Sky calendar

COVERED

97% — of the disc, at the point where the eclipse is greatest

DEEPEST PHASE

199 min

The Moon is below the horizon from SVALBARD for the whole of it — this one belongs to the other side of the planet.

Nothing needed at all: a lunar eclipse is safe to watch with your eyes, and binoculars mostly add colour. It is slow — over an hour from first shadow to deepest — so it rewards going out more than once rather than standing outside for the whole of it.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SPEED

19 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

9.3 lunar distances — 3 584 905 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 14.4 — needs a telescope

SIZE

332 m – 741 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SPEED

20.45 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

11.1 lunar distances — 4 279 130 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 15.2 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

286 m – 640 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

0.8° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

31° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SPEED

20.17 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

12.3 lunar distances — 4 731 567 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 21.0 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

149 m – 333 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SEPARATION

0.5° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

41° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

SPEED

12.54 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

16.1 lunar distances — 6 183 442 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 18.0 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

239 m – 535 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

A moment rather than a sight: the Sun reaches a point in its own path, at the same instant for everybody on Earth.

Nothing to see on the night. What it marks is the shape of the months either side: which way the nights are going, and how much dark you will have to work with.

FROM THE SUN

180° — opposite the Sun, so up all night

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 12° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

It rises as the Sun sets and is highest in the middle of the night, which is when to look: the higher it is, the less air is in the way and the steadier the view. Any telescope will show the disc, and a night either side of this date is indistinguishable from the date itself.

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 17° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 32° above the ESE horizon.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

FROM THE SUN

180° — opposite the Sun, so up all night

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 14° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

It rises as the Sun sets and is highest in the middle of the night, which is when to look: the higher it is, the less air is in the way and the steadier the view. Any telescope will show the disc, and a night either side of this date is indistinguishable from the date itself.

SEPARATION

1.1° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

68° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 26° above the ESE horizon.

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

SEPARATION

0.2° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

53° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

From SVALBARD the hours it is high enough and the hours it is dark do not overlap on this date — it is up in the daytime.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

RATE

5/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

5% lit — out of the sky all night

SPEED

20 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 60° above the WSW horizon.

The Moon is new that night and out of the way entirely — this is as good as this shower's peak gets.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

RATE

5/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

1% lit — out of the sky all night

SPEED

27 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 21° above the S horizon.

The Moon is new that night and out of the way entirely — this is as good as this shower's peak gets.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

FROM THE SUN

25° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Look low, into the twilight, and start before you think you need to — the planet is bright enough to find in a colouring sky and hard to find once the sky is properly dark, because by then it is setting. Binoculars help you catch it first; an unobstructed horizon in that direction matters more than any equipment.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

RATE

20/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

75% lit — sets in the small hours

SPEED

66 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 28° above the S horizon.

The Moon is 75% lit and sets in the small hours, which will wash out everything but the brightest of them while it is there. The rate above is what a moonless sky would give; expect a fraction of it.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 26° above the S horizon.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SPEED

7.83 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

0.8 lunar distances — 314 823 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 20.1 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

3 m – 6 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 16° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 28° above the S horizon.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

1.0° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

81° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 23° above the S horizon.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

SPEED

8.72 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

15.7 lunar distances — 6 018 535 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 15.6 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

207 m – 464 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 69° above the S horizon.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SEPARATION

0.5° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

76° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 23° above the S horizon.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

SPEED

16.42 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

18.8 lunar distances — 7 243 615 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 15.9 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

293 m – 655 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SEPARATION

0.9° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

22° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

RATE

5/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

9% lit — sets in the early evening

SPEED

29 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 34° above the S horizon.

The Moon is a 9% crescent and sets in the early evening — thin enough that it barely matters.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

SEPARATION

1.2° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

88° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 26° above the S horizon.

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

RATE

15/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

51% lit — sets around midnight

SPEED

71 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 34° above the S horizon.

