Total Solar Eclipse Over Europe: 2026 Spectacle
- Here's a breakdown of the astronomical events mentioned in the text, organized for clarity:
- * November 17th: A meteor shower with an expected rate of 10-15 meteors per hour.
- Sun & Seasons - Key Dates (2026 Astronomical Year - starting Dec 31, 2025):
Here’s a breakdown of the astronomical events mentioned in the text, organized for clarity:
Meteor Showers:
* November 17th: A meteor shower with an expected rate of 10-15 meteors per hour. These meteors are very fast,traveling at 70 kilometers per second.
* December 7th – 17th (Peak: December 13th-14th): The Geminids meteor shower. Expect up to 120 meteors per hour at its peak. The radiant (point of origin) is in the Gemini constellation, near Kastor.
Sun & Seasons – Key Dates (2026 Astronomical Year – starting Dec 31, 2025):
* December 31, 2025, 8:57 AM CET: Astronomical New Year begins – the sun reaches 280 degrees east of the vernal equinox.
* January 3rd: Perihelion (Earth closest to the Sun) - 147,100,184 kilometers distance, speed of 30 km/s.Sunlight takes 8 minutes 10 seconds to reach Earth.
* March 20th, 3:46 PM CET: Astronomical Spring begins – the sun crosses the celestial equator (south to north). Days become longer than nights.
* June 21st, 10:25 AM CEST: Summer Solstice – the sun reaches its highest point. The summer point is in Taurus (bordering Gemini), also known as the Tropic of Cancer.
* July 6th: Aphelion (Earth furthest from the Sun) - 152,087,827 kilometers distance. Sunlight takes 8 minutes 27 seconds to reach Earth.
* September 23rd, 2:05 AM CEST: Autumnal Equinox – the sun crosses the celestial equator (north to south). Nights become longer than days.The autumn point is in Virgo, marking the beginning of Libra.
* December 21st, 9:50 PM CET: Astronomical Winter begins – the sun reaches its lowest point. The winter point is in Sagittarius, also known as the Tropic of Capricorn.