The New York Times has offered this calendar to readers since 2017. It’s a collection of newsworthy events in spaceflight and astronomy curated by the paper’s journalists.
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Even as the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter’s chill, our planet on Wednesday will be at perihelion, the closest it gets to the sun during its elliptical orbit. Learn more about planetary orbits and the search for life around the galaxy.
Active from Dec. 28, 2023 to Jan. 12. Peak night: Jan. 3 to 4.
The Quadrantids, which the International Meteor Organization has forecast to be one of the strongest meteor showers this year, are also one of the few caused by debris from an asteroid. Best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, the shower is one of the toughest to catch.
The Quadrantids have one of the shortest peak periods, lasting only six hours. And the time of year might mean cloudy skies and frigid temperatures. The moon will be over half full, which may also make meteors harder to spot.
United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, is preparing for the first flight of Vulcan, its new rocket. The rocket uses engines built by Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos of Amazon. It will carry Peregrine, a robotic lander built by Astrobotic of Pittsburgh, on a NASA-sponsored mission near the Ocean of Storms on the moon’s near side. If the mission launches on time, it would reach the lunar surface in late February, aiming to be the first privately built moon lander to do so.
Visits to the International Space Station are valuable, and would-be astronauts and their countries can wait a long time for the opportunity. In addition to wealthy adventurers, Axiom Space is making it possible for people to make the trip from countries that have seldom or never had astronauts aboard the orbital outpost. The three on the Ax-3 flight are: Alper Gezeravcı, who will be the first Turkish astronaut; Marcus Wandt, a European Space Agency astronaut from Sweden; and Walter Villadei, an Italian Air Force pilot who previously flew to the edge of space on a Virgin Galactic rocket plane.
The Japanese space agency’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon launched on a long lunar journey in September. The 420-pound spacecraft will attempt to set down after months in deep space, testing sophisticated lunar landing techniques for future space missions. It would be Japan’s first lunar landing, making it the fifth country to reach the moon.
Intuitive Machines, a Houston company, may launch its IM-1 mission, using its Nova-C spacecraft to carry payloads to the lunar South Pole region, potentially making it the second spacecraft to land there. Like Astrobotic, which is scheduled to launch in January, its mission is sponsored by NASA and is aiming to be the first privately built moon lander to successfully reach the lunar surface.
The H3 rocket, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, will be the flagship vehicle of Japan’s space program. Its first flight in March 2023 failed to reach orbit, resulting in the loss of an Earth imaging satellite. It could attempt to fly again as soon as Feb. 15, this time carrying a test payload and a pair of small satellites.
The NASA-ISRO SAR Mission, or NISAR, is a collaborative project between the American and Indian space agencies. Launching from an Indian rocket, the spacecraft will carry a variety of sensors, some provided by NASA, to study shifts in Earth’s land- and ice-covered surfaces using synthetic aperture radar. NASA says the launch will occur in early 2024, and ISRO has suggested it will be within the first quarter of the year. We will provide a more precise launch date for this mission when NASA and ISRO announce one.
The vernal equinox is one of two points in Earth’s orbit where the sun creates equal periods of daytime and nighttime across the globe. Many people mark it as the first day of the spring. See what it looks like from space.
In 2021, Jared Isaacman, the billionaire founder of the payments processor Shift4, took three people to space with him for a mission called Inspiration4. In 2022, he announced that there would be additional flights. This year, with a new crew in the SpaceX Dragon capsule, Mr. Isaacman wants to fly to a higher orbit and attempt a spacewalk. We will provide a more precise launch date for this mission when the Polaris Program announces one.
Nearly seven years ago, the “Great American Eclipse” crossed from Oregon to South Carolina, prompting inspiration and wonder as the moon obscured the sun. On April 8, skygazers will stop and watch the “Great North American Eclipse” that will take a southwest-to-northeast path across the continent. Order your eclipse glasses while you can, and don’t wait any longer to book travel plans if you aim to be in the path of totality.