The Moon is 51% lit and sets around midnight. It will cost you the faint end of the shower while it is up, so the hours after it goes are worth more than the hours before.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

FROM THE SUN

20° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Look low, into the twilight, and start before you think you need to — the planet is bright enough to find in a colouring sky and hard to find once the sky is properly dark, because by then it is setting. Binoculars help you catch it first; an unobstructed horizon in that direction matters more than any equipment.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 37° above the S horizon.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

FROM THE SUN

180° — opposite the Sun, so up all night

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 33° above the S horizon.

It rises as the Sun sets and is highest in the middle of the night, which is when to look: the higher it is, the less air is in the way and the steadier the view. Any telescope will show the disc, and a night either side of this date is indistinguishable from the date itself.

SEPARATION

1.1° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

102° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 24° above the S horizon.

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 18° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

10.42 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

14.3 lunar distances — 5 478 070 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 15.0 — needs a telescope

SIZE

284 m – 634 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 21° above the S horizon.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

RATE

150/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

22% lit — sets in the early evening

SPEED

35 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 45° above the S horizon.

The Moon is a 22% crescent and sets in the early evening — thin enough that it barely matters.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 8° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

A moment rather than a sight: the Sun reaches a point in its own path, at the same instant for everybody on Earth.

Nothing to see on the night. What it marks is the shape of the months either side: which way the nights are going, and how much dark you will have to work with.

RATE

10/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

96% lit — sets in the small hours

SPEED

33 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 87° above the S horizon.

The Moon is 96% lit and sets in the small hours, which will wash out everything but the brightest of them while it is there. The rate above is what a moonless sky would give; expect a fraction of it.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 38° above the S horizon.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SEPARATION

1.4° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

129° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 20° above the S horizon.

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 1° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

FROM THE SUN

47° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Look low, into the twilight, and start before you think you need to — the planet is bright enough to find in a colouring sky and hard to find once the sky is properly dark, because by then it is setting. Binoculars help you catch it first; an unobstructed horizon in that direction matters more than any equipment.

RATE

110/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

14% lit — rises in the small hours

SPEED

41 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 61° above the S horizon.

The Moon is a 14% crescent and rises in the small hours — thin enough that it barely matters.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 24° above the S horizon.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 30° above the S horizon.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SEPARATION

1.4° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

160° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 24° above the S horizon.

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

SPEED

16.86 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

7.6 lunar distances — 2 918 357 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 18.0 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

172 m – 384 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

FROM THE SUN

18° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 1° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

Look low, into the twilight, and start before you think you need to — the planet is bright enough to find in a colouring sky and hard to find once the sky is properly dark, because by then it is setting. Binoculars help you catch it first; an unobstructed horizon in that direction matters more than any equipment.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

COVERED

86% — of the disc, at the point where the eclipse is greatest

GREATEST OVER

31.3°S, 48.5°W — where the Moon's shadow passes closest to the centre of the Earth

None of it reaches SVALBARD: the Moon's shadow crosses a different part of the Earth, and from here the Sun is not touched at all.

Never with an unaided eye, and never through binoculars or a telescope without a filter made for the job — a moment of it does permanent damage. Certified eclipse glasses for looking, or a pinhole in a card projecting onto a second card, which costs nothing and is safe for a crowd.

SEPARATION

0.3° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

17° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than -1° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

FROM THE SUN

180° — opposite the Sun, so up all night

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 27° above the S horizon.

It rises as the Sun sets and is highest in the middle of the night, which is when to look: the higher it is, the less air is in the way and the steadier the view. Any telescope will show the disc, and a night either side of this date is indistinguishable from the date itself.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 33° above the S horizon.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

FROM THE SUN

180° — opposite the Sun, so up all night

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 27° above the S horizon.

It rises as the Sun sets and is highest in the middle of the night, which is when to look: the higher it is, the less air is in the way and the steadier the view. Any telescope will show the disc, and a night either side of this date is indistinguishable from the date itself.

SEPARATION

1.1° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

169° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 27° above the S horizon.

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 21° above the S horizon.

