It's always fun to watch what happens in the vast universe above us. The Great American solar eclipse in August of last year took the world by storm. Even just seeing the stars in the night sky is impressive and awe-inspiring, relating to the world around us. These five astronomical events happening this year are definitely one's to be aware of for all of you stargazers. Some events in this article have already happened, but they are still fascinating events in the world of science and astronomical phenomena.

January 31st: Blue moon eclipse

This one has already past but it's still worth noting.

The combination of these two lunar phenomena was a really rare event. It was the combination of a second full moon in one month, a blue moon, passing through Earth's shadow cast by the sun, an eclipse. To explain the rarity for the combination of these events, the last blue moon eclipse was over 150 years ago. That was in 1868!

February to March: Planetary alignment

Again, another event that has already occurred but still is very interesting to explore. The planets Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter, were seemingly all lined up in a row in the night sky. The best place, according to National Geographic, to watch this fascinating celestial event was in Southeastern skies early in the morning just before the sunrise.

To add even more to this occurrence, on March 8, the moon joined the planetary conga line, and snuck itself in between Mars and Jupiter, seemingly disappearing altogether.

July 31st: Mars at opposition

To the naked eye, Mars will appear in the night sky as a bright orange star. If you have a telescope, however, you will be able to see "The Red Giant's" white polar caps and volcanic planes.

Someone tell Elon Musk!

August 12th to 13th: Perseid meteor shower

These dates later this year are the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. The Perseid meteor shower usually rains around 160 to 200 meteors every hour. The reason that this shower is special is because this year it lines up with a moon-less sky, making it extra visible.

Make sure to make a wish on all of the shooting stars!

August 17th: Venus at elongation

On this date, Venus will be the third brightest object in the sky. Sharing a name with a Roman goddess, the planet (coined the "Planet of Love") will be at its peak visibility in the early evening on August 17th of this year.

I'm excited to see what will happen in 2019. Have a blast, fellow stargazers!
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