Astronomy Calendar 2024

2024 is a good year for stargazing here on Hawaiʻi with 2(!) partial solar eclipses (here and here) and 2 out of the 3 big annual meteor showers happening during favorable viewing conditions. the January Quadrantids and the December 14 Geminids meteor shower.

These are the most important 2024 stargazing dates for Hawaiʻi:

If you are in the mood of planning ahead you should reserve the following dates in your calendar for stargazing:

This stargazing calendar will help you plan your nights to make the best of the biggest celestial events of 2024. To make the most of your time we recommend that you go to one of our favorite stargazing spots and read our Meteor shower guide, which is filled to the brim with viewing tips and background information about shooting stars.

Also, don’t forget to have a look at our guide: stargazing on the Big Island. The MaunaKea volcano hosts some of the best telescopes of the world, and a visit to these telescopes is a must if you are into stargazing!

Stargazing events for Hawaiʻi (2024)

Stargazing highlights for Hawaii in 2024 are the partial solar eclipses (here and here),  the January Quadrantids, and the December 14 Geminids meteor shower.

January 3rd: Quadrantids Meteor Shower #

Active: December 28–January 12; Maximum: January 3, 9:00 PM HST, ZHR = 80 (can vary ≈ 60 − 200).

The year starts with the Quadrantid peak for the northern hemisphere observers on January 3 close before midnight – when the favorable post-midnight period is illuminated by the last quarter Moon. The moon rises on January 4h just after midnight at 00:38 so the best time to observe shooting stars would be from 10pm to 11:30 pm on January 3rd. If you choose to observe after midnight, shielding your direct view to the Moon is essential.

Activity for the shower extends until about January 12th and even a few days after the actual peak, bright fireballs have been observed. As the moon wanes and rises about one hour later every night, it may be worth it to also check in on this meteor shower on the days after the peak when the activity can be followed without moonlight interference.

Quadrantids trivia

The Quadrantids meteor shower is named after an abandoned constellation named Quadrans Muralis. This constellation was invented in 1795 by the astronomer Joseph Jérôme de Lalande to honor the wall-mounted instrument which he used for measuring star positions (a “Quadrant” is an improved astrolabe, and is used to measure angles up to 90°; “muralis” is Latin for wall). The constellation never really “caught on” and its use was quickly abandoned. However, it now is the most well known out-of-date constellation because it gives its name to the Quadrantids meteor shower.

The Quadrantids are special among meteor showers because this shower has a very ‘sharp’ peak intensity. The shower is most active for only a short amount of time (the meteor rates exceed one-half of their highest value for only about 8 hours). This means that the space debris that causes this shower has been left ‘on location’ pretty recently, within the last ±500 years.

March 24:  Penumbral lunar eclipse #

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when Earth’s outer shadow falls on the Moon’s face. It is easy to miss because most of the Moon is illuminated by sunlight and the moon doesn’t turn blood-red like it does during a full eclipse. We list it here out of completeness, but please don’t make any special effort to go out and see it because you most likely will be less than impressed.

Read more about this eclipse on the Time and Date website, or see the 3-minutes explainer video below to learn more about penumbral lunar eclipses.

April 08: Partial Solar eclipse #

This partial solar eclipse is one of two this year! During the second one (on October 2nd) the eclipsing of the sun is a bit more complete.

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada! A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk (more on the NASA website).

Unfortunately, this solar eclipse is only visible as a partial solar eclipse from Hawaii. This means that the eclipse will be visible from here as a “bite out of the sun”, rather than a total eclipse of the sun. The eclipse starts at 06:33 am and reaches the moment of greatest eclipse at 07:12 am. Read more about this eclipse on the Time and Date website.

From Hawaiʻi, the deepest point of the eclipse, with the Sun at its most hidden, happens on April 8 2024 at 07:12:59. Image from the Time and Date website.

Solar eclipses are pretty rare, so even a partial solar eclipse is quite the event. For example, the last total solar eclipse visible from the Hawaiian islands happened in 1991, and the next one will only happen in the 22nd century! Here is a selection of solar eclipse events visible from the Hawaiian islands in the coming 100 years:

• 2046: An annular solar eclipse best viewed from Maui on February 5th, 2046 (map).
• 2106: a TOTAL solar eclipse, best viewed from the southern half of the Big Island on May 3rd, 2106.

