Astronomy calendar 2021: when will you see full moons, planets, eclipses and meteor showers?

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In 2021, the morning and evening skies around the world will show full moons, meteor showers, eclipses and planets.

The Quadrantid Meteor Shower on January 3 began the first of 12 meteor showers in 2021.

The biggest obstacle to seeing meteor showers that are only visible from certain hemispheres – apart from your location – is the brightness of the moon. The fuller the moon, the harder it is to see meteors shoot through the sky.

It will take a while for the next meteor shower, the popular Lyrids in April. The Lyrids will peak on April 22 and will be best seen in the Northern Hemisphere, but the moon will be 68% full, according to the American Meteor Society.

The Eta Aquariids follow shortly after, peaking on May 5, when the moon is 38% full. This shower is best seen in the southern tropics, but will still produce a medium shower for those north of the equator.

The Milky Way is seen from the Glacier Point Trailside in Yosemite National Park, California.

The Delta Aquariids are also best seen from the southern tropics and will peak between July 28-29, when the moon is 74% full.

Interestingly, another meteor shower peaks on the same night – the Alpha Capricornids. While this is a much weaker shower, it is known to produce some bright fireballs during the peak. And it will be visible to those on either side of the equator.

The most popular of the year, the Perseid meteor shower peaks between August 11-12 in the Northern Hemisphere when the moon is only 13% full.

Here is the meteor shower schedule for the rest of the year, according to EarthSky’s forecast for the meteor shower.
  • October 8: Draconids
  • October 21: Orionids
  • November 4 to 5: South Taurids
  • November 11 to 12: North Taurids
  • November 17: Leonids
  • December 13 to 14: Geminids
  • December 22: Ursids

Full moons

Typically for a normal year, 2021 will also have 12 full moons. (Last year there were 13 full moons, two of which were in October).

Here are all the full moons taking place this year and their names, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac:
  • January 28 – Wolf moon
  • February 27 – Snow moon
  • March 28 – Worm Moon
  • April 26 – Pink moon
  • May 26 – Flower moon
  • June 24 – Strawberry Moon
  • July 23 – Buck moon
  • August 22 – Sturgeon moon
  • September 20 – Harvest Moon
  • October 20 – Hunter’s moon
  • November 19 – Beaver Moon
  • December 18 – Cold Moon

Solar and lunar eclipses

This year there will be two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses – and three of them will be visible to some in North America, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

A total lunar eclipse will occur on May 26, best visible to those in western North America and Hawaii from 4:46 ET to 9:51 ET.

An annular solar eclipse will occur on June 10, visible in northern and northeastern North America from 4:12 a.m. ET to 9:11 a.m. ET. The sun is not completely blocked by the moon, so wear eclipse goggles to view this event safely.

Nov. 19 will see a partial lunar eclipse, and skywatchers in North America and Hawaii will see it between 1:00 a.m. ET and 7:06 a.m. ET.

And the year ends with a total solar eclipse on December 4. It won’t be on display in North America, but those in the Falkland Islands, the southernmost tip of Africa, Antarctica, and Southeast Australia will be able to see it.

Visible planets

According to The Farmer’s Almanac planetary guide, Skywatchers will have multiple opportunities to spot the planets in our sky during certain mornings and evenings in 2021.

It is possible to see most of these with the naked eye, with the exception of the distant Neptune, but binoculars or a telescope will give the best view.

Mercury appears as a bright star in the morning sky from February 28 to March 20, June 27 to July 16, and October 18 to November 1, January 15 to January 31, May 3 to May 24. , August 31 to September 21 and November 29 to December 31.

Venus, our closest neighbor in the solar system, will appear in the eastern skies in the mornings of January 1 to 23, and in the western skies at dusk on the evenings from May 24 to December 31. It is the second brightest object in our sky after the moon.

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Mars will appear in the morning sky between November 24 and December 31 and will be visible in the evening sky between January 1 and August 22.

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is the third brightest object in our sky. It will be visible in the morning sky between February 17 and August 19. Look forward to the evenings from January 1 to 9 and August 20 to December 31 – but it will be brightest from August 8 to September 2.

Saturn’s rings are only visible through a telescope, but the planet itself can still be seen with the naked eye on the mornings of February 10 to August 1 and the evenings of January 1 to 6 and August 2 to December 31. brightest between 1 and 4 August.

Binoculars or a telescope will help you spot the greenish glow of Uranus in the mornings from May 16 to November 3 and the evenings from January 1 to April 12 and November 4 to December 31 – but brightest between August 28 and December 31 .

And our farthest neighbor in the solar system, Neptune, will be visible through a telescope on the mornings from March 27 to September 13 and the evenings from January 1 to February 23 and September 14 to December 31. It will be at its brightest between July 19 and November 8.

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