Boeing and SpaceX once were racing to be the first to carry NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in a privately built spacecraft. That race ended in 2020, with SpaceX emerging as the victor. After technical problems in 2019 and 2021, Boeing finally sent an uncrewed Starliner to the space station in 2022. After even more delays prompted by problems with the capsule, it is scheduled to fly a crew of astronauts to the orbital outpost this spring, expanding the number of spacecraft capable of carrying humans into orbit.
Active from April 14 to 30. Peak night: April 21 to 22
Best seen from the Northern Hemisphere, the Lyrids are caused by the dusty debris from a comet named Thatcher and spring from the constellation Lyra.
During this year’s period of peak activity, viewers may have a more difficult time seeing meteors from this shower because the moon will be nearly full.
China has landed on the moon three times, including one mission to the lunar far side and another that collected moon rocks and brought them to Earth. Its next mission, Chang’e-6, will combine these two feats, gathering materials from the side of the moon humans cannot see to allow scientists on Earth to study them. We will provide a more precise launch date for this mission when China’s space agency announces one.
Active from April 19 to May 28. Peak night: May 5 to 6
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is known for its fast fireballs, which occur as Earth passes through the rubble left by Halley’s Comet.
Sometimes spelled Eta Aquariid, this shower is most easily seen from the southern tropics. But a lower rate of meteors will also be visible in the Northern Hemisphere close to sunrise. With the moon just a thin sliver in the sky, viewers could witness a strong show this year.
Europe’s final Ariane 5 rocket completed its last mission in July 2023, and problems with other rockets have left the continent’s space program reliant on SpaceX and others for trips to space. The Ariane 6 rocket could lift off on a demonstration flight that aims to restore Europe’s ability to reach space on its own after a series of delays. Other customers are also waiting to fly on the rocket.
It’s the scientific start to summer in the Northern Hemisphere, when this half of the world tilts toward the sun. Read more about the importance of the solstice for life on Earth.
Even as the Northern Hemisphere experiences the heat of summer, our planet is at aphelion, the farthest it will get from the sun during its elliptical orbit. Read more about aphelion, and what it’s like on other worlds in our solar system.
Southern Delta Aquarids active from July 12 to Aug. 23.
Alpha Capricornids active from July 3 to Aug. 15.
Peak night for both: July 30-31.
Two meteor showers peak at the end of July: the Southern Delta Aquarids, best seen in the Southern Hemisphere in the constellation Aquarius, and the Alpha Capricornids, which are visible from both hemispheres in Capricorn.
With the moon around 40 percent full, the already-faint Southern Delta Aquarids, sometimes spelled Aquariids, may be difficult to see. The Alpha Capricornids will be bright, but they rarely create more than five meteors an hour.
ESCAPADE is a small NASA-funded mission involving a pair of orbiters, Blue and Gold, that are operated by the Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory. As they travel around Mars, they will study the magnetic bubble around the red planet. Potentially, the two small satellites could launch on the first flight by New Glenn, the large orbital rocket built by Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos. We will provide a more precise launch date for this mission when NASA announces one.
Active from July 17 to Aug. 24. Peak night: Aug 11 to 12
A favorite among skywatchers, the Perseids are one of the strongest showers each year, with as many as 100 long, colorful streaks an hour.
It is a show best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. This year, observers may have to compete with light from the moon, which will be nearly half full on the night the Perseids peak.
The autumnal equinox is one of two points in Earth’s orbit where the sun creates equal periods of daytime and nighttime across the globe. Many mark it as the first day of the fall. See what it looks like from space.
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test slammed into Dimorphos in 2022 to test whether altering a space rock’s trajectory could protect Earth from future asteroid strikes. Europe’s Hera mission is a follow-up, providing a deeper assessment of the effects of the DART spacecraft’s collision. We will provide a more precise launch date for this mission when ESA announces one.
Europa Clipper is a major NASA mission headed to Jupiter’s moon, Europa, which has an icy exterior concealing a vast ocean that scientists say may have the right conditions for life. After it arrives at Europa in 2030, the spacecraft will attempt no landing there, but Clipper will study the moon during dozens of flybys. We will provide a more precise launch date for this mission when NASA announces one.