Background: what exactly is a solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes precisely in between the Sun and the Earth. When this happens, the Moon casts a shadow on the Earth, and if you happen to be this shadow, you will see the sun being eclipsed. This is the same principle as when you for example hold your hand between your eyes and a bright light source to block out the light. If you’d like to read more comprehensively about solar eclipses, we recommend this guide.

Solar eclipse viewing safety information (important!)

Looking directly at the sun (even if it is partially eclipsed) is dangerous, and can permanently damage your eyes. For safe viewing “at home” you should wear eclipse glasses or consider indirect viewing methods such as building your own pinhole projector.

April 21: Lyrids Meteor Shower#

Active: April 14–30; Maximum: April 21, 3 PM HST; ZHR = 50 (can be variable, between 40 and 85).

2024 is a poor year to observe the Lyrids as they reach their maximum – expected on April 21, 7 am – only three days before Full Moon. Furthermore, the already bright moon sets only at 04:39 on April 21st.

Fun Facts about the Lyrids meteor shower

The shooting stars of the Lyrids are small parts of space-debris left behind by the comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1). They are (arguably) the first documented meteor shower with reports going back possibly up to 2600 years (687 BC, two years after King Sennacherib of Assyria sacked Babylon).

most years you can see between 10 and 20 shooting stars/hour at peak intensity, but there have been years where a true meteor shower took place, and peak rates of 90/hour were reported. The last time this happened was in 1982, but there is also a very interesting report from a newspaper in Richmond, Virginia on April 23rd, 1803. This newspaper described the shower as follows:

…Shooting stars. This electrical phenomenon was observed on Wednesday morning last at Richmond and its vicinity, in a manner that alarmed many, and astonished every person that beheld it.

From one until three in the morning, those starry meteors seemed to fall from every point in the heavens, in such numbers as to resemble a shower of sky rockets…

These outburst are quite rare, but the point we want to make is that you never know what to expect with the Lyrids.

May 5: eta-Aquariids Meteor Shower#

Active: April 19–May 28; Maximum: May 5, 9 AM HST; ZHR = 50 (can be variable, 40 to 85).

This year there is no moonlight interference around the maximum period (New Moon on May 8) making 2024 a good year to look for shooting stars belonging to this shower. While the moon is barely visible on the night of the peak, observers may want to time their stargazing to between midnight and an hour before moonrise (4 am) on the morning of May 5th.

Eta Aquariids Trivia

Did you know that the Eta Aquariids have a sister meteor shower? The Eta Aquariids meteor shower happens when earth passes through the space-debris left by Halley’s Comet. Because Halley’s comet and our planet orbit the sun in the same plane, there is another point in space where earth crosses the debris from this comet. When this happens, we see the meteor shower the Orionids (and not the Delta Aquariids as people often think).

Current position and orbit of Halley’s comet around our solar system. Every blue dot shows you where the comet is in that year. You can see the comet passes twice (in 1986 and 2061) close to earth, leaving enough space-debris to cause two meteor showers: the Eta Aquariids (early May) and the Orionids (late October). Image adapted from source.

Halley’s Comet is the most famous short period comet of our solar system, and returns every 75 or 76 years. The last time it flew by was in 1986, the next time will be in 2061. Right now Halley’s Comet is deep in the outer solar system (beyond Neptune!) but you will still be able to see little particles of it burn up into earths atmosphere twice a year during the Eta Aquariids and the Orionids meteor showers.

Each time it swings by the sun, solar heat vaporizes about 6(!) meters of ice and rock from the nucleus. The debris particles, about the size of sand grains, spread along the comet’s orbit, filling it with tiny meteoroids.

May 18-30: lāhainā noon#

Hawai’i is the only tropical state in the USA. This comes with certain perks such as tropical weather and the two times each year when  the sun is directly overhead and you don’t cast any shadow!

Lāhainā noon is a recent (1990) term, introduced to give a name to the time of day on which the sun is directly overhead. “Lā haina” means “cruel sun” in the Hawaiian language, but don’t worry, the sun isn’t that cruel here! Unless you are on the hot lava plains without enough water to drink that is.

