up those glorious rays of sunshine.
June 23, 2024
Tonight the waxing gibbous moon will be in the same general vicinity as dazzling Jupiter in the evening sky. The largest planet in our solar system and Earth’s celestial companion will make for an eye-catching duo high overhead as darkness falls (Bakich, 2017). Perhaps grab a sketchpad and try drawing their bright forms against the backdrop of stars?
June 30, 2024
Look towards the southeast after midnight and you may catch a glimpse of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower (Rendtel, 2014). While the peak occurred back in early May, some lingering debris from Halley’s Comet should still provide a few “shooting stars” per hour in the hours before dawn.
References:
Aveni, A. (2003). Observing Venus naked-eye phase phenomena. Archaeoastronomy, 17, 154-196.
Bakich, M. E. (2017). The Cambridge guide to the planets. Cambridge University Press.
BBC Sky at Night Magazine. (n.d.). Solstices and equinoxes explained. www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/solstices-equinoxes
Beatty, J.K. (2017). The Urban Astronomers Guide. Springer.
Dickinson, T. (2014). The universe unveiled: Latest deep space images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Firefly Books.
EarthSky. (2023, June 19). 2024 June solstice: All you need to know. Retrieved from earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-june-solstice/
Kelley, D. H., & Milone, E. F. (2011). Exploring ancient skies: An encyclopedic survey of archaeoastronomy. Springer.
Rendtel, J. (2014). 2014 Meteor shower calendar. International Meteor Organization.
Starwalk. (2023). All astronomical events 2024: Detailed stargazing calendar. Retrieved from starwalk.space/en/news/astronomy-calendar-2024
U.S. Department of Commerce, N.O.A.A. (2024). Earth seasons – Equinoxes and solstices – 2024-2027. [PDF].
Zimmer, A.M. (2019). Urban astronomy: Stargazing from towns and suburbs. Cambridge University Press.
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