Prepare for a year filled with awe-inspiring reasons to look up at the night sky.
There will be full moons, meteor showers, eclipses and planets visible in the morning and evening skies across the world in 2021.
Meteor showers
The Quadrantid meteor shower on Jan. 3 kicked off the first of 12 meteor showers across 2021.
The largest obstacle to being able to see meteor showers that are only visible from certain hemispheres — apart from your location — is the brightness of the moon. The more full the moon is, the harder it is to see meteors streak across the sky.
There is a bit of a wait until 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 soon 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 Delta Aquariids are also best seen from the southern tropics and will peak between July 28 and 29 when the moon is 74% full.
Interestingly, another meteor shower peaks on the same night — the Alpha Capricornids. Although this is a much weaker shower, it has been known to produce some bright fireballs during the peak. And it will be visible for those on either side of the equator.
The Perseid meteor shower, the most popular of the year, will peak between Aug. 11 and 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 meteor shower outlook.
- Oct. 8: Draconids
- Oct. 21: Orionids
- Nov. 4 to 5: South Taurids
- Nov. 11 to 12: North Taurids
- Nov. 17: Leonids
- Dec. 13 to 14: Geminids
- Dec. 22: Ursids
The Milky Way is seen from the Glacier Point Trailside in Yosemite National Park, California.
Full moons
Typical of a normal year, 2021 will also have 12 full moons. (Last year had 13 full moons, two of which were in October).
Here are all of the full moons occurring this year and their names, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac:
- Jan. 28 — Wolf moon
- Feb. 27 — Snow moon
- March 28 — Worm moon
- April 26 — Pink moon
- May 26 — Flower moon
- June 24 — Strawberry moon
- July 23 — Buck moon
- Aug. 22 — Sturgeon moon
- Sept. 20 — Harvest moon
- Oct. 20 — Hunter's moon
- Nov. 19 — Beaver moon
- Dec. 18 — Cold moon
Solar and lunar eclipses
This year, there will be two eclipses of the sun and two eclipses of the moon — and three of these will be visible for some in North America, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
A total eclipse of the moon will occur on May 26, best visible to those in western North America and Hawaii from 4:46 a.m. ET to 9:51 a.m. ET.
An annular eclipse of the sun will happen on June 10, visible in northern and northeastern North America from 4:12 a.m. ET to 9:11 a.m. ET. The sun won't be fully blocked by the moon, so be sure to wear eclipse glasses to safely view this event.
Nov. 19 will see a partial eclipse of the moon and skywatchers in North America and Hawaii will see it between 1 a.m. ET and 7:06 a.m. ET.
And the year ends with a total eclipse of the sun on Dec. 4. It won't be seen in North America, but those in the Falkland Islands, the southern tip of Africa, Antarctica and southeastern Australia will be able to spot it.
Visible planets
Skywatchers will have multiple opportunities to spot the planets in our sky during certain mornings and evenings throughout 2021, according to The Farmer's Almanac planetary guide.
It's possible to see most of these with the naked eye, with the exception of distant Neptune, but binoculars or a telescope will provide the best view.
Mercury will look like a bright star in the morning sky from Feb. 28 to March 20, June 27 to July 16, and Oct. 18 to Nov. 1. It will shine in the night sky from Jan. 15 to Jan. 31, May 3 to May 24, Aug. 31 to Sept. 21 and Nov. 29 to Dec. 31.
Venus, our closest neighbor in the solar system, will appear in the eastern sky on the mornings of Jan. 1 to 23 and in the western sky at dusk on the evenings of May 24 to Dec. 31. It's the second brightest object in our sky after the moon.
Mars makes its reddish appearance in the morning sky between Nov. 24 and Dec. 31 and will be visible in the evening sky between Jan. 1 and Aug. 22.
Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is the third brightest object in our sky. It will be on display in the morning sky between Feb. 17 and Aug. 19. Look for it in the evenings of Jan. 1 to 9 and Aug. 20 to Dec. 31 — but it will be at its brightest from Aug. 8 to Sept. 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 Feb. 10 to Aug. 1 and the evenings of Jan. 1 to 6 and Aug. 2 to Dec. 31. It will be at its brightest between Aug. 1 to 4.
Binoculars or a telescope will help you spot the greenish glow of Uranus on the mornings of May 16 to Nov. 3 and the evenings of Jan. 1 to April 12 and Nov. 4 to Dec. 31 — but at its brightest between Aug. 28 to Dec. 31.
And our most distant neighbor in the solar system, Neptune will be visible through a telescope on the mornings of March 27 to Sept. 13 and the evenings of Jan. 1 to Feb. 23 and Sept. 14 to Dec. 31. It will be at its brightest between July 19 and Nov. 8.
RELATED:Â What is the Wolf Moon? A guide to full moon nicknames
January: Wolf Moon
The names for full moons, especially the most common ones adopted by the Old Farmer's Almanac, generally come from a combination of Native American and Colonial American terminology that have been passed down through generations.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, January's full moon was named the Wolf Moon because wolves tend to howl more during this time period.Â
Other names:Â Moon After Yule, Old Moon, Ice Moon, and Snow Moon.
An airplane passes the full moon, known in the Farmers' Almanac as the "Wolf Moon," on its final approach to Los Angeles International Airport over Whittier, Calif. on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
February: Snow Moon
February is generally the snowiest month of the year in North America, so its full moon was appropriately nicknamed the Snow Moon, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
Other names:Â Hunger Moon, Storm Moon and Chaste Moon.
