Earth at Perihelion
Earth will be at the closest point in its orbit around the Sun on this date - 91,403,034 miles.
Earth will be at the closest point in its orbit around the Sun on this date - 91,403,034 miles.
The Moon is at Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) – rising around midnight, and visible to the south after sunrise.
The star Spica will appear 2.0°S of Moon on this date.
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.
The Moon is at First quarter on this date -it will be visible high in the southern sky in early evening.
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.
The March equinox marks the beginning of astronomical spring and the end of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
The "Great American Eclipse" occurs on this date - don't miss it!
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. […]
On this day, Mars it closest to the Sun in its orbit.
Vatican Observatory 2025 astrophoto calendars now available for purchase in our e-store!