April 2024
02 April Moon in its last quarter
06 April Mars 2.0 degrees North of the Moon
Saturn 1.2 degrees North of the Moon
07 April Neptune 0.4 degrees North of the Moon
Venus 0.4 degrees South of the Moon
Moon at perigee, closest to the Earth
08 April Total Solar Eclipse, Mexico and the United States of America
New Moon
09 April Mercury 2.2 degrees North of the Moon
10 April Jupiter 4.0 degrees South of the Moon
Uranus 3.6 degrees South of the Moon
11 April PADAS Meeting 7.30pm Deepdale Labour Club, new members always welcome.
14 April Lyrid meteor shower
15 April Moon in its first quarter
18 April Venus 2.0 degrees South of Mercury, these objects are close together for an extended period
around this time
19 April to 28 May Eta-Aquarids meteor shower
20 April Moon at apogee, furthest from the Earth
20/23 April Lyrid meteor shower maximum, around 20 per hour.
23 April Full Moon known as the Budding or Seed Moon.
March 2024
03 Mar Moon in its last quarter
08 Mar Mars 3.5 degrees North of the Moon
Neptune 0.5 degrees South Mercury, for a prolonged period around this time.
Venus 3.3 degrees North of the Moon
09 Mar Saturn 1.5 degrees North of the Moon
10 Mar Moon at perigee, the closest it will be to the Earth this year
Neptune 0.5 degrees North of the Moon
11 Mar Mercury 1.0 degrees North of the Moon
New Moon
14 Mar Jupiter 4.0 degrees South of the Moon
Uranus 3.4 degrees South of the Moon
17 Mar Moon in its first quarter
23 Mar Moon at apogee, furthest from the Earth
24 Mar Mercury at greatest elongation, look to the western horizon around dusk.
25 Mar Full Moon, known as the Plough Moon
Penumbral lunar eclipse, visible from the USA
31 Mar British Summer Time begins, clocks go forward one hour.
February 2024
02 Feb Moon in its last quarter
07 Feb Venus 4.5 degrees North of the Moon
08 Feb Mars 4.2 degrees North of the Moon
Mercury 3.2 degrees North of the Moon
PADAS meeting 7.30pm Deepdale Labour Club, new members always welcome.
09 Feb New Moon
10 Feb Moon at perigee, closest to the Earth
11 Feb Saturn 1.8 degrees North of the Moon
12 Feb Neptune 0.7 degrees North of the Moon.
15 Feb Jupiter 3.2 degrees South of the Moon
16 Feb Uranus 3.2 degrees South of the Moon
Moon in its first quarter
24 Feb New Moon, known as the Snow or Storm Moon
25 Feb Moon at apogee, furthest from the Earth
28 Feb Saturn 0.2 degrees North of Mercury, these objects are close together for an extended period around this time.
January 2024
28 Dec-12 Jan Quadrantid meteor shower
03 Jan Earth at perihelion, closest to the Sun
03/04 Jan Quadrantid meteor shower maximum, around 100 per hour
04 Jan Moon in its last quarter
Venus 5.7 degrees North of the Moon
09 Jan Mercury 6.6 degrees North of the Moon
10 Jan Mars 4.2 degrees North of the Moon
11 Jan PADAS Meeting Deepdale labour club, new members always welcome
New Moon
12 Jan Mercury at greatest elongation
13 Jan Moon at perigee, closest to the Earth
14 Jan Saturn 2.1 degrees North of the Moon
15 Jan Neptune 1.0 degrees North of the Moon
18 Jan Public night sky observing at the Jeremiah Horrocks observatory,
Moor Park 7.30-9.30pm. Weather dependent.
Moon in its first quarter
Jupiter 1.8 degrees South of the Moon
19 Jan Uranus 3.0 degrees South of the Moon.
25 Jan Full Moon, known as the Wolf Moon, named after the howling of hungry wolves in mid-winter.
27 Jan Mars 0.2 degrees South of Mercury, these will be close for an extended period around this
time.