On the Hawaiian islands the 2023 lāhainā noon will happen at the following times for these cities:

• Honolulu (O‘ahu): 12:28 PM (May 26)
• Kahului (Maui): 12:22 PM (May 23+24)
• Līhuʻe (Kauai): 12:35 PM (May 30)
  
• Hilo: 12:16 PM (May 17+18)
• Kona: 12:20 PM (May 17)

If you’d like to look up the lāhainā noon for any other place the easiest way to do so is to look up the time and date of solar noon on which the altitude of the sun is exactly 90 degrees. You can do this for example on the timeanddate website. Alternatively you can go to this website to see the point on out planet where lāhainā moon is happening right now.

June 20: Summer Solstice and Midsummer Night#

Happy Summer Solstice, today is the first day of astronomical summer! The 2024 summer solstice takes place in Hawaiʻi at June 20 at 10:50 am HST (calculated for Hilo).

The Hawaiian term for summer solstice is “Ka māuikiʻikiʻi o ke kauwela” [source].

Midsummer night is the shortest night of the year, and you could try to make your midsummer night a special one. What better excuse is there for a celebration? Many cultures have festivities linked to the summer solstice, so what about organizing your own midsummer night party or pau hana’s?

July 11-24: lāhainā noon (2/2) #

Lāhainā noon is the moment when the sun is standing directly above you. This means that the only shadow you cast is directly below you, and that tall vertical objects. such as for example phone poles and beer bottles, won’t cast a shadow at all!

You can read a more elaborate explanation about the lāhainā noon at the may listing of this event(1/2).

On the Hawaiian islands, the 2023 lāhainā noon will happen at the following times for these cities:

• Honolulu (O‘ahu): 12:37 PM (July 15)
• Kahului (Maui): 12:32 PM (July 17+18)
• Līhuʻe (Kauai): 12:43 (July 11)
  
• Hilo: 12:26 PM (July 23+24)
• Kona: 12:30 PM (July 24)

August 12: Perseids Meteor Shower#

Active: July 17–August 24; Maximum:  from August 12 1:00 AM to 4:00 AM; ZHR = 100.

The Perseids are one of the “Big 3” meteor showers and 2024 is a good year to watch them. The moon sets on August 11th just before midnight (23:19 pm), giving the early hours of August 12th an excellent moonless sky.

This makes the hours between 00:30 am and 5 am (an hour before sunrise) the best time to see shooting stars belonging to the perseids.

Perseids Trivia

The Perseids happen each year as earth passes by a trail of dust, gas and ice left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. This comet was first documented in 1862, and returns to the sun every 130 years (the next time it will be visible from the earth will be in 2122). The earliest recorded sighting of Perseids dates back to 36 AD, when mention was made of “more than 100 meteors” in Chinese annals (source).

The Perseids are also referred to as the “tears of St. Lawrence”, because the festival of this saint is very close (August 10th) to the peak of the Perseids. The story of Laurentius (Lawrence), a Christian deacon, is the following: Laurentius was martyred by the Romans in 258 AD on an iron outdoor stove. It was in the midst of this torture that Laurentius cried out: (source)

I am already roasted on one side and, if thou wouldst have me well cooked, it is time to turn me on the other.

In honor of this history, one very appropriate midnight-snack to take out is the typically Hawaiian “Huli-Huli” (= turn-turn in Hawaiian) Chicken.

In Polynesia, Perseus was not commonly recognized as a separate constellation; the only people that named it were the people of the Society Islands, who called it Faa-iti, meaning “Little Valley” (more).

September 17: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse #

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when Earth’s outer shadow falls on the Moon’s face. It is easy to miss because most of the Moon is illuminated by sunlight and the moon doesn’t turn blood-red like it does during a full eclipse. We list it here out of completeness, but please don’t make any special effort to go out and see it because you most likely will be less than impressed.

Read more about this eclipse on the Time and Date website, or see the 3-minutes explainer video below to learn more about penumbral lunar eclipses.

October 2: Partial Solar Eclipse #

This partial solar eclipse is visible from Hawaii and looks as a “bite out of the sun” at the moment of greatest eclipse. To see it you need special eclipse glasses.

The eclipse starts at 05:45 am and reaches the moment of greatest eclipse at 06:45 am HST. This means that the Sun is close to the horizon, so make sure you have free sight to the eastern horizon. Read more about this eclipse on the Time and Date website.

