Skywatching in 2015: 9 Must-See Stargazing Events

Meteor showers and eclipses of the sun and moon are just some of the amazing stargazing events of 2015. See our list of the best astronomy events of the year in this infographic.
Meteor showers and eclipses of the sun and moon are just some of the amazing stargazing events of 2015. See our list of the best astronomy events of the year in this infographic. (Image credit: Space.com)

The year 2015 is packed full of amazing astronomical sights in the daytime and nighttime sky, from solar and lunar eclipses to dazzlingly bright planets. At Space.com, we've looked at the night sky events in 2015 to make our annual list of the best astronomy sights of the year.

If you are a casual stargazer or die-hard amateur astronomer, there is likely something here that will make you look up:

March 20: Total Eclipse of the Sun

Northerners will get quite the view as the dark shadow of the moon traces a curved path primarily over the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. LIVE ECLIPSE WEBCASTS

Solar Eclipses: An Observer's Guide (Infographic)
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How to Safely Observe the Sun (Infographic)

Solar Eclipses: What is a Total Solar Eclipse & When is the Next One?

April 4: Total Eclipse of the Moon

This will be the shortest eclipse since Oct. 13, 1856. The entire disk of the moon will be in the Earth’s shadow for only 9 minutes, and will be best seen from the Pacific coast, Alaska and Hawaii.

Lunar Eclipse Beauty: How to Photograph the Moon (Gallery)
How Lunar Eclipses Work (Infographic)

June 30: A Brilliant Double Planet

Venus and Jupiter will be close together in the west-southwest sky shortly after sunset for a spectacular view.

August 12: Perseid Meteor Shower

This year the moon shouldn't interfere with the best meteor shower of the year, which can viewers can see up to 90 meteors an hour.

The Perseid Meteor Shower of 2014: Photo Gallery
Top 10 Perseid Meteor Shower Facts

Sept. 4: Last Quarter Moon

Look up to see the last quarter moon pass in front of Aldebaran, one of the brightest stars in the sky and the eye of the constellation Taurus the Bull.

How to Observe the Moon (Infographic)

Sept. 27-28: Lunar Eclipse

Central and eastern North America gets a treat with a total lunar eclipse visible from start to finish. The farther west you are the more likely the eclipse will begin before moonrise. Western and central Europe will see it before the moon sets in the morning on Sept. 28.

'Blood Moons' Explained: What Causes a Lunar Eclipse Tetrad? (Infographic)
The Moon: 10 Surprising Lunar Facts

Oct. 26: Another brilliant double planet

Venus and Jupiter engage in their second close conjunction of 2015.

Amazing Photos of Jupiter and Venus Together by Stargazers

Nov. 5- 12: Taurid meteor shower peak

This annual display should involve "fireball meteors" this year. Watch for them from mid-October to mid-November, peaking from Nov. 5 through 12.

Dec. 13-14: Geminid Meteor Shower

The king of meteor showers will light up the sky Dec. 13 and 14, as the narrow crescent moon sets early, providing ideal viewing conditions. At peak, watchers can see up to 2 meteors per minute.

Awesome Geminid Meteor Showers of 2014

Editor's note: If you take an amazing skywatching photo that you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

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Space.com Staff
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Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.