2018 CELESTIAL VIEWING GUIDE FULL MOON Just a regular full moon, here for reference. Evening Sky: June - October Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower SUPER MOON JUPITER Morning Sky: January-April July 12 - August 23 A full moon that occurs when the Both Skies: May Peak: July 28-29 after midnight moon makes it closest approach Opposition: to Earth. Supermoons are up to May 9 Up to 20 meteors per hour 14% larger and 30% brighter BEST NIGHT than a full moon. TO VIEW! LUNAR ECLIPSE Evening Sky: July-December Also called a "Blood Moon," this SATURN Morning Sky: January-May phenomenon occurs when the moon Both Skies: June enters the Earth's shadow, taking on a rusty red hue. Opposition: June 28 Perseids Meteor Shower July 17 - August 24 Peak: August 12-13 after midnight BLUE MOON Up to 60 meteors per hour Spoiler: it's not really blue. The term "Blue Moon" just refers to the second full moon in the same Evening Sky: August-December calendar month. MARS Morning Sky: January-June Both Skies: July BEST METEOR Opposition: July 27 SHOWER OF BLACK MOON THE YEAR! A month with no full moon is called a "Black Moon." It's a great time to view faint deep sky objects that are Evening Sky: March-October Geminids Meteor Shower overpowered by the bright light of a VENUS Morning Sky: November-December December 7 - 17 full moon. Greatest Eastern Elongation: Aug 17 Peak: December 13 Up to 120 meteors per hour DEEP SKY CHECKLIST MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN WINTER JAN FEB MAY JUNE JUNE JULY Beehive Cluster (M44) Milky Way Andromeda Galaxy (M31) Orion Nebula (M42) 31 01 09 21 27 27 Leo Triplet Galaxies Hercules Cluster (M13) Double Cluster Pleiades Cluster (M45) (M65, M66, & NGC 3628) Ring Nebula (M57) (NGC869, NGC884) Beehive Cluster (M44) 28 Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) Globular Cluster (M15) SUMMER Lagoon Nebula (M8) Auriga Open Clusters SOLSTICE Bode’s Galaxy (M81) Trifid Nebula (M20) (M36, M37, M38) Cigar Galaxy (M82) Lepus Globular Sagittarius Cluster (M22) JULY AUG AUG DEC DEC LONGEST Double Star, Mizar & Alcor Cluster (M79) Eagle Nebula (M16) NIGHT OF Sombrero Galaxy (M104) Hyades Cluster (M25) Omega Nebula (M17) 28 12 17 13 21 THE YEAR! Globular Cluster (M3) Dumbbell Nebula (M27) 29 13 14 WINTER Albireo Double Star SOLSTICE Wild Duck Cluster (M11) .