Nothing needed at all: a lunar eclipse is safe to watch with your eyes, and binoculars mostly add colour. It is slow — over an hour from first shadow to deepest — so it rewards going out more than once rather than standing outside for the whole of it.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 21° above the S horizon.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

6.63 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

16.5 lunar distances — 6 350 271 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 16.6 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

192 m – 429 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SPEED

8.02 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

9.2 lunar distances — 3 527 630 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 16.2 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

111 m – 249 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SEPARATION

1.1° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

24° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 33° above the WSW horizon.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

FROM THE SUN

28° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Look low, into the twilight, and start before you think you need to — the planet is bright enough to find in a colouring sky and hard to find once the sky is properly dark, because by then it is setting. Binoculars help you catch it first; an unobstructed horizon in that direction matters more than any equipment.

SPEED

22.41 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

19.0 lunar distances — 7 308 194 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 15.2 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

665 m — measured

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 76° above the ENE horizon.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SEPARATION

0.9° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

139° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 28° above the SSW horizon.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

A moment rather than a sight: the Sun reaches a point in its own path, at the same instant for everybody on Earth.

Nothing to see on the night. What it marks is the shape of the months either side: which way the nights are going, and how much dark you will have to work with.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

0.9° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

112° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

RATE

18/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

97% lit — rises in the mid-evening

SPEED

49 km/s — entering the atmosphere

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

The Moon is 97% lit and rises in the mid-evening, which will wash out everything but the brightest of them while it is there. The rate above is what a moonless sky would give; expect a fraction of it.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

RATE

50/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

0% lit — out of the sky all night

SPEED

66 km/s — entering the atmosphere

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

The Moon is new that night and out of the way entirely — this is as good as this shower's peak gets.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SEPARATION

0.6° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

26° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

SEPARATION

1.2° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

86° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

FROM THE SUN

23° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

Look low, into the twilight, and start before you think you need to — the planet is bright enough to find in a colouring sky and hard to find once the sky is properly dark, because by then it is setting. Binoculars help you catch it first; an unobstructed horizon in that direction matters more than any equipment.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SPEED

23.82 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

12.0 lunar distances — 4 612 019 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 9.9 — a binocular object

SIZE

2.8 km – 6.3 km — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

Bright enough to find, and fast enough that the finding is the sport: it moves against the stars while you watch, so what you are looking for is the one point that will not stay put. Have a chart of the field ready before it arrives.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A moment rather than a sight: the Sun reaches a point in its own path, at the same instant for everybody on Earth.

Nothing to see on the night. What it marks is the shape of the months either side: which way the nights are going, and how much dark you will have to work with.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

17.79 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

19.6 lunar distances — 7 530 376 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 17.8 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

169 m – 379 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

FROM THE SUN

21° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

Look low, into the twilight, and start before you think you need to — the planet is bright enough to find in a colouring sky and hard to find once the sky is properly dark, because by then it is setting. Binoculars help you catch it first; an unobstructed horizon in that direction matters more than any equipment.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Nothing needed at all: a lunar eclipse is safe to watch with your eyes, and binoculars mostly add colour. It is slow — over an hour from first shadow to deepest — so it rewards going out more than once rather than standing outside for the whole of it.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

RATE

25/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

33% lit — rises around midnight

SPEED

41 km/s — entering the atmosphere

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

The Moon is 33% lit and rises around midnight. It will cost you the faint end of the shower while it is up, so the hours after it goes are worth more than the hours before.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

RATE

5/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

14% lit — rises in the small hours

SPEED

23 km/s — entering the atmosphere

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

The Moon is a 14% crescent and rises in the small hours — thin enough that it barely matters.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

COVERED

100% — of the disc, at the point where the eclipse is greatest

GREATEST OVER

25.5°N, 33.2°E — where the Moon's shadow passes closest to the centre of the Earth

None of it reaches SVALBARD: the Moon's shadow crosses a different part of the Earth, and from here the Sun is not touched at all.

Never with an unaided eye, and never through binoculars or a telescope without a filter made for the job — a moment of it does permanent damage. Certified eclipse glasses for looking, or a pinhole in a card projecting onto a second card, which costs nothing and is safe for a crowd.

