In this blog we have listed the dates and times for all of the must-see celestial events for 2021, all in one place. Take a look to see which memorable sights you want to experience!Â
January
January 2nd: Quadrantids Meteor Shower: You may be able to see over 40 meteors per hour. The meteors were produced from an extinct comet called 2003 EH1. The waning moon may block some of the meteors, but you should be able to get a good view after midnight. It will appear anywhere in the dark sky, but will mainly ascend from the Boots constellation.
January 13th: New Moon (5:02 UTC): Because the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, it will not be visible. However, this means that moonlight will not interfere with deep sky observation including faint galaxies and star clusters.
January 24th: Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation: Mercury will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening. It will be visible low in the western sky after sunset.
January 28th: Full Moon (19:18 UTC): The Moon will be on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and will be fully illuminated. This moon was also known as the Wolf Moon by some Native American tribes because hungry wolf packs would howl outside of the camps around this time of the year.
February
February 11th: New Moon (19:08 UTC): Because the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, it will not be visible. However, this means that moonlight will not interfere with deep sky observation including faint galaxies and star clusters.
February 27th: Full Moon (08:19): The Moon will be on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and will be illuminated. This moon was also known as the Snow Moon because of the heavy snowfall during this time of year. It was also called the Hunger Moon due to the difficulty of hunting caused by the unforgiving weather.
March
March 6th: Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation: Mercury will reach its greatest western elongation from the Sun, and will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. It will be visible in the eastern sky before sunrise.
March 13th: New Moon (10:23 UTC): Because the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, it will not be visible. However, this means that moonlight will not interfere with deep sky observation including faint galaxies and star clusters.
March 20th: March Equinox (09:27 UTC): This is known as the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. The Sun will be shining directly on the equator, resulting in equal time for day and night around the world.
March 28th: Full Moon (18:49 UTC): The Moon will be on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and will be illuminated. It was also known as the Worm Moon by Native American tribes because the earth would begin to soften this time of year, and the earthworks would appear again.
April
April 12th: New Moon (02:32 UTC): Because the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, it will not be visible. However, this means that moonlight will not interfere with deep sky observation including faint galaxies and star clusters.
April 22 & 23: Lyrids Meteor Shower: The Lyrids shower produces around 20 meteors per hour. It was discovered in 1861 and thought to be produced by dust particles from the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. You should be able to see bright dust trails that last for a few seconds, but may be blocked by the nearly full moon. Usually, the meteors arise from the Lyra constellation, but you will be able to see them anywhere in the dark sky.
April 27th: Full Moon, Supermoon (03:33 UTC): The Moon will be on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and will be illuminated. It was also known as the Pink Moon by Native American tribes due to the flowering of wild ground phlox, and by other tribes as the Fish Moon because fish would swim upstream to spawn around this time. The Moon may appear larger and brighter on this night as it is it’s the closest approach to Earth.
May
May 6 & 7: Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower: You may be able to see up to 60 meteors per hour during this shower, however, most activity will be in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, you may be able to see up to 30 meteors per hour. These dust particles are left behind by the comet Halley, which arise from the Aquarius constellation but may appear anywhere in the dark sky.
May 11th: New Moon (19:01 UTC): Because the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, it will not be visible. However, this means that moonlight will not interfere with deep sky observation including faint galaxies and star clusters.
May 17th: Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation: Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation from the Sun, meaning it will be the best time to observe this planet. It will be at his highest point above the horizon in the evening sky towards the west after sunset.
May 26th: Full Moon, Supermoon (11:14 UTC): The Moon will be on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and will be illuminated. It was also known as the Flower Moon by Native American tribes because flowers began to blossom around this time. It was also known as the Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon. The moon will appear brighter and larger than usual as it will be at it’s closest approach to Earth.
May 26th: Total Lunar Eclipse: The Moon will pass completely through the Earth’s shadow. The Moon will appear to get darker and eventually become a red color.
June
June 10th: New Moon (10:54 UTC): Because the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, it will not be visible. However, this means that moonlight will not interfere with deep sky observation including faint galaxies and star clusters.
June 10th: Annular Solar Eclipse: The Moon will be too far away from the Earth and unable to completely cover the Sun, resulting in a ring of light around the darkened moon. This eclipse will mainly be visible from Russia and Canada, but a partial eclipse can be viewed from Northeastern United States and Europe.
June 21st: June Solstice (03:21 UTC): The North Pole of the Earth will be tilted in the direction of the Sun, which will be at its northernmost position in the sky. It will be over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is also the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
June 24th: Full Moon, Supermoon (18:40 UTC): The Moon will be on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and will be illuminated. It was also known as the Strawberry Moon by Native American tribes as this time of year was generally when ripened fruit was gathered. It is also known as the Rose Moon and is the last of three supermoons for the year 2021. The Moon may appear brighter and larger than usual as it will be closest to the Earth.
July
July 4th: Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation: Mercury will reach it’s greatest western elongation from the Sun, and will be at it’s highest point above the horizon in the morning. It will be visible in the eastern sky before sunrise.
July 10th: New Moon (01:17 UTC): Because the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, it will not be visible. However, this means that moonlight will not interfere with deep sky observation including faint galaxies and star clusters.
July 24th: Full Moon (02:37 UTC): The Moon will be on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and will be fully illuminated. It was also known as the Buck Moon by Native Americans because the antlers on male buck deer would begin to grow around this time of the year.
July 28 & 29: Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower: You may see up to 20 meteors per hour during this shower, which was created by the debris from the Marsden and Kracht comets and occurs annually. The nearly full moon may block out the faint meteors, but if you are observing from a dark location, you should be able to see some meteors after midnight. The shower will occur from the Aquarius constellation, but you may be able to see it anywhere in the dark sky.
AugustÂ
August 2nd: Saturn at Opposition: Saturn will be at it’s closest to Earth and will be brightly illuminated by the Sun. It will be at its brightest on this night, for the entire duration of the night. You should be able to see the rings and moons through a medium or large telescope.
August 8th: New Moon (13:51 UTC): Because the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, it will not be visible. However, this means that moonlight will not interfere with deep sky observation including faint galaxies and star clusters.
August 12 &13: Perseids Meteor Shower: This shower is known for it’s bright meteors, which should yield around 60 meteors per hour. Discovered in 1862, the meteors are remnants of the comet Swift-Tuttle. The waxing crescent moon will set early which allows for great viewing in the dark skies after midnight. The meteors arise from the Perseus constellation but you may observe them anywhere in the sky.
August 19th: Jupiter at Opposition: Jupiter will be closest to Earth and will be illuminated by the Sun. You will be able to observe it all night long and is the best opportunity to photograph this planet and its moons. You may be able to see it with a pair of advanced binoculars or a medium-sized telescope.
August 22nd: Full Moon, Blue Moon (12:02 UTC): The Moon will be illuminated as it will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun. This was also known as the Sturgeon Moon by the Native American tribes because of the sturgeon fish that was easily caught around this time of year in the Great Lakes. It is also called a Blue moon as it only occurs once every 2.7 years, referencing the term ‘once in a blue moon.’
September
September 7: New Moon (00:52 UTC): Because the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, it will not be visible. However, this means that moonlight will not interfere with deep sky observation including faint galaxies and star clusters.
September 14th: Neptune at Opposition: Neptune will be at its closest to Earth and will be illuminated by the Sun. You will be able to see it all night long and will be at its brightest, so it is a good opportunity for photography.Â
September 20th: Full Moon (23:54 UTC): The Moon will be on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and will be fully illuminated. It was also called the Corn Moon or Harvest Moon by Native American tribes because corn is harvested during this season.
September 22: Draconids Meteor Shower: This is a small shower with about 10 meteors visible per hour. The comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner comet which was discovered in 1900 left behind these dust particles. What sets this shower apart is that it is best visible in the evening. The new moon will also allow for dark skies and great viewing. The meteors will mainly arise from the Draco constellation, but you may see it anywhere in the dark sky.
OctoberÂ
October 20th: Full Moon (14:57 UTC): The Moon will be on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and will be illuminated. It was also known as the Hunters Moon by Native American Tribes because game is healthy and fat and ready to hunt.
October 21 & 22: Orionids Meteor Shower: This shower will show around 20 meteors per hour, and arises from the comet Halley. This year, the full moon will be problematic and may block the faint meteors. The best time to view will be a dark place after midnight. You will see the most meteors arise from the Orion constellation, but it may appear anywhere in the sky.
October 25: Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation: Mercury will be at it’s highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. It will be visible low in the east before sunrise.
October 29th: Venus at the Greatest Eastern Elongation: Venus will be at its highest point above the horizon. In the evening, it will be visible as a bright planet towards the west after sunset.
NovemberÂ
November 4th: New Moon (21:15 UTC): Because the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, it will not be visible. However, this means that moonlight will not interfere with deep sky observation including faint galaxies and star clusters.
November 4 & 5: Taurids Meteor Shower: This meteor shower produces less than 10 meteors per hour, and occurs in two different streams produced by different comets. There will be a New Moon, meaning the dark skies will allow for a good show. It will be most visible in a dark sky from the Taurus constellation, but you will be able to see it from anywhere.
November 5th: Uranus at Opposition: This planet will be closest to the Sun on this night and will be illuminated. It will be visible all night long but will appear as a tiny dot due to it’s distance (unless you use a very powerful telescope).
November 17 & 18: Leonids Meteor Shower: This shower produces 15 meteors per hour. Every 33 years, hundreds of meteors per hour can be seen (last occurred in 2001). The nearly full moon will prevent stargazers from seeing the meteors but you may see some bright ones in a dark location. They will arise from the Leo constellation but will be visible anywhere in the sky.
November 19th: Partial Lunar Eclipse: The Moon will pass through the Earth’s partial shadow, and only some of it will pass through the darkest shadow. The moon will continue to darken as it passes through the shadow, and will be visible from Russia, Japan, North America, and South America.
DecemberÂ
December 4th: New Moon (07:44): Because the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun, it will not be visible. However, this means that moonlight will not interfere with deep sky observation including faint galaxies and star clusters.
December 4th: Total Solar Eclipse: The Moon will completely block out the sun, which will reveal the corona of the Sun, which is the outer atmosphere. This will be visible to Antarctica, and a partial eclipse will be visible from South Africa.
December 13 & 14: Geminids Meteor Shower: This is the most popular meteor shower, producing around 120 colorful meteors per hour. This year, the waxing gibbous moon will block out the fainter meteors but you should be able to see most of the brightest meteors after midnight. You will be able to see it mainly arise from the Gemini constellation, but will be able to see it anywhere in the sky.
December 19th: Full Moon (04:37): The Moon will be on the opposite side of the earth as the Sun so will be fully illuminated. The Native Americas referred to this as the Cold Moon because the nights became very long dark and cold during this time.
December 21st: December Solstice (15:50 UTC): The South Pole will be tilted towards the sin and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. This is the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
December 21st & 22nd: Ursids Meteor Shower: This shower is small, producing less than 10 meteors per hour. The dust grains are produced by the comet Tuttle. The nearly full moon will block the bigger meteors, but you may get a good view from a dark location after midnight. The meteors will arise from the Ursa Minor constellation, but you will be able to see them anywhere in the sky.