Coming Astronomical Events – 2013
This table lists major astronomical events for the year 2013. It also gives the best dates for deep-sky observations in the evening (from 7 days before new moon until 5 days after). Unless otherwise indicated, information is for mid-northern latitudes.
| January 3 |
Quadrantid meteors (N hemisphere after midnight; interference from the moon) |
| January 4-16 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects |
| February 3-15 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects |
| February 8 |
Mercury (mag. -1) < 20' from Mars (mag. 1.2) in evening twilight (a challenge to see) |
| February 10 & 11 |
Good opportunity to see a young moon in the evening twilight |
February 17
(± a few days) |
Best time to see Mercury low in the W right after sunset |
| March 4-16 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects |
| March 12 & 13 |
Good opportunity to see a young moon in the evening twilight |
| March 12-20 |
Look for comet C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS in the evening twilight |
April 1
(± a few days) |
Mercury low in the W right after sunset – S hemisphere only |
| April 3-15 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects
|
| April 11 & 12 |
Good opportunity to see a young moon in the evening twilight |
| April 22 |
Lyrid meteor shower peaks (heavy interference from the moon) |
| April 25 |
Partial Lunar Eclipse, best in Africa &South Asia (information on eclipse) |
| April-May |
Best time to see Saturn (opposition on April 28, mag. 0.1) |
| May 2-14 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects |
| May 6 |
Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks (no interference from the moon)
|
| May 9-10 |
Annular Solar Eclipse, Australia & South Pacific (information on eclipse) |
| May 24-29 |
Evening conjunction of Mercury, Venus & Jupiter |
| May 25 |
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse – too small to observe (information on eclipse) |
| May 26 |
Mercury, Venus and Jupiter make a lovely trio low in W right after sunset |
| June 1-13 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects |
June 12
(± a few days) |
Mercury low in the west right after sunset, just above-left of Venus |
| June-July |
Best time to look for Pluto: at opposition (July 1) mag. 14.0 (S&T chart & info.)
|
| July 1-13 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects |
| July 22 (± 1 day) |
Mars (mag. 1.6) < 1° from Jupiter (mag. -1.9) low in the E just before sunrise |
| July-August |
Mira (omicron Ceti) near maximum brightness (peak ≈ July 26; usually ≈ mag. 3) |
| July 30 |
Delta Aquarids meteor shower peaks (little lunar interference) |
| August 1-11 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects |
August 2
(± a few days) |
Mercury very low in the E just before sunrise |
| August 12-13 |
Perseid meteor shower (N hemisphere) peaks (no lunar interference) |
| August-September |
Best time to look for Neptune: at opposition (Oct. 3) mag. 7.8
- see Sky & Telescope’s very nice charts & information (S&T chart & info.) |
| August 29 - September 10 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects |
| September-October |
Best time to look for Uranus, near opposition (Aug. 27), mag. 5.7
- see Sky & Telescope’s very nice charts & information (S&T chart & info.) |
| September 28 - October 10 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects |
October 9
(± a few days) |
Mercury low in the W right after sunset – S hemisphere only |
| October 18-19 |
penumbral lunar eclipse, best in Africa & Europe (information on eclipse) |
| October 21 |
Orionid meteor shower peaks (hopelessly bad lunar interference)
|
| October 28 - November 7 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects |
| November 3 |
Annular-total solar eclipse, central Africa (information on eclipse)
NOTE: partial in northern S. America, Spain Africa & (at sunrise) US extreme east coast |
November 17
(± a few days) |
Mercury low in the E just before sunrise |
| November 17 |
Leonid meteor shower peaks (hopelessly bad lunar interference) |
November 26 -
December 8 |
Dark of the Moon – time to look for deep sky objects |
| early December |
Look for comet C/2012 S21 ISON in the pre-dawn sky! |
| December 13-14 |
Geminid meteor shower peaks (very bad lunar interference) |
