Meteor showers, annular solar eclipses, conjunction of planets and more — Find out what the skies hold for the coming year of 2014. Here is a list of astronomical predictions compiled for us by the B.M. Birla Science Centre:
January 1: The year begins with a New Moon
January 2 and 3: Will witness the Quadrantic meteor showers.
January 5: Jupiter is at opposition. This means that the bright planet Jupiter will rise in the East just as the Sun sets in the West.
March 20: This is the day of the Vernal Equinox when spring officially begins. On this day, the Sun rises exactly at the East point and sets exactly at the West point.
April 8: The planet Mars is at opposition, which means that on this day, Mars rises in the East exactly as the Sun sets in the West.
April 15: There will be a total Lunar Eclipse.
April 22 and 23: There will be the Lyrid Meteor showers — some meteors which seem to originate from Lyra or Veena mandal.
April 29: There will be an Annular Solar eclipse. For many parts of the world, it will be a partial Solar eclipse.
May 5 and 6: There will be an Eta-Aquarid meteor shower
May 10: Saturn is at opposition. The planet rises in the East exactly as the Sun sets in the West.
June 7: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars, as the two come very close to each other. On this day, the Moon will appear more than half (Gibbous).
June 21: Summer Solstice— It will also be the longest day of the year and the shortest night for the Northern hemisphere.
July 28 and 29: Delta Aquarid meteor shower
August 12 and 13: Perseid meteor shower
August 18: Conjunction of the planets Venus and Jupiter. On this day, the two come very close to each other.
September 23: This is the Autumnal Equinox. The Sun rises exactly at the East point and sets exactly at the West point.
October 8: Total lunar Eclipse.
October 8 and 9: Draconid meteor shower
October 22 and 23: Orionid meteor shower
October 23: Partial Solar eclipse
November 5 and 6: The Taurid meteor shower
November 17 and 18: T Leonid Meteor Shower
December 13 and 14: The Geminid meteor shower
December 21: Winter Solstice — It is the shortest day and longest night of the year for the Northern hemisphere.
December 22 and 23: The ursid meteor Shower.
“Rare astronomical events are difficult to predict. Though the angular eclipse takes place once in five or 10 years, this year we will have a new moon on January 1 and 30. So that makes it a month of two new moons. But if there was a full moon on January 30, it would have become a blue moon month, which is rare." — Dr B.G. Sidharth, Director, B.M. Birla Science Centre.
