The night sky has been a source of wonder and awe for as long as human beings have existed. It’s filled with beauty and mystery, and it truly is one of the very few frontiers we as a species have yet to truly discover (the other being, of course, the deepest depths of the dark oceans). It’s always exciting when something different is going on; each and every year, we have events and occurrences to look forward to, all of which seem to be just as amazing the fifteenth time we see them as they were the first time. If you’re a fan of night sky events in Indiana (and elsewhere), you’ll want to add these four fascinating celestial events to your planner.
We here in the Hoosier State are particularly lucky to live in a place with seemingly endless night skies.
Tom Gill/Flickr There are plenty of places to head to if you’d like your night skies with as little light pollution as possible.
The town of Beverly Shores is one such place.
Jim Maurer/Flickr Another dark sky zone not terribly far from Beverly Shores is the majority of Indiana Dunes National Park (Kemil Beach is the darkest area there). Other dark-sky spots include Shades State Park and the Potawatomi Wildlife Park.
Now that you know where to go, here are some of the awesome celestial events you can witness this year:
- April 1: New Moon
Tom Gill/Flickr What’s so special about a new moon night? Well, it’s as dark as the night sky gets, with no light interference from our favorite satellite. Make sure to go out and look for the Milky Way, which is most visible from Indiana from February to October.
- May 16: Total Lunar Eclipse
Diana Robinson/Flickr Yay, an eclipse perfectly visible from the Midwest (weather permitting)! Should we be treated to a clear night sky on this night, the stunning, rusty red color of the full moon being eclipsed by the Earth’s shadow will be on full display. Go outside and look up around 11 p.m. and you won’t miss out. Best news of all: totality will last for more than 80 minutes this time around. What a treat!
- June, July, and August: Not one, not two, but THREE supermoons!
synspectrum/Flickr Yep! There will be three awe-inspiring supermoons this year, which is when the moon appears much larger than usual in the sky due to its being at a point closer to Earth than it normally is. Each of these moons has its own nickname originating from varied places; the supermoon on June 14 is called the Strawberry Moon, the one on July 13 is known as the Buck Moon, and the one on August 12 is most commonly called the Sturgeon Moon but can also be known as the Green Corn Moon or the Grain Moon, depending on who you ask.
- August 13: Watch the Perseids from Shades State Park
Wendy Miller/Flickr On Aug. 13 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., join astronomers and fellow night sky enthusiasts for a night you won’t soon forget. The Perseids is one of the most prolific meteor showers of the entire year, and what better place to view it than one of Indiana’s darkest places? Watch the shower, check out celestial bodies with telescopes, and spot constellations during this awesome night out. Get more information about this event on Indiana.gov. Shades State Park West Road, Shades State Park W Rd, Brown Township, IN 47933, USA
What do you think? What night sky events in Indiana do you look forward to each year? Tell us about it in the comments!
Tom Gill/Flickr
There are plenty of places to head to if you’d like your night skies with as little light pollution as possible.
Jim Maurer/Flickr
Another dark sky zone not terribly far from Beverly Shores is the majority of Indiana Dunes National Park (Kemil Beach is the darkest area there). Other dark-sky spots include Shades State Park and the Potawatomi Wildlife Park.
Now that you know where to go, here are some of the awesome celestial events you can witness this year:
What’s so special about a new moon night? Well, it’s as dark as the night sky gets, with no light interference from our favorite satellite. Make sure to go out and look for the Milky Way, which is most visible from Indiana from February to October.
Diana Robinson/Flickr
Yay, an eclipse perfectly visible from the Midwest (weather permitting)! Should we be treated to a clear night sky on this night, the stunning, rusty red color of the full moon being eclipsed by the Earth’s shadow will be on full display. Go outside and look up around 11 p.m. and you won’t miss out. Best news of all: totality will last for more than 80 minutes this time around. What a treat!
synspectrum/Flickr
Yep! There will be three awe-inspiring supermoons this year, which is when the moon appears much larger than usual in the sky due to its being at a point closer to Earth than it normally is. Each of these moons has its own nickname originating from varied places; the supermoon on June 14 is called the Strawberry Moon, the one on July 13 is known as the Buck Moon, and the one on August 12 is most commonly called the Sturgeon Moon but can also be known as the Green Corn Moon or the Grain Moon, depending on who you ask.
Wendy Miller/Flickr
On Aug. 13 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., join astronomers and fellow night sky enthusiasts for a night you won’t soon forget. The Perseids is one of the most prolific meteor showers of the entire year, and what better place to view it than one of Indiana’s darkest places? Watch the shower, check out celestial bodies with telescopes, and spot constellations during this awesome night out. Get more information about this event on Indiana.gov.
Shades State Park West Road, Shades State Park W Rd, Brown Township, IN 47933, USA
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