Astronomical Events
Finding astronomical events (when something like a solar eclipse, full moon or planetary alignment happens) is an important part of astronomy. I know I am always wanting to see something out of the ordinary, and these types of astronomical events charts help me with that.
One particular set of astronomical events that are always on my list are meteor showers. These are the best astronomical events there are for doing outreach as you can have a large group outside having fun watching for them. It is also one of the few astronomical events where you can make it into a party that lasts for hours. Get out the drinks, fire up the grill, make a contest out of who sees the most. Fun!
These are upcoming astronomical events that I think are more important to the observer and astrophotographer primarily in North America and include all of the rare (and many not-so-rare) astronomical events I know of. I have left out much of the things I think are fluff such as when planets are closest and furthest away as that is really only important to people who want to image particular planets. If you know of an important astronomical event that I have missed, please use the contact form to let me know.
List of past Astronomical Events 2017
| 01/03/2017 | Quadrantids Meteor Shower |
| 02/11/2017 | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse |
| 04/22/2017 | Lyrids Meteor Shower |
| 07/28/2017 | Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 08/12/2017 | Perseids Meteor Shower |
| 08/21/2017 | Total solar eclipse Central United States |
| 10/05/2017 | Conjunction of Venus and Mars .2° apart in the east around dawn |
| 10/07/2017 | Draconids Meteor Shower |
| 10/17/2017 | Conjunction of Venus, Mars and Moon very close in the east around dawn |
| 10/21/2017 | Orionids Meteor Shower |
| 11/04/2017 | Taurids Meteor Shower |
| 11/13/2017 | Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter |
| 11/17/2017 | Leonids Meteor Shower |
| 12/03/2017 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 12/13/2017 | Geminids Meteor Shower |
| 12/21/2017 | Ursids Meteor Shower |
Astronomical Events 2018
| 01/02/2018 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 01/03/2018 | Quadrantids Meteor Shower |
| 01/06/2018 | Conjunction of Mars and Jupiter .3° apart in the east around dawn |
| 01/31/2018 | Full Moon, Supermoon, Blue Moon |
| 01/31/2018 | Lunar eclipse in Western United States, Canada, Australia, Asia |
| 03/31/2018 | Full Moon, Blue Moon |
| 04/22/2018 | Lyrids Meteor Shower |
| 05/06/2018 | Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 07/15/2018 | Conjunction of Moon and Venus 1° apart early evening for western North America |
| 07/27/2018 | Lunar eclipse in Africa and Asia |
| 07/28/2018 | Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 08/11/2018 | Partial Solar Eclipse northeast Canada, Greenland, extreme northern Europe, and northern and eastern Asia |
| 08/12/2018 | Perseids Meteor Shower |
| 10/08/2018 | Draconids Meteor Shower |
| 10/21/2018 | Orionids Meteor Shower |
| 11/05/2018 | Taurids Meteor Shower |
| 11/17/2018 | Leonids Meteor Shower |
| 12/13/2018 | Geminids Meteor Shower |
| 12/21/2018 | Ursids Meteor Shower |
Astronomical Events 2019
| 01/03/2019 | Quadrantids Meteor Shower |
| 01/20/2019 | Lunar eclipse in North America |
| 01/21/2019 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 01/22/2019 | Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the east pre-dawn |
| 02/19/2019 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 03/21/2019 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 04/22/2019 | Lyrids Meteor Shower |
| 05/06/2019 | Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 05/18/2019 | Full Moon, Blue Moon |
| 07/02/2019 | Total solar eclipse Chile, Argentina, southern Pacific |
| 07/28/2019 | Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 08/12/2019 | Perseids Meteor Shower |
| 10/08/2019 | Draconids Meteor Shower |
| 10/21/2019 | Orionids Meteor Shower |
| 11/05/2019 | Taurids Meteor Shower |
| 11/11/2019 | Transit of Mercury |
| 11/17/2019 | Leonids Meteor Shower |
| 11/24/2019 | Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter 1.5° apart early evening |
| 12/13/2019 | Geminids Meteor Shower |
| 12/21/2019 | Ursids Meteor Shower |
Astronomical Events 2020
| 01/03/2020 | Quadrantids Meteor Shower |
| 02/09/2020 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 03/09/2020 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 03/18/2020 | Conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and moon 8° apart |
| 03/20/2020 | Conjunction of Mars and Jupiter .7° apart in the east pre-dawn |
| 03/26/2020 | Conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in the east pre-dawn |
| 04/08/2020 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 04/22/2020 | Lyrids Meteor Shower |
| 05/06/2020 | Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 05/07/2020 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 05/21/2020 | Conjunction of Venus and Mercury 1° apart in the west before sunset |
| 07/28/2020 | Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 08/12/2020 | Perseids Meteor Shower |
| 10/08/2020 | Draconids Meteor Shower |
| 10/21/2020 | Orionids Meteor Shower |
| 10/31/2020 | Full Moon, Blue Moon |
| 11/05/2020 | Taurids Meteor Shower |
| 11/17/2020 | Leonids Meteor Shower |
| 12/13/2020 | Geminids Meteor Shower |
| 12/14/2020 | Total solar eclipse Chile, Argentina, southern Pacific, southern Atlantic |
| 12/16/2020 | Conjunction of Crescent Moon, Jupiter and Saturn in the west before sunset |
