View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Amrinderjit Singh in Kyrgyzstan captured this image on June 7, 2024. Amrinderjit wrote: “While I was at Issyk-Kul Lake, I captured a nice refraction of the lake in the ball. Issy-Kul is a massive salt-water lake: 113 miles (182 km) long, 36 miles (58 km) wide and 2,303 feet (702 m) deep.” Thank you, Amrinderjit! See more of our top photos from 2024 below.
The year 2024 was a dream for skywatchers. We had some beautiful comets, outbreaks of auroras that brightened even southern skies and a total solar eclipse crossing North America. And our community members from around the globe captured all of it and shared it with us. Come along with us as we enjoy some of the most-loved photos at EarthSky in 2024.
Glorious comets
First the year gave us Comet Pons-Brooks. It underwent occasional outbursts that gave it a horned appearance and the nickname of the Devil Comet. And then in October we were wowed by Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which was visible to the unaided eye. What comets will surprise us in 2025?
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Petr Horálek in Revuca, Slovakia, captured Comet Pons-Brooks on March 5, 2024. Petr also captured the Andromeda galaxy along with “a distant tree, and the fog illuminated by the passing cars.” Thank you. Petr!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Rui Santos in Leiria, Portugal, captured Comet 2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS on October 19, 2024. Rui wrote: “The wait was long, but it was worth it. We’ve been hearing about the approach of this comet for about 1 year, and it is already heading away from Earth again.” Thank you, Rui!
The moon steals the show
Whenever the moon is in the sky, it draws our eyes to its beauty. In 2024, we had a Full Blue Supermoon in August. And, of course, the moon also passed directly in front of the sun during the total solar eclipse in April.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Atharva Maurya in Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, India, caught the moon in August. Atharva wrote: “It’s a mesmerizing image of the rare Full Blue Supermoon.” Indeed! Thanks, Atharva!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | John Splink in Dallas, Texas, captured the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. John wrote: “We were at On Rotation Brewery with a big cloud at the start of the eclipse, only for the full glory to be revealed and remain moments later. The crowd was booing, and then cheers! Very dramatic!” Thank you, John!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Saqlain Haider in Pattoki, Punjab, Pakistan, captured this image on June 21, 2024. Saqlain wrote: “In the quiet of night, the moonlight softly shines on scattered clouds above, casting a gentle, soothing glow over the bright cityscape below … A scene of beauty and magic that stirs the soul, reminding us of the quiet mysteries that unfold under the watchful eye of the moon.” Thank you, Saqlain!
Auroras lit the skies
The sun achieved solar maximum in 2024, the peak of its 11-year cycle. And with that peak came strong solar activity, sparking auroral storms on Earth. Both the evenings of May 10 and October 10 brought bold auroras to areas that rarely get to see them.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Nancy Tompkins shared her image from the May 10-11 aurora storm from Chino Valley, Arizona. Nancy wrote: “Arizona rarely gets auroras, but thanks to the Class 5 geomagnetic storm and a KP of 8 to 9 we were blessed with this rare treat.” Thank you, Nancy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kartik Kota in the U.K. captured the northern lights on October 11, 2024. Kartik wrote: “A panorama of the aurora borealis captured from Llangorse Lake in South Wales.” Thank you, Kartik!
The beauty of our universe
As always, we received stunning images of our universe, including photos of deep-sky objects. Every month we collect some of our favorites in a gallery. Here’s one of the beauties from January, our neighboring spiral galaxy, Andromeda.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Mattituck, New York, assembled this composite of the Andromeda galaxy on January 27, 2024. Steven wrote: “The star-forming regions appear as small red ‘knots’ in and beyond the spiral arms. The collections of young, hot blue stars appear as blue regions.” Thank you, Steven!
Our home
And, of course, we receive lots of beautiful images of our home planet, Earth. From things with wings to stunning scenery, we love seeing them all!
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Christoph Stopka in Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado, captured this hummingbird and storm on May 13, 2024. Christoph wrote: “This image has to be one of the weirdest photos I have ever taken. I was walking with our 2 dogs on our property right at sunset. South of us was a gigantic storm cloud, billowing over the valley. The sunset light reflected off the monstrous cloud in a multitude of intense colors … The cloud looked more like a nasty jellyfish floating in the sky. Later I realized in one of the photos a hummingbird had photo bombed me.” Thanks, Christoph!
Want to share your images with the EarthSky community? Submit them to us!
Bottom line: See the top 10 photos submitted to EarthSky in 2024. We had an amazing year for skywatchers, from auroras to comets to a total solar eclipse.
Kelly Kizer Whitt
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About the Author:
Kelly Kizer Whitt – EarthSky’s nature and travel vlogger on YouTube – writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She’s been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children’s picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.