The full Snow Moon lights up the night sky over Lawrence, Kan., Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. February's full moon is so-named from Native American traditions because usually the heaviest snows fall in month. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
March: Worm Moon
March marks the end of winter, which is the first time earthworms start coming out of the ground. The Worm Moon in March is usually the last full moon before the spring equinox.
Other names:Â Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon, Sugar Moon, and Chaste Moon.
According to TimeandDate.com, the Old English or Anglo-Saxon name is the Lenten Moon.
The full moon rises above the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Saturday, March 19, 2011. The moon appeared larger as it made its closest approach to Earth in 18 years. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
April: Pink Moon
April's Pink Moon doesn't actually appear pink in the sky. It's named instead after the pink flowers – Wild Ground Phlox or Moss Phlox– that start showing up in early spring, according to TimeandDate.com.
April's full moon is also called the Paschal Full Moon in the Christian calendar. The Paschal Full Moon is the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox and is used to determine the date for Easter.
Other names: Sprouting Grass Moon, Fish Moon, Hare Moon, and Egg Moon
A view of the full pink moon, in Lakatamia a suburb of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Friday, April 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
May: Flower Moon
May's full moon is simply named the Flower Moon due to the flowers that bloom during the month.
Other names:Â Corn Planting Moon and Milk Moon.
A full moon rises behind the Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion, south east of Athens, Greece, while tourists watch, on Saturday, May 5, 2012. Saturday's event is a "supermoon," the closest and therefore the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis)
June: Strawberry Moon
In North America, the name comes from Algonquin tribes of Native Americans. This full moon was their sign to harvest wild strawberries, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Other names: Honey Moon, Mead Moon, Full Rose Moon, Oak Moon, Cold Moon or Long Night Moon, according to EarthSky.org.
The nearly full moon rises in the background as a horse eat grass in a field in Bloomsburg, Pa., after the sunset Monday, June 16, 2008, following a thunder storm which moved across the region. (AP Photo/Bloomsburg Press Enterprise, Jimmy May)
July: Buck Moon
Antlers generally start showing up on male deer during July, giving the month's full moon the name Buck Moon.
Other names:Â Thunder Moon, Wort Moon, and Hay Moon.
Fireworks light up the sky against a full moon during a Fourth of July celebration in Kansas City, Kan., Tuesday, July 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
August: Sturgeon Moon
Many Native American tribes would fish for sturgeon during August, thus giving the month's full moon the name Sturgeon Moon.Â
The fish were once found in much of the U.S. and Canada, but the population has been significantly depleted due to overfishing.Â
Other names: Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Fruit Moon, and Barley Moon.
The super moon rises over the Chinese calligraphy on a sign that reads "Beijing" in Beijing, China, Sunday, August 10, 2014. The phenomenon, which scientists call a perigee moon, occurs when the moon is near the horizon and appears larger and brighter than other full moons. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
September: Harvest Moon/Corn Moon
The September full moon is usually the Harvest Moon, which is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. However, that sometimes happens in early October instead.
The name Corn Moon is used nearly as often.
Other names: Barley Moon.
The harvest moon rises over the Colorado prairie framed by the engines of a Royal Air Force cargo plane parked at a general aviation terminal at Denver International Airport in east Denver on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
October: Hunter's Moon
As previously mentioned, October's full moon is sometimes referred to as the Harvest Moon if it's the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox. However, it's more commonly referred to as the Hunter's Moon. This is because October was when people in the Northern Hemisphere would begin preparing for winter by hunting, slaughtering and preserving meat.
Other names:Â Blood Moon, Sanguine Moon, Travel Moon and Dying Grass Moon.
A pedestrian crosses over the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge as the full moon rises, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, in Cincinnati. The moon, better known as the Harvest Moon because it's the first full moon during the fall season, had not risen in its full stage during the month of October since 2009. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
November: Beaver Moon
Colonists and Native Americans used beaver furs to keep warm during winter. They'd set traps in November before swamps froze over to make sure they had enough fur for the cold months ahead. Beavers also became more active during November, making it that much easier to trap them, thus the name Beaver Moon.
Due to hunting, the beaver population in North America has dwindled to about 12 million, where it used to be about 60 million, according to TimeandDate.com.
Other names:Â Frost Moon, Trading Moon, Snow Moon and Mourning Moon.
The full moon rises behind holiday lights on Thanksgiving in Lawrence, Kan., Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
December: Cold Moon
The naming of December's full moon is pretty straightforward — it's cold in December in most parts of the Northern Hemisphere. More specifically, it's usually the first month in many areas where it gets really cold and stays that way.
Other names:Â Â Long Nights Moon, Moon Before Yule, Oak Moon and Wolf Moon.
The Full Cold Moon seen through the star of a Christmas tree in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015. The full moon, which is the last of the year, is called the Full Cold Moon because it occurs at the start of winter. The last time there was a full moon on 25 December was 1977, and there won't be another one until 2034. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Blue Moons
The Blue Moon has nothing to do with color. Most commonly, a Blue Moon occurs when there are two full moons in the same month. The first would get the traditional name, while the second moon is called the Blue Moon.
An alternative definition considers a Blue Moon the third full moon in an astronomical season with four full moons, according to TimeandDate.com. A typical season has three full moons.
A blue moon rises behind the Statue of Liberty seen from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J., Friday, July 31, 2015. The blue moon happens when the moon rises in its full stage twice during the same month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
