Celestial Events to see in 2016

No, not the Golden Globes, National Geographic: Stargazing has a lineup of real stuff worth going outside at night to see.

Total Solar Eclipse — March 8

Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower — May 6

NB In dark countryside in the Northern Hemisphere, they say you can expect around 30 meteors per hour, while those in the Southern Hemisphere may experience an hourly rate as as high as 60.

I may have to plan a trip to somewhere where they have something like a dark sky outside to see this since the 7th will be our 34th Anniversary.

Transit of Mercury — May 9

NB In Classical Astrology, planets are generally believed to be burned up or ‘combust’ by close proximity to the Sun because they can’t be seen in the brightness of the Sun glare and therefore lose their power. This zone of combustion extends to 8 degrees around the Sun except in the case of extreme closeness called ‘Cazimi’ or within 17 minutes of the Sun, which the astrologers believed gave the planet more power because of being right ‘in the heart of the Sun,’  as they are when they are still visible during a transit over the Sun as in the picture.

Celestial Line-up — August 23

NB  Mars, Saturn and Antares, the two malefics with the bright star of Scorpio, Yikes