This year, two solar and two lunar eclipses will be observed in different places around the world. One partial solar eclipse and one total lunar eclipse will be clearly visible in Latvia.
On March 14, Latvia will be able to observe the first half phase of a full lunar eclipse shortly before moonset. But it will be hard to see because the Moon will be very close to the horizon. On March 29, a solar eclipse will be observed in Riga from 12:52 p.m. to 2:18 p.m. At the peak of the eclipse at 1:36 p.m. in Riga, a little more than a fifth of the Sun’s disk will be covered. On the other hand, a full lunar eclipse will be observed on September 7. In Riga, the full phase of this eclipse will begin at 8:30 p.m., but the peak of the eclipse will be at 9:12 p.m. The full phase of the eclipse will end at 21:53, and the partial phase – at 22:57.
This year, all the brightest planets of the solar system – Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – will be clearly visible. In January, the so-called planet parade will be visible in the evening sky, when Uranus and Neptune can be observed with binoculars or a small telescope along with all four of the brightest planets.
Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, can be observed in the evenings around March 8, but the best morning visibility will be around December 7. Venus, the brightest planet in the solar system, will be visible in the evenings from January to mid-March, and from June to October – in the mornings shortly before sunrise, low on the horizon. Mars will be very well visible high in the sky all night until spring, and in the evenings from April to mid-June. From January to April, Jupiter will be visible high in the sky in the evenings, from August to October – in the mornings and in the second half of the night, and from November to the end of the year – all night. On the morning of August 12, the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus will be observed, when the two brightest planets will be 0.9 degrees apart.
On the other hand, Saturn’s rings will be facing the plane of the Earth’s orbit from March to November, so in powerful binoculars or a small telescope they will be visible only as a narrow line on both sides of Saturn’s disk, LAB admits. Saturn will be visible in the evenings from January to mid-February, in the second half of the night in July and August, all night in September and October, and in the evenings from November to the end of the year.
The peaks of the most active meteor streams Quadrantids, Perseids and Geminids are expected on January 3, August 12 and December 14, respectively. The LAB admits that the northern lights could be observed in Latvia this year, because strong flares are expected on the Sun as the peak of solar activity continues.
LAB brings together astronomy professionals and enthusiasts to popularize astronomy. Members of the association participate in the creation of the magazine “Starry Sky”, conduct sky observations in the Astronomical Tower of the University of Latvia and organize regular informative meetings.