Active from Oct. 2 to Nov. 7. Peak night: Oct. 20 to 21
The Orionids are well-loved by meteor shower aficionados because of the bright, speedy streaks they make near the group of stars known as Orion’s Belt. Like the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, which peaked in early May, the Orionids result when Earth passes through debris from Halley’s Comet.
This shower can be seen from both hemispheres. But viewers this year may have trouble spotting some of the fainter streaks because the moon will be over 80 percent full.
NASA introduced the four astronauts of Artemis II last year. As soon as November, they could travel around the moon and back. They would be the first humans to travel near the moon since 1972, when the Apollo 17 mission concluded. To fly in 2024, NASA will need to resolve issues with a heat shield on the astronauts’ spacecraft, as well as overcome other potential delays. We will provide a more precise launch date for this mission when NASA announces one.
Active from Nov. 6 to 30. Peak night: Nov. 16 to 17
The Leonids produce some of the fastest meteors each year, at 44 miles per second, with bright, long tails.
Meteors from the Leonids can be spotted in the constellation Leo, and they will be visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. This year, spotting the Leonids will be difficult because of the nearly full moon.
Active from Dec. 11 to 20. Peak night: Dec. 13 to 14
Caused by debris from an asteroid, the Geminids are one of the strongest and most popular meteor showers each year. This shower is best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, but observers south of the Equator can also witness the show.
Like the Leonids last month, the Geminids peak during a nearly full moon, which may wash out the light from fainter streaks in the sky.
It’s the scientific start to winter in the Northern Hemisphere, when this half of the world tilts away from the sun. Read more about the solstice.
Active from Dec. 17 to 26. Peak night: Dec. 21 to 22
A winter solstice light show, meteors from the Ursids appear near the Little Dipper, which is part of the constellation Ursa Minor.
Only skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere will have a chance of seeing this shower. The moon will be half full, making streaks in the sky even more challenging to spot.
In what could be the first private mission to another planet, the company Rocket Lab is sending a Photon spacecraft toward Venus, where it will fire a small probe to briefly study the toxic world’s atmosphere.
Our universe might be chock-full of cosmic wonder, but you can only observe a fraction of astronomical phenomena with your naked eye. Meteor showers, natural fireworks that streak brightly across the night sky, are one of them.
Where meteor showers come from
There is a chance you might see a meteor on any given night, but you are most likely to catch one during a shower. Meteor showers are caused by Earth passing through the rubble trailing a comet or asteroid as it swings around the sun. This debris, which can be as small as a grain of sand, leaves behind a glowing stream of light as it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere.
Meteor showers occur around the same time every year and can last for days or weeks. But there is only a small window when each shower is at its peak, which happens when Earth reaches the densest part of the cosmic debris. The peak is the best time to look for a shower. From our point of view on Earth, the meteors will appear to come from the same point in the sky.
The Perseid meteor shower, for example, peaks in mid-August from the constellation Perseus. The Geminids, which occur every December, radiate from the constellation Gemini.
How to watch a meteor shower
Michelle Nichols, the director of public observing at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, recommends forgoing the use of telescopes or binoculars while watching a meteor shower.
“You just need your eyes and, ideally, a dark sky,” she said.
That’s because meteors can shoot across large swaths of the sky, so observing equipment can limit your field of view.
Some showers are strong enough to produce up to 100 streaks an hour, according to the American Meteor Society, though you likely won’t see that many.
“Almost everybody is under a light polluted sky,” Ms. Nichols said. “You may think you’re under a dark sky, but in reality, even in a small town, you can have bright lights nearby.”
Planetariums, local astronomy clubs or even maps like this one can help you figure out where to get away from excessive light. The best conditions for catching a meteor shower are a clear sky with no moon or cloud cover, at sometime between midnight and sunrise. (Moonlight affects visibility in the same way as light pollution, washing out fainter sources of light in the sky.) Make sure to give your eyes at least 30 minutes to adjust to seeing in the dark.
Ms. Nichols also recommends wearing layers, even during the summer. “You’re going to be sitting there for quite a while, watching,” she said. “It’s going to get chilly, even in August.”
Bring a cup of cocoa or tea for even more warmth. Then sit back, scan the sky and enjoy the show.