The first day of the year and NYC will get its first Supermoon of 2018 with a meteor shower for dessert, it’s going to be a spectacular way to welcome 2018! Here is everything you need to know.
A supermoon and a meteor shower? We’re not saying it’s the end times… but it’s the end times. No, we’re kidding obviously, but mother nature is certainly kicking off the year with a bang!
Supermoon: January 1-2
January’s first supermoon is the Beyoncé of astrological phenomena… it goes by more than just a few names; “Supermoon”, “Wolf Moon (by early Native American tribes)”, the “Moon After Yule”, “Old Moon”, and the “Snow Moon.”
The moon’s orbit isn’t perfectly circular, it occasionally get’s a little closer to the Earth, sometimes by over 30,000 miles, when it does, we call it a supermoon. The supermoon can look up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than it would normally.
Check out what you can expect on New Year’s Day, here are images from last November’s supermoon:
Meteor shower: January 3-4
The Quadrantids meteor shower will happen between January 1st and 5th, but be most visible between the 3rd and 4th, thanks in part to the supermoon. At its peak, stargazers should be able to spot around 40 meteors an hour.
Tips and tricks
Firstly, don’t immediately check your phone or take pictures – The light from the screen will mess with your eye’s natural night vision.
The key to seeing these phenomena at their best is low light-pollution. I know, that’s not easy in NYC. Check out the light pollution map below:
Again, don’t despair, there are a few places where you’ll be able to enjoy the supermoon and meteor shower, even with the cities light pollution problem, we’d recommend:
A Rooftop Bar or Rooftop Access
This goes without saying, but this isn’t for people who live in Times Square or if you’re surrounded by high rises. Avoid rooftop bars in areas with more light pollution like Midtown and hit Downtown Manhattan or Brooklyn.We get it, rooftop bars can be overpriced and crowded, but seeing the supermoon with a drink in hand might just be too perfect to miss.
The High Line
This goes without saying really. There are already clubs of stargazers that hit up the High Line for the best views of the stars in the city. Sure, your view may be somewhat blocked in certain parts of the High Line, but it stretches from Gansevoort Street all the way to 34th Street, so you are bound to find a place with an unobstructed view.
Central Park
Find somewhere where the city lights aren’t in your immediate eye-line or you are far enough away from the light (Maybe Sheep Meadow) and central Park might just be the BEST place to do your stargazing!
The Brooklyn Bridge & Brooklyn Bridge Park
Stroll part or all of the way across it to watch the Supermoon.
Anywhere Along The East River
Go to South Street Seaport or the East River Park if you’re downtown or to the East River Walk if you’re closer to the Upper East Side.
Featured image source [Bob Jagendorf | Flickr]