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STARGAZING doesn’t always go to plan. Even with the best of intentions, equipment and preparation, when it comes down to it, clouds can stop play. But knowing ahead of time when specific events are happening means that at least you will never be in the dark as to what is going on. That is why, at the start of each year, I make time to go through my calendar and pop in a few dates of upcoming astronomical spectacles I want to see.

One of the best ways to plan a stargazing session, whether it is for a specific event or just to look at the wonders of the night sky, is to use astronomy software. Regular readers of this column will know I am a fan of , a free program you can use in a web browser or download as a desktop version. It has some advanced options for filtering to find targets, is easy to use and you can plug in your exact location and when you want to stargaze for any point in the future.

The first dates I will be putting into my diary this year are when the planets and the moon will be looking particularly stunning. On 23 January, the crescent moon will be next to Venus and Saturn in the sky, just after sunset. A month later, on 22 February, a sliver of the crescent moon will be right next to Jupiter, with Venus not far away. Then, on 1 March, Jupiter and Venus will pass by each other within half a degree – about the size of the full moon in the sky or the width of your thumb if you hold it at arm’s length. These arrangements will all be visible from anywhere in the world.

Skywatchers in the southern hemisphere will be treated to a rare hybrid total solar eclipse on 20 April. This kind of eclipse happens when the moon blocks the whole of the sun’s face in some parts of the world, but when viewed from some other places, it appears to be annular, which means a ring of light is visible around the moon’s shadow.

Only people in the western parts of Australia and southern Indonesia will see the total eclipse. For those in the wider area, including Hawaii and Papua New Guinea, the eclipse will be annular.

There will be a lunar eclipse visible from most of Europe, Asia and Australasia on 5 and 6 May. A solar eclipse that will be annular for all viewers can be seen from parts of North and South America on 14 October. Finally, the fourth eclipse of 2023 will be a partial lunar one, visible from most of the world except western parts of the Americas, on 28 and 29 October.

There are dates that crop up around the same time every year, including meteor showers. On that front, the Lyrid meteors peak on 22 and 23 April, the Perseids on 12 and 13 August and the Geminids on 13 and 14 December, perfectly timed with a new moon. Join me in popping those dates in your diary, and wishing for clear skies.

Abigail Beall is a features editor at Â鶹´«Ã½ and author of The Art of Urban Astronomy @abbybeall

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