29 Jan Moon at apogee, furthest from the Earth
December 2023
04-20 Dec Geminid meteor shower
04 Dec Mercury at greatest elongation, look low in western horizon soon after sunset.
Moon at apogee, furthest from the Earth
05 Dec Moon in its last quarter
09 Dec Venus 3.6 degrees North of the Moon, look East in the early morning before sunrise
12 Dec Mars 3.6 degrees North of the Moon
New Moon
14-15 Dec Geminid meteor shower maximum
14 Dec 4.4 degrees North of the Moon
16 Dec Moon at perigee, closest to the Earth
17-26 Dec Ursid meteor shower
17 Dec Saturn, 2.5 degrees North of the Moon, look South from dusk
19 Dec Neptune 1.3 degrees North of the Moon
Moon in its first quarter
22-23 Dec Ursid meteor shower maximum
22 Dec Winter Solstice
Jupiter 2.6 degrees South of the Moon
Mercury at inferior conjunction,
23 Dec Uranus 2.8 degrees South of the Moon
27 Dec Full Moon, known as the Oak or Full Cold Moon
28 Dec Mercury 3.6 degrees North of Mars
November 2023
03 Nov Jupiter at opposition
05 Nov Moon in its last quarter
05-30 Nov Leonid meteor shower
06 Nov Moon at apogee, furthest from the Earth
09 Nov Venus 1.0 degrees South of the Moon
PADAS Meeting Deepdale Labour Club, new members always welcome.
12-13 Nov Northern Taurids Meteor shower maximum
13 Nov New Moon
Mars 2.5 degrees North of the Moon
Uranus at opposition
14 Nov Mercury 1.7 degrees North of the Moon
16 Nov Public night sky observing at the Jeremiah Horrocks, Observatory, Moor Park, 730 to 9:30 pm
17-18 Nov Leonids meteor shower maximum
18 Nov Mars at superior conjunction
20 Nov Moon and its first quarter
Saturn 2.7 degrees North of the Moon
21 Nov Moon at perigee, closest to the Earth
22 Nov Neptune 1.5 degrees North of the Moon
25 Nov Jupiter 2.8 degrees South of the Moon
26 Nov Uranus 2.6 degrees South of the Moon
27 Nov Full moon, known as the Darkest Depths Moon or Mouring Moon.
OCTOBER 2023
02 Oct – 07 Nov Orionids meteor shower
Jupiter 3.4 degrees South of the Moon
Uranus 2.9 degrees South of the Moon
06-10 Oct Draconid meteor shower
06 Oct Moon in its last quarter
08-09 Oct Draconid meteor shower maximum
10-11 Oct Southern Taurid meteor shower maximum
10 Oct Moon at apogee, furthest from the Earth
Venus 6.5 degrees South of the Moon
12 Oct PADAS meeting Deepdale Labour Club, 7.30pm new members always welcome
14 Oct Mercury 0.7 degrees North of the Moon
New Moon
Annual solar eclipse, not visible from the UK
15 Oct Mars 1.0 degrees North of the Moon
19 Oct Public Night Sky Observing at the Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory, Moor Park 7.30-9.30pm
20 Oct- 10 Dec Northern Taurids meteor shower
20 Oct Mercury at superior conjunction
21-22 Oct Orionids meteor shower maximum
22 Oct Moon in its first quarter
23 Oct Venus at greatest elongation
24 Oct Saturn 2.8 degrees North of the Moon
26 Oct Neptune 1.5 degrees North of the Moon
Moon at perigee, closest to the Earth
28 Oct partial lunar eclipse
Full Moon, known as the Hunter’s or Blood Moon
29 Oct Jupiter 3.1 degrees South of the Moon
Mars 0.4 degrees North of Mercury, for an extended period around this time.
30 Oct Uranus 2.9 degrees South of the Moon
SEPTEMBER 2023
01 Sep alpha-Aurigid meteor shower maximum
Neptune 1.4 degrees North of the Moon
04 Sep Jupiter 3.3 degrees South of the Moon
05 Sep Uranus 2.8 degrees South of the Moon
06 Sep Mercury at inferior conjunction
Moon in its last quarter
10 Sep – 20 Nov Southern Taurid meteor shower
11 Sep Venus 11.4 degrees South of theMoon
11 Sep Moon at apogee, furthest from the Earth
14 Sep PADAS meeting 7.30pm, Deepdale Labour Club, new members always welcome.
13 Sep Mercury 6.0 degrees South of the Moon
15 Sep New Moon
16 Sep Mars 0.7° South of the Moon
19 Sep Neptune at opposition
22 Sep Mercury at greatest elongation
Moon in its first quarter
23 Sep autumnal equinox, start of the astronomical autumn.
27 Sep Saturn, 2.7 degrees North of the Moon
28 Sep Moon, at perigee, closest to the Earth
Neptune 1.4 degrees North of the Moon
29 Sep Full Moon, known as the Harvest Moon. This is the final super-moon of the year