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.
Related: 12 bizarre reasons humans haven’t discovered alien life yet
It was difficult to divert attention from the sun and moon this year. Yet exhilarating discoveries continued to emerge from every corner of the cosmos. Should you have missed them, here are a few of my preferred low-key space tales of 2024.
A human-induced meteor shower?
It appears that deliberately crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid can lead to some unforeseen repercussions. NASA launched its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission in 2022 to assess whether humans could deflect an asteroid by utilizing the kinetic force of a high-speed rocket. The mission turned out to be a tremendous success — but, as research published this year suggested, the debris from the impact may eventually reach Mars or even Earth. If that occurs, the rocky remnants would not pose a risk. Rather, they would vaporize in Earth’s atmosphere as the first human-induced meteor shower recorded in history. Scientists have already dubbed this potential shower “the Dimorphids,” named after the impacted asteroid Dimorphos.
The most extensive map of the universe emerges
This year, the European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope activated its scientific instruments and commenced the bold mission of crafting the largest 3D map of the universe ever created. As of October, the map was merely 1% complete. Ultimately, Euclid’s observations will aid researchers in unraveling the enigmas of dark matter and dark energy — two phenomena that account for a combined 95% of the universe yet remain poorly understood. Meanwhile, the space telescope is producing some extraordinarily beautiful images of the cosmos, allowing us to admire while preparing to expand our knowledge.
The quest for Planet Nine approaches its conclusion
For years, astronomers have observed objects behaving peculiarly beyond Neptune’s orbit. These gravitational anomalies may indicate the existence of a concealed, theoretical planet called Planet Nine. Although the planet itself has yet to be discovered, Live Science writer Harry Baker reported that scientists are nearing a resolution regarding where Planet Nine might hide and what its characteristics could be. This search may finally conclude in 2025, when the robust Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile becomes operational.
We hope you’ve relished exploring the cosmos with us this year. With numerous exciting new space missions and observatories on the horizon, be sure to stay tuned in 2025 for more astonishing discoveries.