SPEED

26.28 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

1.0 lunar distances — 389 781 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 7.8 — a binocular object

SIZE

653 m – 1.5 km — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

Bright enough to find, and fast enough that the finding is the sport: it moves against the stars while you watch, so what you are looking for is the one point that will not stay put. Have a chart of the field ready before it arrives.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

RATE

100/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

84% lit — sets in the small hours

SPEED

59 km/s — entering the atmosphere

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

The Moon is 84% lit and sets in the small hours, which will wash out everything but the brightest of them while it is there. The rate above is what a moonless sky would give; expect a fraction of it.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Nothing needed at all: a lunar eclipse is safe to watch with your eyes, and binoculars mostly add colour. It is slow — over an hour from first shadow to deepest — so it rewards going out more than once rather than standing outside for the whole of it.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SPEED

19.86 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

17.8 lunar distances — 6 833 077 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 17.4 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

126 m – 281 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

25.21 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

16.7 lunar distances — 6 419 848 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 16.5 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

285 m – 637 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A moment rather than a sight: the Sun reaches a point in its own path, at the same instant for everybody on Earth.

Nothing to see on the night. What it marks is the shape of the months either side: which way the nights are going, and how much dark you will have to work with.

The sky never gets properly dark at SVALBARD around this date — there is no night to put it in.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

FROM THE SUN

26° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Look low, into the twilight, and start before you think you need to — the planet is bright enough to find in a colouring sky and hard to find once the sky is properly dark, because by then it is setting. Binoculars help you catch it first; an unobstructed horizon in that direction matters more than any equipment.

FROM THE SUN

180° — opposite the Sun, so up all night

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 13° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

It rises as the Sun sets and is highest in the middle of the night, which is when to look: the higher it is, the less air is in the way and the steadier the view. Any telescope will show the disc, and a night either side of this date is indistinguishable from the date itself.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

RATE

5/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

64% lit — sets around midnight

SPEED

20 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 60° above the WSW horizon.

The Moon is 64% lit and sets around midnight. It will cost you the faint end of the shower while it is up, so the hours after it goes are worth more than the hours before.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

RATE

5/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

72% lit — sets in the small hours

SPEED

27 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 21° above the S horizon.

The Moon is 72% lit and sets in the small hours, which will wash out everything but the brightest of them while it is there. The rate above is what a moonless sky would give; expect a fraction of it.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 26° above the S horizon.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SPEED

10.56 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

19.9 lunar distances — 7 650 309 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 14.7 — needs a telescope

SIZE

267 m – 597 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 22° above the S horizon.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

FROM THE SUN

180° — opposite the Sun, so up all night

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 19° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

It rises as the Sun sets and is highest in the middle of the night, which is when to look: the higher it is, the less air is in the way and the steadier the view. Any telescope will show the disc, and a night either side of this date is indistinguishable from the date itself.

RATE

20/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

62% lit — rises around midnight

SPEED

66 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 28° above the S horizon.

The Moon is 62% lit and rises around midnight. It will cost you the faint end of the shower while it is up, so the hours after it goes are worth more than the hours before.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 30° above the SSE horizon.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

10.88 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

18.9 lunar distances — 7 272 829 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 17.2 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

398 m — measured

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SPEED

18.03 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

18.7 lunar distances — 7 180 573 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 23.0 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

495 m — measured

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 18° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SPEED

7.82 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

8.1 lunar distances — 3 110 557 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 15.6 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

143 m – 321 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 90° above the S horizon.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

FROM THE SUN

19° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 5° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

Look low, into the twilight, and start before you think you need to — the planet is bright enough to find in a colouring sky and hard to find once the sky is properly dark, because by then it is setting. Binoculars help you catch it first; an unobstructed horizon in that direction matters more than any equipment.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

RATE

5/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

97% lit — up for the whole night

SPEED

29 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 34° above the S horizon.

The Moon is 97% lit and up for the whole night, which will wash out everything but the brightest of them while it is there. The rate above is what a moonless sky would give; expect a fraction of it.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

SPEED

20.9 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

2.8 lunar distances — 1 066 323 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 14.2 — needs a telescope

SIZE

118 m – 264 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 74° above the E horizon.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 33° above the S horizon.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

RATE

15/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

83% lit — rises in the mid-evening

SPEED

71 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 34° above the S horizon.

