If you promised your Valentine the Moon, stars and more, it’s time you keep that promise. I’ll throw in a bunch of meteor showers, fascinating eclipses and 2014’s best sky events, just as an add on. Celebrate love or whatever your reason for Valentine’s is for the whole year, taking your guy/girl on a world tour that promises this year’s best night sky events.
Photo Courtesy – George M. Groutas
Photo Courtesy – Wikimedia Commons
Photo Courtesy – kotke.org
Say a quick prayer to ward off the possibility of a huge moon or cloudy skies, for there’s no spectacle that equals the brilliance of the Perseids Meteor Shower. Peaking from August 09 to August 13, it can have a maximum of 60 to 100 meteors lighting up the sky per hour! Head out with your Valentine for a faraway clear sky. Other than the Northern Hemisphere, most of the North America including New York, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia will get you unforgettable views.
Linear Meteor Storm – May 23 – May 24
Photo Courtesy – Wikimedia Commons
This one might just get you and your Valentine some 100-400 meteors per hour! Astronomers are hailing it as one of the most intense meteor showers in more than a decade! Southern Canada and the US are your best bet to put up a good show for your Valentine. Very skies will turn your stage for this one.
The Double Planet Treat – August 18
Photo Courtesy – ikewinski
Stop fighting over that “men are from Mars and women from Venus” talk, for it’s Jupiter that is giving company to Venus! The two planets will be astoundingly close to each other and visible to naked eye as well. Get yourself and your Valentine a seat facing east, and watch closely just before sun rise to see the two planets falling in love. Most of the Southern Hemisphere makes for a great viewing space.
Neptune will be all yours – August 29
Photo Courtesy – Wikimedia Commons
Though you would definitely need a telescope to watch this one, you still can’t miss it. Coming closest to the Earth, this blue planet will give you some good time of poring together through that telescope. This one will be largely visible from all across the US.
Partial Solar Eclipse – October 23
Photo Courtesy – 666isMONEY ☮ ♥ & ☠
Take you Valentine to North or Central America to witness an amazing partial solar eclipse. Visible to naked eye, with the precautions of course, this eclipse will turn the day dark, only for you to become the knight in shining armor as you take your lady love across continents. Chasing stars as they call it.
Geminids Meteor Shower – December 13
Photo Courtesy – European Southern Observatory
Labelled as the most eagerly awaited meteor shower, Geminids will have the two of you skipping to the darkest of night skies. Expected to shower longer burning comets and even fireballs, Geminids can be viewed from almost all over the world. For a more fascinating watch, head towards Arizona, California and Mexico.
While I’ll leave you on that starry note, do write back to let me know if there’s more to the list and how’s your starry Valentine progressing. Till then, happy travelling.
About the Author
Shikha Gautam loves to play with steering wheels, roads, words, flute and guitar among other things. Not necessarily in that order! You can contact her on twitter @ShikhaGautam
