With the recent geomagnetic storms producing some fantastic sights in the night sky, we thought that we’d list a few other sights in our solar system that Long Islanders are entertained by.

 

Hale-Bopp Comet

 

Comet Hale-Bopp was visible from Long Island Sound in New York for about 18 months, until March 31, 1997, and was visible to the naked eye on clear nights around 7 PM in the northwest. The comet's white tail is made of dust reflecting sunlight and its blue tail is made of carbon monoxide gas interacting with particles from the sun. It was one of the most widely observed of the 20th century and one of the brightest seen for many decades. More recent comets: Comet Neowise & The Green Comet. Comet NEOWISE, also known as C/2020 F3, was visible in the northeastern sky on Long Island in July 2020. In February 2023, a once-in-a-lifetime green comet that Long Islanders could observe appeared in the sky. It was last seen during Neanderthal times.

 

The Milky Way

 

Sadly, with light pollution the Milky Way is a wash when it comes to the average backyard observer but travel out to Montauk on a clear night and you can see the galaxy in all its wonder. It’s even more beautiful as a backdrop to the Montauk Lighthouse. The Milky Way's core is visible in the Northern Hemisphere from February to October, usually appearing in the night sky above Montauk Point State Park and Montauk Beach in mid-February.

 

Meteor Showers

 

Meteor showers produce a number of what people call shooting stars but are really just particles of space debris - usually from the tail of a comet - that are burning up in the earth’s atmosphere. There are a number of predictable meteor showers that grace the night skies over Long Island and you can observe them from a relatively dark spot (even in your own backyard.) The Lyrids meteor shower peaks in April, the Perseid meteor shower, also known as the Perseids, is an annual meteor shower that peaks in mid-August, the Geminids can be seen in mid-December, and the pre-Christmas, winter solstice meteor show known as the Ursids peak in late December.

 

Solar Eclipse

 

Most recently, the partial solar eclipse dazzled Long Island on April 8, 2024, between 3:15–3:30 pm, with 88% coverage. The eclipse peaked at around 3:30 pm, with 85–90% visibility in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

 

Halley's Comet

 

Halley's Comet, also known as 1P/Halley, is a comet that's visible to the naked eye from Earth every 75–79 years. It was last seen around these parts in 1986. The phenomenon even inspired a farewell concert at Jones Beach when it went away. It's considered the most famous comet in history because it was the first to show that comets can return to the night sky. Halley's Comet is expected to return in mid-2061.

 

Blood Moon

 

A total lunar eclipse, what is known as a “Blood Moon,” last occurred on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. The Blood Moon is so called because as the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow it takes on a reddish color. The total lunar eclipse won’t happen again until March 14, 2025 (although NASA says that we will continue to see partial and penumbral lunar eclipses during that time.) Unlike a solar eclipse, it is perfectly safe to observe a lunar eclipse with the naked eye in a dark area. Binoculars and telescopes will enhance the phenomenon.