Horticulture in Arkansas

January 3, 4 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower. The Quadrantids are an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower will peak this year on January 3 & 4, but some meteors can be visible from January 1 - 5. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight on the morning. Look for meteors radiating from the constellation Bootes. The first quarter moon will set by midnight, providing a good viewing opportunity.

January 26 - Annular Solar Eclipse. The path of annularity will begin off the coast of South Africa and move east and north through the Indian Ocean and into Sumatra and Borneo. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout most of southern Africa, southeastern Asia, and western Australia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information NASA Eclipse Animation)

February 9 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of eastern Europe, Asia, Australia, the Pacific Ocean, and western North America. (NASA Eclipse Information)

February 22 - Conjunction of Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars.The early morning sky will feature Jupiter and Mars along with elusive Mercury together in a 5-degree circle. Look to the east about half an hour before sunrise. Binoculars may be needed to spot Mars as it will be hiding near the early glow of twilight.

March 8 - Saturn at Opposition. The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons.

March 20 - The Vernal Equinox occurs in the northern hemisphere at 11:44 UT. There will be equal amounts of day and night. This is also the first day of spring.

March 25 - Venus as both a morning and evening star. The planet Venus will be visible at both dusk and dawn on the same day for several days centered on March 25. This rare event occurs only once every eight years.

April 21, 22 - Lyrids Meteor Shower. The Lyrids are an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. These meteors can produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The shower will peak this year on April 21 & 22, although some meteors are usually visible from April 16 - 25. This year, a waning crescent moon will create only a slight distraction, but most of the meteors should be easy to see. Look for meteors radiating from the constellation of Lyra after midnight.

April 22 - Occultation of Venus. A thin, crescent moon will cross in front of the planet Venus shortly before sunrise. This event will only be visible on the west coast of the United States. Farther east, the occultation will occur after sunrise and will not be visible.

May 5, 6 - Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Eta Aquarids are a light shower, usually producing about 10 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower's peak will occur on May 5 & 6, however viewing should be good on any morning from May 4 - 7. This year, a waxing gibbous mon will hide all but the brightest meteors. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight.

June 21 - Occultation of Antares. Late in the evening, the waxing gibbous moon will pass in front of the bright red star Antares, in the constellation Scorpius. This occultation will be visible across much of the eastern and central United States and parts of central Canada.

June 21 - The Summer Solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere at 05:45 UT. The Sun is at its highest point in the sky and it will be the longest day of the year. This is also the first day of summer. July 7 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of Australia, the Pacific Ocean, and the Americas. (NASA Eclipse Information)

July 22 - Total Solar Eclipse. The path of totality will begin in central India and move east through Nepal and China where it will end in the central Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout most of eastern Asia and Hawaii. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information NASA Eclipse Animation)

July 28, 29 - Southern Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids usually produce about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower will peak this year on July 28 & 29, but meteors can usually be seen from July 18 - August 18. The near first quarter moon will set early, providing an excellent viewing experience after midnight. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight.

August 6 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of the Americas, Europe, Africa, and western Asia. (NASA Eclipse Information)

August 10 - September 4 - Saturn Without Rings. The rings of the planet Saturn will be tilted edge-on to the Earth, making them impossible to see. Viewing Saturn with a telescope will reveal the planet without its famous rings. This rare phenomenon only occurs every 14 to 15 years.

August 12, 13 - Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak. This year's peak occurs on August 13 & 14, but you may be able to see some meteors any time from July 23 - August 22. The waxing gibbous moon will provide some interference in the evening, but after it sets, the morning hours should provide some spectacular viewing opportunities. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Perseus. Look to the northeast after midnight.

August 14 - Jupiter at Opposition. The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons.

August 17 - Neptune at Opposition. The blue planet will be at its closest approach to Earth. This is the best time to view Neptune, although it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

September 2 - 3 - Jupiter Without Moons. The planet Jupiter can usually be seen with all or some of its four largest moons in binoculars and small telescopes. It is very rare for it to be seen otherwise. But late on this night in most of the Western Hemisphere, the planet will be visible with no moons for nearly two hours.

September 17- Uranus at Opposition. The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth. This is the best time to view Uranus, although it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

September 22 - The Autumnal Equinox occurs in the northern hemisphere at 21:18 UT. There will be equal amounts of day and night. This is also the first day of fall.

September 22 - Close Conjunction of Mercury and Saturn - Early in the morning over North America, the planets Mercury and Saturn will appear in the sky only 0.3 degrees apart.

October 13 - Close Conjunction of Venus and Saturn. The two planets, Venus and Saturn, will appear only a half-degree apart in the early morning sky.

October 21, 22 - Orionids Meteor Shower. The Orionids is an average shower producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. This shower usually peaks on the 21st, but it is highly irregular. A good show could be experienced on any morning from October 20 – 24, and some meteors may be seen any time from October 17 - 25. This year, a waxing crescent moon will set early, providing an excellent viewing opportunity. Best viewing will be to the east after midnight.

November 17, 18 - Leonids Meteor Shower. The Leonids is one of the better meteor showers to observe, producing an average of 40 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower itself has a cyclic peak year every 33 years where hundreds of meteors can be seen each hour. The last of these occurred in 2001. The shower peaks this year on November 17 & 18, but you can usually see some meteors from November 13 - 20. The moon will be totally out of the way this year, providing an exceptional viewing experience for the Leonids. Look for the shower radiating from the constellation Leo after midnight.

December 13, 14 - Geminids Meteor Shower. Considered by many to be the best meteor shower in the heavens, the Geminids are known for producing up to 60 multicolored meteors per hour at their peak. The peak of the shower is on December 13 & 14, although some meteors should be visible from December 6 - 19. This year, a nearly new moon will provide an excellent viewing experience in the early morning hours. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Gemini. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight.

December 21 - The Winter Solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere at 17:47 UT. The Sun is at its lowest point in the sky and it will be the shortest day of the year. This is also the first day of winter.

December 31 - Partial Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. (NASA Eclipse Information)