The Moon is 83% lit and rises in the mid-evening, which will wash out everything but the brightest of them while it is there. The rate above is what a moonless sky would give; expect a fraction of it.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 20° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

0.3° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

27° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SPEED

11.79 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

13.2 lunar distances — 5 084 446 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 18.5 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

111 m – 248 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

FROM THE SUN

180° — opposite the Sun, so up all night

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 33° above the S horizon.

It rises as the Sun sets and is highest in the middle of the night, which is when to look: the higher it is, the less air is in the way and the steadier the view. Any telescope will show the disc, and a night either side of this date is indistinguishable from the date itself.

SEPARATION

0.9° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

28° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 5° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 37° above the S horizon.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

RATE

150/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

99% lit — up for the whole night

SPEED

35 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 45° above the S horizon.

The Moon is 99% lit and up for the whole night, which will wash out everything but the brightest of them while it is there. The rate above is what a moonless sky would give; expect a fraction of it.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

SPEED

8.89 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

19.8 lunar distances — 7 620 326 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 16.6 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

134 m – 301 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 3° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 9° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

A moment rather than a sight: the Sun reaches a point in its own path, at the same instant for everybody on Earth.

Nothing to see on the night. What it marks is the shape of the months either side: which way the nights are going, and how much dark you will have to work with.

RATE

10/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

25% lit — rises in the small hours

SPEED

33 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 87° above the S horizon.

The Moon is a 25% crescent and rises in the small hours — thin enough that it barely matters.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SEPARATION

0.5° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

18° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

RATE

110/hour — under a sky showing sixth-magnitude stars, with the radiant overhead — a normalisation, not a forecast

MOON

40% lit — sets in the early evening

SPEED

41 km/s — entering the atmosphere

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 61° above the S horizon.

The Moon is 40% lit and sets in the early evening. It will cost you the faint end of the shower while it is up, so the hours after it goes are worth more than the hours before.

No equipment, and equipment actively hurts: binoculars cut your view down to a few degrees, and the meteors are everywhere. Lie back, look about two-thirds of the way up the sky rather than at the radiant, give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, and stay out for an hour — rates come in gusts and a ten-minute look proves nothing.

From SVALBARD it never climbs higher than 19° above the horizon, which is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

0.7° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

16° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 34° above the S horizon.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

COVERED

3% — of the disc, at the point where the eclipse is greatest

DEEPEST PHASE

58 min

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 34° above the S horizon.

Nothing needed at all: a lunar eclipse is safe to watch with your eyes, and binoculars mostly add colour. It is slow — over an hour from first shadow to deepest — so it rewards going out more than once rather than standing outside for the whole of it.

FROM THE SUN

19° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Look low, into the twilight, and start before you think you need to — the planet is bright enough to find in a colouring sky and hard to find once the sky is properly dark, because by then it is setting. Binoculars help you catch it first; an unobstructed horizon in that direction matters more than any equipment.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

COVERED

85% — of the disc, at the point where the eclipse is greatest

GREATEST OVER

3.0°N, 51.5°W — where the Moon's shadow passes closest to the centre of the Earth

None of it reaches SVALBARD: the Moon's shadow crosses a different part of the Earth, and from here the Sun is not touched at all.

Never with an unaided eye, and never through binoculars or a telescope without a filter made for the job — a moment of it does permanent damage. Certified eclipse glasses for looking, or a pinhole in a card projecting onto a second card, which costs nothing and is safe for a crowd.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 32° above the S horizon.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

FROM SVALBARD — worth being outside between --:-- and --:--, when it is both dark and more than 20° up. It is highest at --:--, 21° above the S horizon.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

0.2° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

26° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

It never comes above the horizon from SVALBARD around this date — at this latitude it stays below it all day.

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

Nothing to point at: the Moon is beside the Sun in the sky and lost in its glare from everywhere on Earth. What the date marks is the dark fortnight around it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.