• Ursids Meteor Shower

    The Ursids peak just before Christmas with rates of 5-10 meteors per hour during the late morning hours.

  • Winter Solstice

    The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun.

  • Earth at Perihelion

    Earth will be at the closest point in its orbit around the Sun on this date - 91,403,034 miles.

  • Quadrantids Meteor Shower

    The Quadrantids have the potential to be the strongest shower of the year but usually fall short due to the short length of maximum activity (6 hours) and the poor weather experienced during early January. The average hourly rate is 25 meteors per hour.

  • Full Moon

    Full Moon

    The Full Moon rises at sunset, and is visible all night. The Vatican Observatory's monthly Full Moon Meetup for Sacred Space Astronomy subscribers is held at 10:00 AM Tucson time.

  • Anniversary of the 2013 Chelyabinsk Asteroid Impact Event

    On February 15 2013 an asteroid exploded in the sky over the city of Chelyabinsk, in the the southern Ural region of Russia. The shock wave blew out windows all over the city, injuring over 1600 people, and damaged several buildings.

  • Vernal Equinox

    The March equinox marks the beginning of astronomical spring and the end of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

  • Eta-Aquariid Meteor Shower

    The Eta Aquariids are a strong shower when viewed from the southern tropics. From the equator northward, they usually only produce medium rates of 10-30 per hour just before dawn. […]