Lompoc, California, USA

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

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Lompoc, California, USA

That morning

Sunrise

6:26 AM

6:26 AM

Clears the hills at 6:41 AM, 15 min after sunrise

6:00 AM Blue hour
6:26 AM Sunrise
7:02 AM Golden hour ends

Sunset

5:03 PM

5:03 PM

Behind the hills at 4:46 PM, 17 min before sunset

Too far ahead for a weather forecast. These are the sun's own times - they will not change.

4:28 PM Golden hour
5:03 PM Sunset
5:30 PM Blue hour ends

Rocket launch

Minuteman 3 | GT251

Launched - good from here

Lifted off 11:01 PM

Very LowExcellent
Look
NW
Crossing your sky
When
11:01 PM
Highest around 11:10 PM
Distance
12 mi
Climbs to
85°
Lighting
Dark sky
Launch site
LF10
Vandenberg AFB, California
Mission
Op Test
Suborbital, planned or reached apogee about 1,300 km. From GCAT (2024-S66).

A bright climbing star and a flame. The vehicle is in shadow itself, so there is no lit plume behind it.

Meteor shower

Southern Taurids

Best around 12:33 AM

Very LowExcellent
6:33 PM Dark enough
8:00 PM Moonset
12:33 AM Best
4:57 AM Too light
Estimate
A few/hour
from a dark spot here, off its peak night
Radiant climbs to
70°
Under a perfect sky
5/hour
Moonlight
No interference
Speed
27 km/s

Where they come from: Comet Encke (2P/Encke)

Dust from Comet Encke, which goes round the Sun every 3.3 years, the shortest of any bright comet. Its stream is old and spread wide, so the Taurids last for weeks and carry larger pieces than most: the 'Halloween fireballs'.

The estimate is how many you might really see from a dark spot here, allowing for how high the shower climbs and for moonlight. "Under a perfect sky" is the best case. The bar also counts the forecast cloud at the best time, so a clouded-out night sits at the bottom, as does rain on the radar now.

Not many meteors, but known for bright fireballs.

Meteor shower

Northern Taurids

Best around 12:33 AM

Very LowExcellent
6:33 PM Dark enough
8:00 PM Moonset
12:33 AM Best
4:57 AM Too light
Estimate
A few/hour
from a dark spot here, off its peak night
Radiant climbs to
77°
Under a perfect sky
5/hour
Moonlight
No interference
Speed
29 km/s

Where they come from: Comet Encke (2P/Encke)

The other half of Comet Encke's wide, old stream: the same dust as the Southern Taurids, met a little later and from a little further north. Known, with them, for slow, bright fireballs.

The estimate is how many you might really see from a dark spot here, allowing for how high the shower climbs and for moonlight. "Under a perfect sky" is the best case. The bar also counts the forecast cloud at the best time, so a clouded-out night sits at the bottom, as does rain on the radar now.

The second half of the Taurids, peaking about a week after the Southern Taurids.

Moon

Waxing crescent

17% lit

10:36 AM – 8:00 PM

SE SW
10:36 AM Moonrise
11:01 AM 4°
3:18 PM Highest, 27°
7:35 PM 4°
8:00 PM Moonset

Between the two 4° marks the Moon is clear of haze and most of what stands on the horizon.

Timetable

  • Morning blue hour 6:00 AM–6:26 AM
  • Sunrise 6:26 AM
  • Morning golden hour 6:26 AM–7:02 AM
  • Morning best color 6:27 AM
  • Moonrise 10:37 AM
  • Evening golden hour 4:28 PM–5:03 PM
  • Sunset 5:03 PM
  • Evening blue hour 5:03 PM–5:30 PM
  • Fully dark 6:29 PM–5:01 AM
  • Moonset 8:00 PM
  • Dark, no Moon 8:09 PM–5:01 AM

Upcoming celestial events for Lompoc, California, USA

Southern Taurids Still active, a few an hour
Sat 7 Nov 2026 6:32 PM Northern Taurids Still active, a few an hour
Sat 7 Nov 2026 6:32 PM International Space Station Modest pass, SSE to SE, 14 deg up
Sun 8 Nov 2026 6:00 PM New moon Moonless and fully dark 6:30 PM to 5:00 AM Sun 8 Nov 2026 11:01 PM Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-627 Excellent, look W
Mon 9 Nov 2026 7:03 PM Veterans Day Veterans Day in Lompoc - sunset at 4:59 PM Wed 11 Nov 2026 4:59 PM Partial lunar eclipse 6% of the Moon in shadow
Tue 11 Jan 2028 8:13 PM Partial solar eclipse 51.8% of the Sun covered
Sun 14 Jan 2029 8:20 AM Total lunar eclipse 52% of it above your horizon
Mon 25 Jun 2029 8:22 PM Partial solar eclipse 2% of the Sun covered
Fri 14 Nov 2031 1:32 PM Partial solar eclipse 29.6% of the Sun covered
Wed 30 Mar 2033 10:19 AM Total lunar eclipse Totality lasts 78 minutes
Fri 7 Oct 2033 3:55 AM Partial solar eclipse 0.6% of the Sun covered
Sun 2 Sep 2035 7:26 PM Total lunar eclipse 49% of it above your horizon
Wed 6 Aug 2036 7:51 PM Partial solar eclipse 3.8% of the Sun covered
Thu 9 Apr 2043 11:39 AM Partial solar eclipse 79.6% of the Sun covered
Tue 23 Aug 2044 7:08 PM Partial solar eclipse 81.5% of the Sun covered
Sat 12 Aug 2045 9:18 AM

Every celestial event, and where else to see it