Solar eclipses, fire rings, comets and meteor showers: what we can see in 2024
The new year will bring spectacular phenomena, many of them perfectly visible from the northern hemisphere.
The year 2024 promises to be one of the most spectacular in terms of celestial phenomena. Moreover, most of them will be perfectly visible from the northern hemisphere, and we will be able to see them with the naked eye.
Experts point out several dates not to be missed during the next 12 months. One of them is 8 April, when there will be a total solar eclipse, which will be perfectly visible from the western northern hemisphere, with Mexico being the point where it will have the longest duration.
This phenomenon occurs when the moon comes between the sun and the earth, temporarily darkening the sky. In order to contemplate this phenomenon it is recommended to use solar filters to avoid eye damage.
The next date to watch out for is April, when we will be able to see the passage of the huge comet 12P/Pons-Brooks en route to the interior of the solar system. It will be visible after sunset. On 12 April it will pass close to Jupiter, and on 21 April it will reach its maximum brightness coinciding with its closest proximity to the sun.
In August the traditional star shower known as the Perseids will arrive, which this year will be more visible than on other occasions as it coincides with the absence of the moon in the sky.
And on 2 October we will be able to enjoy an annular solar eclipse, also known as the “ring of fire”. The Moon will once again come between the Sun and the Earth, although it will not cover it completely and a ring of sunlight will be visible around it.