Turn Left At Orion

2030

2030 has two solar eclipses, one total and one annular. The total eclipse, in November, is mostly over the Indian Ocean, but the beginning and end can be glimpsed in southern Africa and Australia. The annular eclipse, in June, stretches from north Africa across Russia to Hokkaido. There are two lunar eclipses, one partial and the other almost partial – a fairly deep penumbral eclipse that should be easily detectable in binoculars. Jupiter reaches opposition in May, down south in Libra. Saturn reaches opposition in late November. It’s well placed for northern observers, near the Hyades. The rings are almost as wide open as they get, making them attractive telescopic targets. Uranus is at opposition in December, a tempting naked-eye target in dark skies early in that month. Of the big three meteor showers, the Moon will interfere with only the Perseids.

January
3	22 H	Quadrantid Meteor Shower. Peak favors eastern Europe and western Asia. There is no interference from the Moon.
22		Mercury at Greatest Morning Elongation (24°).
March
17		Venus at Greatest Morning Elongation (47°).
April
4		Mercury at Greatest Evening Elongation (19°).
May
13		Jupiter at Opposition (mag. -2.5, in Libra). It’s well to the south (almost 20° below the celestial equator) so northern observers must wait for a very steady night if they are to see details on Jupiter’s surface. We see Jupiter from 3° below its equator, so Ganymede and its shadow barely clip the planet’s surface: Callisto totally misses it.
21		Mercury at Greatest Morning Elongation (24)°.
June
1	06 H	Annular Solar Eclipse, visible in in almost all of Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. The path of annularity crosses Tunisia, Greece, westernmost Turkey, southern Russia, and Hokkaido.
15	19 H	50% Partial Lunar Eclipse, well placed for Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and east Africa.
August
2		Mercury at Greatest Evening Elongation (27°).
13	03 H	Perseid Meteor Shower. Timing favors North America, but the Full Moon will badly hamper the view.
September
15		Mercury at Greatest Morning Elongation (18°).
October
5		Neptune at Opposition (mag. 7.8, gliding along the Pisces-Cetus boundary).
November
Asteroid Ceres (mag. 7.3) reaches opposition on November 8th, in Cetus. To avoid the full Moon, observe it earlier in the week. Also follow asteroid Vesta (mag. 6.5) as it approaches opposition on November 25th, in Taurus). The first week of the month it’s at the southern edge of the Hyades, 6° south of Saturn.
25	07 H	Total Solar Eclipse. Partial phases are visible in Australia and the southern half of Africa. Except for small areas that see it near sunset in Angola, Botswana, and South Africa and just after sunrise in South Australia and Queensland, totality is completely wasted on the Indian Ocean.
26		Mercury at Greatest Evening Elongation (22°).
27		Saturn at Opposition (mag. -0.4, in Taurus, just north of the Hyades). The rings are almost as wide open as they ever get – we see them from a 25° to their south. Combined with the planet’s northerly declination, that makes this an excellent year for northern observers to see structure in the rings.
December
9	22 H	94% Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, best seen in Africa, Europe, and western Asia. It’s almost partial: all but the southernmost tip of the Moon has at least some of its sunlight blocked by the Earth.
12		Uranus at Opposition (mag. 5.5, in Taurus). Look any time between the 3rd and 15th of the month when there’s no interference from the Moon for a great opportunity to see it naked-eye in moonless skies.
14	14 H	Geminid Meteor Shower. Timing favors areas near the north Pacific. The 5-day Moon won’t interfere at all.

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