| 12/21/2020 | Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn .1° apart evening |
| 12/21/2020 | Ursids Meteor Shower |
Astronomical Events 2021
| 01/03/2021 | Quadrantids Meteor Shower |
| 04/22/2021 | Lyrids Meteor Shower |
| 04/27/2021 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 05/06/2021 | Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 05/26/2021 | Lunar eclipse in Western North America |
| 05/26/2021 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 06/10/2021 | Partial solar eclipse extreme north-east United States, eastern Canada |
| 06/24/2021 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 07/12/2021 | Conjunction of Venus and Mars in the west around sunset |
| 07/28/2021 | Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 08/12/2021 | Perseids Meteor Shower |
| 08/22/2021 | Full Moon, Blue Moon |
| 10/08/2021 | Draconids Meteor Shower |
| 10/21/2021 | Orionids Meteor Shower |
| 11/05/2021 | Taurids Meteor Shower |
| 11/17/2021 | Leonids Meteor Shower |
| 11/19/2021 | Lunar eclipse in North America |
| 12/04/2021 | Total solar eclipse Antarctica, southern Atlantic |
| 12/13/2021 | Geminids Meteor Shower |
| 12/21/2021 | Ursids Meteor Shower |
Astronomical Events 2022
| 01/03/2022 | Quadrantids Meteor Shower |
| 04/22/2022 | Lyrids Meteor Shower |
| 05/06/2022 | Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 05/16/2022 | Lunar eclipse in North America |
| 05/29/2022 | Conjunction of Mars and Jupiter .5° apart pre-dawn |
| 06/14/2022 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 07/13/2022 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 07/28/2022 | Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 08/12/2022 | Perseids Meteor Shower |
| 08/12/2022 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 10/08/2022 | Draconids Meteor Shower |
| 10/21/2022 | Orionids Meteor Shower |
| 11/05/2022 | Taurids Meteor Shower |
| 11/08/2022 | Lunar eclipse in Western North America |
| 11/17/2022 | Leonids Meteor Shower |
| 12/13/2022 | Geminids Meteor Shower |
| 12/21/2022 | Ursids Meteor Shower |
| 12/29/2022 | Conjunction of Venus and Mercury in the west around sunset |
| | |
Astronomical Events 2023
| 01/03/2023 | Quadrantids Meteor Shower |
| 01/21/2023 | Conjunction of Venus and Saturn in the west around sunset |
| 03/01/2023 | Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter .5° apart in the west around sunset |
| 04/20/2023 | Total solar eclipse Indonesia, Australia |
| 04/22/2023 | Lyrids Meteor Shower |
| 05/06/2023 | Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 07/03/2023 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 07/28/2023 | Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 08/01/2023 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 08/12/2023 | Perseids Meteor Shower |
| 08/31/2023 | Full Moon, Supermoon, Blue Moon |
| 09/29/2023 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 10/08/2023 | Draconids Meteor Shower |
| 10/14/2023 | Partial solar eclipse North America, predominately southwest United States |
| 10/21/2023 | Orionids Meteor Shower |
| 11/05/2023 | Taurids Meteor Shower |
| 11/17/2023 | Leonids Meteor Shower |
| 12/13/2023 | Geminids Meteor Shower |
| 12/21/2023 | Ursids Meteor Shower |
Astronomical Events 2024
| 01/03/2024 | Quadrantids Meteor Shower |
| 04/08/2024 | Total solar eclipse large portions of the United States and Canada |
| 04/22/2024 | Lyrids Meteor Shower |
| 05/06/2024 | Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 07/28/2024 | Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 08/12/2024 | Perseids Meteor Shower |
| 08/19/2024 | Full Moon, Blue Moon |
| 09/17/2024 | Lunar eclipse in Eastern North America |
| 09/18/2024 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 10/08/2024 | Draconids Meteor Shower |
| 10/17/2024 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 10/21/2024 | Orionids Meteor Shower |
| 11/05/2024 | Taurids Meteor Shower |
| 11/15/2024 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 11/17/2024 | Leonids Meteor Shower |
| 12/13/2024 | Geminids Meteor Shower |
| 12/21/2024 | Ursids Meteor Shower |
Astronomical Events 2025
| 01/03/2025 | Quadrantids Meteor Shower |
| 01/18/2025 | Conjunction of Venus and Saturn in the west around sunset |
| 03/13/2025 | Lunar eclipse in North America |
| 03/29/2025 | Partial solar eclipse far eastern Canada |
| 04/22/2025 | Lyrids Meteor Shower |
| 05/06/2025 | Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 07/28/2025 | Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
| 08/12/2025 | Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the east pre-dawn |
| 08/12/2025 | Perseids Meteor Shower |
| 09/19/2025 | Conjunction of Moon, Venus and Regulus pre-dawn |
| 10/07/2025 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 10/08/2025 | Draconids Meteor Shower |
| 10/21/2025 | Orionids Meteor Shower |
| 11/05/2025 | Taurids Meteor Shower |
| 11/05/2025 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 11/17/2025 | Leonids Meteor Shower |
| 12/04/2025 | Full Moon, Supermoon |
| 12/13/2025 | Geminids Meteor Shower |
| 12/21/2025 | Ursids Meteor Shower |
Astronomical Events beyond
| 11/13/2032 | Transit of Mercury |
| 12/11/2117 | Transit of Venus |
For more detailed listings, see the NASA Astronomical Events page called SkyCal.
If you know of any astronomical events that are not on this astronomical events page, please use the contact form to let me know so I can add it. I will try to keep past astronomical events for reference.
Share this post!
