Celestial events look forward to in 2023
January 23: A brief celestial meeting - Just as the sun sets on January 23, both Venus and Saturn will appear to be gathered under the paper-thin crescent moon in quiet, cosmic congress.
January 30: Mercury at its greatest elongation - January will close out with the best chance to see Mercury in the sky for the whole year.
January 28 - February 21: α-Centaurid meteor shower - Stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere will be able to enjoy the α-Centaurid (Alpha Centaurid) meteor shower at its height on February 8.
February 22: Lunar occultation Viewers at the furthest tips of the Southern Hemisphere can witness the phenomenal lunar occultation of Jupiter.
March 20: The vernal equinox The vernal equinox might not be a visually stunning event, but it is celestially important nonetheless.
April 11: Venus and the Seven Sisters - Venus, the second planet from the sun, will get quite cozy with the brilliant Seven Sisters stars of the Pleiades cluster.
April 20: Hybrid solar eclipse - The Eastern Hemisphere will be able to enjoy a rare hybrid solar eclipse on April 20.
April 23: Lyrid meteor shower - The first truly magnificent meteor shower of the year will reach its peak on the night of April 23.
May 6: Penumbral lunar eclipse - The night of May 6 will bring a penumbral lunar eclipse to Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.
June 4: Venus at its greatest elongation - Venus, already the brightest planet in the sky, will shine even brighter just after sunset on June 4.
July 3: Supermoon - The first supermoon of 2023 will be living large on the night of July 3.
August 12: Perseids meteor shower - By far the most popular annual celestial event of the year, the Perseids shower provides a spectacular light show that people can enjoy on the night of August 12.
September 19: Neptune at opposition - Just a few weeks after Saturn's time in the limelight, it's Neptune's turn.
September 23: Southward equinox - In 2023, the Southward equinox falls on September 23. For the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the beginning of autumn.
October 14: Ring of fire eclipse - On October 14, people in North and South America will get the chance to view an impressive annular, or "ring of fire," eclipse.
November 3: Jupiter at opposition - Jupiter will have its turn at opposition on November 3.
November 17: Leonid meteor shower - The Leonid meteor shower is a dependable meteor shower that will be at its busiest in 2023 on November 23.
December 22: Southern solstice - The year closes out with the southern solstice on December 22.