Space Calendar: Cosmic Events for Rest of 2024
Manharleen Kaur1. Perseids Meteor Shower (Peak: August 12-13) One of the year's most spectacular meteor showers, the Perseids often produce up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. This shower is caused by Earth passing through debris left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids are known for their bright, long-lasting streaks and fireballs.
A view of the 2023 Perseid meteor shower from the southernmost part of Sequoia National Forest, near Piute Peak. Debris from comet Swift-Tuttle creates the Perseids.
2. Total Lunar Eclipse (September 18) Visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, this total lunar eclipse will turn the moon a deep red color. This phenomenon, often called a "Blood Moon", occurs when Earth's shadow completely covers the lunar surface. The event will last for several hours, providing ample viewing time.
Earth casting its shadow on the Moon -Total Lunar Eclipse Explained
3. Orionids Meteor Shower (Peak: October 21-22) Another show from the debris of Halley's Comet, the Orionids can produce up to 20 meteors per hour. These meteors are known for their speed and brightness. The shower appears to radiate from the constellation Orion, hence its name.
Credit BBC Science Focus
4. BepiColombo's Second Mercury Flyby (September 2024) The joint European-Japanese mission will make its second flyby of Mercury, gathering crucial data about the planet. This flyby is part of a series of gravity assists to slow the spacecraft down enough to enter Mercury's orbit in 2025. The mission aims to study Mercury's composition, geophysics, atmosphere, and magnetosphere.
Mercury in color
5. Artemis II Mission (November 2024) NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft around the Moon, is scheduled for late 2024. This mission will be the first to send astronauts beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. It will pave the way for future lunar landings and long-term exploration of the Moon.
A photo of Orion viewing Earth and the Moon from lunar orbit during the Artemis I mission. NASA
6. Geminids Meteor Shower (Peak: December 13-14) Often considered the best meteor shower of the year, the Geminids can produce up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour. Unlike most meteor showers, which originate from comets, the Geminids are caused by debris from an asteroid: 3200 Phaethon. This unique origin contributes to the shower's intensity and colorful displays.
Over 100 meteors are recorded in this composite image taken during the peak of the Geminid meteor shower in 2014.
Credit: NASA/MSFC/Danielle Moser, NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office
7. Mars Sample Return Mission Updates (Throughout 2024) While the actual return isn't scheduled until later, expect updates on NASA and ESA's ambitious plan to return samples from Mars. This groundbreaking mission involves multiple spacecraft and will be the first to bring Martian rock and soil samples back to Earth. These samples could provide unprecedented insights into Mars' geology and potential past life.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used one of its navigation cameras to take this image of flat terrain in Jezero Crater. This is one possible site that NASA may consider for a Mars Sample Return lander that would collect Perseverance’s samples of Mars rock and sediment in the future.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page for more interesting space information through the year. The world of space exploration is always dynamic and full of surprises!
If you've read till here, check out Going Across Space Clothing: