An annular solar eclipse, Mars passing through an open cluster, and plenty of lunar close encounters makes June of 2021 an exciting month for astronomy. More with @MrWebbPV at #365DaysOfAstro

An annular solar eclipse, Mars passing through an open cluster, and plenty of lunar close encounters makes June of 2021 an exciting month for astronomy. More with @MrWebbPV at #365DaysOfAstro
A total lunar eclipse if you’re lucky, a great apparition of Mercury, and all the naked-eye planets visible make May of 2021 an action-packed month.
April of 2021 delivers a few mornings and a few evenings of lunar close encounters, as well as a meteor shower, as we stay up later to get those dark skies.
The sunshine is coming! March may be bringing some shorter nights and daylight savings time, but the sunshine and warmth during the daytime is very much appreciated! This month Mars dominates the evening sky with Taurus and the Pleiades, and Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury dance in the morning twilight.
February only gets exciting in the last week with a 3-planet conjunction, although the still very long nights and the dominating presence of Orion make it a good opportunity for constellation hunting.
CONJUNCTION MONTH! If there’s nothing else you do this month, mark your calendar, get your warm clothes set aside, and get ready for a very, very rare conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn on the 21st.
All five naked-eye planets are easily visible at different parts of the night, the Leonids will grace the mid-month skies, and the Moon makes its monthly visits in line with the planets.
Mars Month! October is pretty awesome this year. Two Full Moons, one on Halloween, four brilliantly positioned planets, the Orionid Meteor Shower, and the opposition of Mars are making October of 2020 a rich month for getting out there and investigating the night sky
School is starting, the nights are getting longer, and two gas giants are dominating the night skies while two terrestrial planets make morning appearances.
The rest of summer is PERFECT for the amateur and beginner observer! Saturn and Jupiter are visible all night, Venus is easy to spot in the morning, Mars and Mercury offer a challenge for the early risers and the annual Perseid meteor shower is coming up August 12th.