So I’m a big fan of astrophotography. Now, that does not mean that I’m good at it – just that I really like it. But like anything else you are bad at the best way to get better is to practice. So with that in mind I’ve put together a list of notable astrophotography events in 2023.
January
1/3/23 – 1/4/23: Quadrantids Meteor Shower at 4-6 AM (Best viewed from a Northeast direction)
1/6/23: Full Wolf Moon at 6:08 PM
February
2/5/23: Full Snow Moon at 1:29 PM
March
2/7/23: Full Worm Moon at 7:40 AM
April
4/6/23: Full Pink Moon at 12:34 AM
4/21/23 – 4/22/23: Lyrids Meteor Shower at 2-4 AM (Viewable directly overhead)
May
5/4/23 – 5/5/23: Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower at 2-4 AM (Best viewed from a Southeast direction)
5/5/23: Full Flower Moon at 1:34 PM
June
6/3/23: Full Strawberry Moon at 11:42 PM
July
7/3/23: Full Buck Moon at 7:39 AM
7/28/23 – 7/29/23: Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower at 1-3 AM (Best viewed from a Southern direction)
August
8/1/23: Full Sturgeon Moon at 2:32 PM
8/11/23 – 8/13/23: Perseids Meteor Shower at 2-4 AM (Best viewed directly overhead)
8/30/23: Full Blue Moon at 9:36 PM
September
9/29/23: Full Harvest Moon at 5:58 AM
October
10/21/23 – 10/22/23: Orionids Meteor Shower at 2-4 AM (Best viewed from a Southern direction)
10/28/23: Full Hunters Moon at 4:24 PM
November
11/2/23 – 11/4/23: South Taurids Meteor Shower at 1-3 AM (Best viewed from a Southern direction)
11/12/23 – 11/14/23: North Taurids Meteor Shower at 12-2 AM (Best viewed from a Southern direction)
11/16/23 – 11/17/23: Leonids Meteor Shower at 4-6 AM (Best viewed from a Southeast direction)
11/27/23: Full Beaver Moon at 4:16 AM
December
12/13/23 – 12/14/23: Geminids Meteor Shower at 1-3 AM (Best viewed directly overhead)
12/22/23 – 12/23/23: Ursids Meteor Shower viewable all night long from a Northern direction
12/26/23: Full Cold Moon at 7:33 PM
Planets
Mercury
Morning Visibility: 1/23/23 to 2/13/23, 5/22/23 to 6/12/23, 9/16/30 to 9/30/23 (Brightest time segment)
Evening Visibility: 4/2/23 to 4/18/23 (Brightest time segment), 7/27/23 to 8/17/23, 11/20/23 to 12/11/23
Venus
Morning Visibility: 8/22/23 to 12/31/23
Evening Visibility: 1/1/23 to 8/4/23
Brightest on the morning of 9/19/23 and in the evening of 7/7/23
Earth
Visible anytime – just look at the ground.
Mars
Morning Visibility: Not happening in 2023
Evening Visibility 1/1/23 to 9/30/23
Brightest the evening of 1/1/23
Jupiter
Morning Visibility: 5/3/23 to 11/2/23
Evening Visibility: 1/1/23 to 3/22/23 and 11/3/23 to 12/31/23
Brightest in the mornings from 10/11/23 to 11/2/23 and in the evening from 11/3/23 to 11/23/23
Saturn
Morning Visibility: 3/6/23 to 8/26/23
Evening Visibility: 1/1/23 to 1/30/23 and 8/27/23 to 12/31/23
Brightest in the mornings from 8/18/23 to 8/26/23 and in the evenings from 8/27/23 to 9/11/23
Uranus
Morning Visibility: 5/27/23 to 11/12/23
Evening Visibility: 1/1/23 to 4/23/23 and 11/13/23 to 12/31/23
Brightest in the mornings from 10/11/23 to 11/12/23 and in the evenings from 11/13/23 to 12/17/23
Neptune
Morning Visibility: 4/1/23 to 9/18/23
Evening Visibility: 1/1/23 to 2/28/23 and 9/19/23 to 12/31/23
Brightest in the mornings from 7/21/23 to 9/18/23 and in the evenings from 9/19/23 to 11/17/23
Pluto
Forever a planet in our hearts…