Galactic Tales of 2024: Unraveling the Mysteries of Lost Worlds and Humanity’s Cosmic Impact

It’s challenging to determine which was the more prominent celestial figure in 2024: the sun or the moon.

From the very beginning, the moon was the hotspot. In January, Japan became the fifth nation to join the elite club of 238,000 miles high when its “Moon Sniper” undertaking achieved the most accurate lunar landing ever — despite a last-minute hiccup that left the lander teetering on its nose. Around the same time, competing missions from private spaceflight companies accomplished the first-ever commercial moon landing. This year also marked China’s return to the moon’s far side for the second occasion — this time successfully bringing back several pounds of valuable lunar specimens with its Chang’e 6 spacecraft.

Not to be outshined by Earth’s natural satellite, the sun made a significant impact in 2024. In October, researchers from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) verified that the sun had officially reached the chaotic peak of its 11-year activity phase, termed solar maximum. However, the signs were visible — and displayed in Earth’s skies — much earlier, as the sun produced solar storms throughout the year, emitting intense X-class flares and showering our planet with uncommon global auroras, some visible as far south as Florida. The vigorous solar activity thrilled skywatchers but spooked farmers whose GPS-operated tractors began veering off-course “as if they were possessed.”

Why can’t Earth’s beloved celestial objects just coexist peacefully? They did, for a few hours on April 8, when a long-awaited total solar eclipse traversed North America from Mexico to Canada. With Earth, the moon, and sun temporarily aligned, around 44 million people — along with at least one goose — were treated to an unsettling twilight during the daytime, enhanced hues and temperatures, and a rare naked-eye sighting of the sun’s bubbling corona.