October Full Moon
October 17, 2024 @ All Day – Full moons have many names derived from various cultures reflecting what was happening in the natural world. October’s full moon is the Hunter’s Moon. Other autumnal names include Falling Leaves Moon, Drying Rice Moon, and Freezing Moon.
Orionids Meteor Shower
October 20, 2024 – October 21, 2024 @ 11:45 pm – 5:00 am – Like the Eta Aquarids, the Orionid meteor shower is a by-product of Halley’s Comet. The Orionids are active from October 2 -November 10, with peak expected October 21-22, with clear-sky rates of about 20 meteors per hour. Watch for Orionid meteors on both the mornings of October 20 and 21, starting after midnight through the […]
Best Stargazing November
November 1, 2024 @ 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm – New moon nights – night when the moon is absent from the sky – make for great stargazing. Here’s a great way to start – look due north after the sun has set and find the Big Dipper constellation [see photo] with its telltale 3-star handle and 4-star dipper. In the autumn, the dipper is […]
Taurids Meteor Shower
November 12, 2024 – November 13, 2024 @ 9:00 pm – 5:00 am – The Taurid meteor shower is an annual meteor shower that occurs every November and is composed of two streams, the Southern Taurids and the Northern Taurids. The Taurids put on a rather modest show. At peak viewing times during the Taurid meteor shower, you may be able to see about a half-dozen shooting stars per hour. […]
November Full Moon
November 15, 2024 @ All Day – Full moons have many names derived from various cultures reflecting what was happening in the natural world. While the Frost Moon and Freezing Moon are self-explanatory, November’s full moon is most known as the Beaver Moon. Beavers are quite active preparing for winter. Also known as the Mourning Moon, due to the increase in darkness.
Leonids Meteor Shower
November 17, 2024 – November 18, 2024 @ 9:00 pm – 4:00 am – The Leonid meteor shower offers clear-sky meteor rates of about 10 to 15 shooting stars per hour. They are active between Nov. 3 and Dec. 2 and will peak on Nov. 17-18. The Leonids are bright meteors and have a high percentage of persistent trains according to AMS. The Leonids’ radiant is located in the sickle-shaped head […]
Best Stargazing November – 2nd new moon of the month
November 30, 2024 @ 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm – New moon nights – night when the moon is absent from the sky – make for great stargazing. Here’s a great way to start – look due north after the sun has set and find the Big Dipper constellation [see photo] with its telltale 3-star handle and 4-star dipper. In the autumn, the dipper is […]
Geminids Meteor Shower
December 13, 2024 – December 14, 2024 @ 10:00 pm – 3:00 am – The Geminid meteor shower occurs between November 19 to December 24 and this year will peak on the nights of December 13 and 14. The shower can produce 130 to 140 meteors per hour on a clear sky. However, an almost full moon will interefere with stargazing. The debris that falls onto Earth’s atmosphere during this meteor shower […]
December Full Moon
December 15, 2024 @ All Day – Full moons have many names derived from various cultures reflecting what was happening in the natural world. December’s full moon is known as the Cold Moon or Long Nights Moon. In addition to the shortest daylight day of the year, the Long Nights Moon pertains to the amount of time the moon is above the […]
Ursids Meteor Shower
December 21, 2024 – December 22, 2024 @ 10:00 pm – 3:00 am – The Ursid meteor shower is active between Dec. 17-26 and this year will peak on Dec. 21-22. The moon will be slight over half full. The Ursids are associated with Comet 8P/Tuttle, a periodic comet that follows a 13.5-year elliptical orbit around the sun.
Best Stargazing December
December 30, 2024 @ 7:00 pm – New moon nights – night when the moon is absent from the sky – make for great stargazing. Here’s a great way to start – look due north after the sun has set and find the Big Dipper constellation [see photo] with its telltale 3-star handle and 4-star dipper. In the winter, the dipper is […]
New Year’s Eve Northern Lights
December 31, 2024 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Northern Lights will be dancing across the sky all day New Year’s Eve, so get out at dusk to catch the tail end of the storm. This forecast is for the northern half of Minnesota. Learn more about northern lights and stargazing
Northern Lights forecast early January 2025
January 4, 2025 @ All Day – The long range forecast shows a moderate chance of northern lights January 4, 9, and 15. Since northern lights are solar storms, the likelihood changes as the date approaches. We will be back and update forecasts as we get closer to the date. This forecast is for everywhere north of Duluth across the entire state […]
January Full Moon
January 13, 2025 @ All Day – The January full moon is most often known as the Wolf Moon because it is the month hungry wolves howl in the night. It is also known as the Stay Home, or Quiet, Moon as cold temps set in and we want to snuggle in and stay home.
February Full Moon
February 12, 2025 @ All Day – The February full moon is known as the Snow Moon as it a month of big snowfalls. Some areas and cultures call it the Hungry Moon as it is a time of scarce food while others call it the Bear Moon as bear cubs are born(they don’t leave the den until early April).