The peak of the October 2nd partial solar eclipse happens just after sunrise. Image from the Time and Date website.

Solar eclipses are pretty rare, so even a partial solar eclipse is quite the event. For example, the last total solar eclipse visible from the Hawaiian islands happened in 1991, and the next one will only happen in the 22nd century! Here is a selection of solar eclipse events visible from the Hawaiian islands in the coming 100 years:

• 2046: An annular solar eclipse best viewed from Maui on February 5th, 2046 (map).
• 2106: a TOTAL solar eclipse, best viewed from the southern half of the Big Island on May 3rd, 2106.

Background: what exactly is a solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes precisely in between the Sun and the Earth. When this happens, the Moon casts a shadow on the Earth, and if you happen to be this shadow, you will see the sun being eclipsed. This is the same principle as when you for example hold your hand between your eyes and a bright light source to block out the light. If you’d like to read more comprehensively about solar eclipses, we recommend this guide.

Solar eclipse viewing safety information (important!)

Looking directly at the sun (even if it is partially eclipsed) is dangerous, and can permanently damage your eyes. For safe viewing “at home” you should wear eclipse glasses or consider indirect viewing methods such as building your own pinhole projector.

October 21: Orionids Meteor Shower #

Active: October 2–November 7; Maximum: October 21; ZHR = 20.

Unfortunately, the Orionid maximum on October 21 is badly affected by moonlight. A bright moon rises already at 9:54 pm making 2024 a good year to skip this shower.

How to best see shooting stars from the Orionids meteor shower

Shooting stars from the Orionids meteor shower are easy to find: just find the Orion constellation, look in its general direction, and relax your gaze.

To find the Orion constellation you should look for the three bright stars in a line that make up the belt of Orion. These stars rise over the Eastern horizon just after sunset and will keep rising towards the east-south-east until they are almost overhead at dawn [how-to guide].

You can read more viewing tips in our meteor shower guide.

Orionids Trivia

The Orionids are the brighter sibling of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower (early May). Both showers are caused by debris left by Halley’s comet.

Current position and orbit of Halley’s comet around our solar system. Every blue dot shows you where the comet is in that year. You can see the comet passes twice (in 1986 and 2061) close to earth, leaving enough space-debris to cause two meteor showers: the Eta Aquariids (early May) and the Orionids (late October). Image adapted from source.

Halley’s Comet is the most famous short period comet of our solar system, and returns every 75 or 76 years. The last time it flew by was in 1986, the next time will be in 2061. Right now Halley’s Comet is deep in the outer solar system (beyond Neptune!) but you will still be able to see little particles of it burn up into earths atmosphere twice a year during the Eta Aquarids and the Orionids meteor showers.

Each time it swings by the sun, solar heat vaporizes about 6(!) meters of ice and rock from the comet. The debris particles, about the size of sand grains, spread along the comet’s orbit, filling it with tiny meteoroids.

December 13: Geminids Meteor Shower#

Active: December 4–17; Maximum: December 13, 01 PM HST; ZHR = 150.

2024 is a bad year to see the Geminids. Their broad maximum with an expected ZHR level of about 150 occurs just before Full Moon, strongly reducing the visible number of shower meteors. In Hawaiʻi, the full moon is basically up all night on the 14th, and on Dec 13 it sets only at 05:06 am.

2024 is a poor year to watch the Geminids meteor shower.

Skymap showing the Hilo night sky at December 14th at 01:30 am made using the free planetarium software Stellarium

December 20: Winter solstice#

This year the winter solstice will take place on December 20th  at 11:19 PM HST (calculated for Hilo).

The winter solstice represents the shortest day and thus the longest night on the Northern hemisphere. A solstice is an event that occurs twice each year as the Sun reaches its highest or lowest point relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. You can find a good explanation of exactly what a solstice is here.

The Hawaiian term for winter solstice is “Ka māuikiʻikiʻi o ka hoʻoilo” [source].

Resources used to compile the 2024 stargazing calendar

All dates were selected from the International Meteor Organization Shower Calendar for 2024 (PDF). Moon rise and moon set times were retrieved from the timeanddate lunar calendar.