A handout image shot with the Cassini spacecraft's camera of Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons, across the unilluminated side of Saturn's rings, taken on Oct. 27, 2007. After 13 years of researching and imaging the ringed planet and its many moons, NASA will end the mission in September 2017. The spacecraft will fly into the atmosphere of Saturn and burn up. (NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute via The New York Times)
It was a school night, and the sky was clear. My father and I hopped into his car and raced to a city park where the light was low and the view was expansive. Suddenly it sailed across the evening’s darkened canopy: the blobby white shape of the space shuttle, orbiting low enough to be seen from the ground.
Gone in an instant, but enough to inspire wonder for a lifetime about the remarkable things happening in our solar system all the time. Some of these events, like that space shuttle’s passage, are humanity’s carefully planned deeds. Many others like supermoons and meteor showers result from the orderliness that governs the universe.
All of it should be easier to keep up with. So, here are some of the significant space and astronomy events through the end of this year. An interactive calendar of these astronomical events can be found at www.nytimes.com/spacecalendar. If you use digital calendars produced by Google and Apple, you will find that with a few clicks or taps, you can easily get in sync with these celestial goings-on.
And in the months ahead, when you see what’s shaping up each day, week or month of your busy lives on Earth, you’ll also find short reminders that the world keeps turning.
December 13
The Geminids meteor shower
Starting in the evening of December 13 through the next day’s dawn, you might be able to catch a glimpse of the Geminids meteor shower.
December 22
Glimpses of the Ursids meteor
Starting in the evening of December 22 through the next day’s dawn, you might be able to catch a glimpse of the Ursids meteor shower.
September 5
40 years in space
On September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 began its mission through the solar system, the second of the two twin spacecraft to launch. Voyager 1 gave us amazing views of Jupiter and Saturn before becoming the first artefact from Earth to enter interstellar space in 2012. Voyager 2, its fellow traveller, was launched on August 20, 1977.
September 15
Cassini crashes into Saturn
The Cassini mission was launched in 1997 and reached Saturn in 2004. After 13 years of researching and imaging the ringed planet and its many moons, NASA will end the mission: the spacecraft will fly into the atmosphere of Saturn and burn up.
September 18
Moon gets in the way
An occultation occurs when one body in space lines up to obscure others. On this night, these objects will be blocked by the moon: Mercury, Venus and Mars, as well as Regulus, one of the brightest stars in the sky.
September 22
The autumnal equinox
The autumnal equinox is one of two moments during the year during which the sun aligns directly over the equator. Many mark it as the first day of the fall. It will occur on this date in the Northern Hemisphere, and on March 20 in the Southern Hemisphere.
October 22
The Orionids
The Orionids spectacle results from cosmic material spewed by Halley’s comet. Since it orbits past Earth just once every 76 years, these showers will be your only chance to view signs of the comet until the real deal passes by in 2061.
November 1
On the lookout
In November or just afterwards, two major missions to space may be announced. Moon Express, a private company, may attempt to put a lander on the moon before the end of the year in order to claim the $20 million Google Lunar X Prize. And SpaceX may demonstrate the Falcon Heavy rocket, an important step towards the company’s goal of sending people to space.
November 14
NASA launches ICON satellite
The Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite will help NASA study the ionosphere, the intersection of Earth’s atmosphere with space. Radio
It was a school night, and the sky was clear. My father and I hopped into his car and raced to a city park where the light was low and the view was expansive. Suddenly it sailed across the evening’s darkened canopy: the blobby white shape of the space shuttle, orbiting low enough to be seen from the ground.
Gone in an instant, but enough to inspire wonder for a lifetime about the remarkable things happening in our solar system all the time. Some of these events, like that space shuttle’s passage, are humanity’s carefully planned deeds. Many others like supermoons and meteor showers result from the orderliness that governs the universe.
All of it should be easier to keep up with. So, here are some of the significant space and astronomy events through the end of this year. An interactive calendar of these astronomical events can be found at www.nytimes.com/spacecalendar. If you use digital calendars produced by Google and Apple, you will find that with a few clicks or taps, you can easily get in sync with these celestial goings-on.
And in the months ahead, when you see what’s shaping up each day, week or month of your busy lives on Earth, you’ll also find short reminders that the world keeps turning.
December 13
The Geminids meteor shower
Starting in the evening of December 13 through the next day’s dawn, you might be able to catch a glimpse of the Geminids meteor shower.
December 22
Glimpses of the Ursids meteor
Starting in the evening of December 22 through the next day’s dawn, you might be able to catch a glimpse of the Ursids meteor shower.
September 5
40 years in space
On September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 began its mission through the solar system, the second of the two twin spacecraft to launch. Voyager 1 gave us amazing views of Jupiter and Saturn before becoming the first artefact from Earth to enter interstellar space in 2012. Voyager 2, its fellow traveller, was launched on August 20, 1977.
September 15
Cassini crashes into Saturn
The Cassini mission was launched in 1997 and reached Saturn in 2004. After 13 years of researching and imaging the ringed planet and its many moons, NASA will end the mission: the spacecraft will fly into the atmosphere of Saturn and burn up.
September 18
Moon gets in the way
An occultation occurs when one body in space lines up to obscure others. On this night, these objects will be blocked by the moon: Mercury, Venus and Mars, as well as Regulus, one of the brightest stars in the sky.
September 22
The autumnal equinox
The autumnal equinox is one of two moments during the year during which the sun aligns directly over the equator. Many mark it as the first day of the fall. It will occur on this date in the Northern Hemisphere, and on March 20 in the Southern Hemisphere.
October 22
The Orionids
The Orionids spectacle results from cosmic material spewed by Halley’s comet. Since it orbits past Earth just once every 76 years, these showers will be your only chance to view signs of the comet until the real deal passes by in 2061.
November 1
On the lookout
In November or just afterwards, two major missions to space may be announced. Moon Express, a private company, may attempt to put a lander on the moon before the end of the year in order to claim the $20 million Google Lunar X Prize. And SpaceX may demonstrate the Falcon Heavy rocket, an important step towards the company’s goal of sending people to space.
November 14
NASA launches ICON satellite
The Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite will help NASA study the ionosphere, the intersection of Earth’s atmosphere with space. Radio
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