The universe has a dazzling itinerary lined up for Seattle this year.
In just a couple of weeks, we’ll have prime-time viewing hours for the first total lunar eclipse anywhere in the world since 2022.
Through the year, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury and Saturn will all make appearances, often accompanied by an array of star clusters. We’ll get treated to a few meteor showers, too, the best one timed just two weeks before year’s end.
To map out the best nights for skywatching, we turned to three seasoned stargazers: John Jardine Goss, an EarthSky writer; J. Kelly Beatty, senior editor at Sky & Telescope; and Andy Tzanidakis, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Washington who spends his days helping people navigate the universe at the university’s planetarium.
This goes without saying, but the giant disclaimer here is that you’ll need clear skies to see these events. But if the weather cooperates, watching the universe is pretty easy, and it’s the perfect excuse to leave your phone somewhere else.
“Turn off the lights in the house. It’d be nice if you had a lawn chair. Recline back,” Goss advises. “Bring a pair of binoculars, if you have them, and face the direction that you want and start observing.”
March 13-14: A total eclipse of the moon
When: 10 p.m. March 13 to 2 a.m. March 14
Where to look: South
This is the first total lunar eclipse anywhere in the world since 2022, and we’ve got one of the best seats for it — if it’s not cloudy. Our friends on the East Coast will have to pull an all-nighter to see it.
“Pity the poor of Boston who have to be up at 3 in the morning to see the eclipse,” Beatty said.
The moon will have a reddish hue as the Earth casts its shadow on it. That coloring is caused by sunlight refracting on the Earth’s atmosphere. As the shadow moves across the moon, you might be able to see the curvature of that shadow. That is how the Greeks realized the Earth was round, said Goss.
While you’re out there, let your eyes dance on the stars. The moon usually overpowers them, but during the eclipse, other parts of the sky will appear brighter.
March 9: Mercury comes out of hiding
When: Right around sunset (around 7 p.m. for Seattle)
Where to look: Southwest
Mercury is notoriously difficult to see. It is the closest planet to the sun, so it is usually drowned out. Plus, it usually hangs very low in the sky. But in early March, it will ascend to its highest point on the horizon for the year.
The planet will hang out close to Venus, the brightest object in the sky after the moon. It will look like a faint star, said Goss.
For your best chance at seeing it, make sure you have the clearest view of the horizon as possible. Mercury should be in the same general direction as Venus, around one fist above the horizon.
And you don’t have to limit yourself to March 9, either. You might be able to spot it starting on March 1, said Beatty.
April 1-2: Jupiter and friends
When: 90 minutes after sunset (right after 9 p.m. for Seattle)
Where to look: West, northwest
A thin crescent moon, Jupiter nearby and two star clusters — Pleiades and Hyades — will create an “enchanting scene,” Goss said.
The star clusters, especially Pleiades, are delicate and may be a little hard to spot.
Pleiades, called the Seven Sisters, will look like the Little Dipper. To know if you’re looking at the right thing, Goss recommends sticking your arm out and using your thumb as a measurement. The cluster will be around that size. In Japan, this cluster is called Subaru, and the eponymous car company’s logo features seven little stars.
Hyades is around three times as large: Look for a “V” formation.
April 22-23: A different kind of April shower
When: 11 p.m. April 22 to 2 a.m. April 23
Where to look: East
A moonless sky will make these evenings perfect to see a meteor shower, said Tzanidakis. During this time, meteors will appear to radiate from the area of the sky near the constellation Lyra — which looks like a little violin or hexagon. At its peak, there will be around 20 to 30 meteors per hour.
The radiant point is located near Vega, the brightest star in Lyra. However, Lyrid meteors can streak across the entire sky, so you don’t need to look only at Lyra to see them.
May 3: A chance to see Mars
When: An hour after sunset (around 9:30 p.m. for Seattle)
Where to look: West
Look high in the sky, and you’ll find the crescent moon, Mars and a cluster of stars called the Beehive. Mars should look like a reddish star next to the moon. The Beehive, a group of stars within the Cancer constellation, will look like a hazy patch of stars or — to the astronomers who named it — a swarm of bees.
Mars will be visible to the naked eye, but seeing the Beehive might be easier if you’ve got a pair of binoculars and you’re out in the country, said Goss.
May 5: Debris of Halley’s comet
When: Around 3 a.m.
Where to look: South
This meteor shower is one of “the better ones” this year, said Beatty. During this Eta Aquariids meteor shower, you may see a meteor every few minutes. If you weren’t alive the last time Halley’s comet was in the Earth’s vicinity in 1986, this may be a small way to see its might before it comes back in 2061. This meteor shower is the result of little bits of materials from that comet.
Aug. 11-12: Venus and Jupiter meet and switch
When: 90 minutes before sunrise (around 4:30 a.m. in Seattle)
Where to look: East, northeast
“Freaky looking,” is how Beatty described Jupiter and Venus next to each other in the sky. These two planets will look bright, almost like a double star. There will be just a bit of separation between them, a pinkie finger’s width, with Venus being brighter than Jupiter as Venus is closer to Earth.
On Aug. 12, they will switch places, and then they’ll part ways in the evenings after.
Aug. 20-21: Jupiter and more friends
When: 60 minutes before sunrise (around 5 a.m. in Seattle)
Where to look: East
Much like the evening in April, the crescent moon and Jupiter will be surrounded by other interesting bright objects. Venus will be out, and the Gemini constellation will be visible as well, between the twin stars Castor and Pollux.
“This is unusual in that you have all these types of interesting objects spaced together in the sky,” said Goss.
Sept. 20: Life’s better on Saturn
When: Sunset (around 7 p.m. in Seattle)
Where to look: East
Saturn will be at its brightest this evening, directly opposite the sun in the sky. Earth is positioned right in the middle of these two, making it a special time of the year, said Beatty. Unfortunately, you’ll need a telescope to see the finer points of this planet — something with a magnification power of at least 50. Even then, the rings will appear to be a line because of the way the planet is positioned.
Dec. 13: The best meteor shower of the year
When: 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Where to look: East, the entire sky
Another moonless, perfect evening for a meteor show. All the astronomers we spoke to pointed out this evening as a great way to wrap up the year. During this meteor shower, which is associated with the Gemini constellation, there will be around 60 meteors per hour. Most of them will be dim, said Goss, but some will be visible.
It will emanate from the east, but the meteors will move across the sky all night.
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