Date, day of the week, local time, celestial event

January

Jan. 1, Tuesday, 17:59, Earth at Perihelion, closest to sun (0.9833 AU)

Jan. 3, Thursday, 6:33, Quadrantid meteor shower (120 meteors per hour)

Jan. 4, Friday, 20:58, 3rd quarter moon

Jan. 5, Saturday, 5:00, Moon close to bright star Spica

Jan. 6, Sunday, 5:00, Moon close to planet Saturn

Jan. 10, Thursday, 6:00, Moon close to planet Venus

Jan. 11, Friday, 12:44, New moon

Jan. 18, Friday, 1:44, Mercury at superior conjunction with sun

Jan. 18, Friday, 16:45, 1st quarter moon

Moon meets Jupiter on Dec. 4, 2004: The moon and the dazzling planet Jupiter will cross paths several times in 2013, but the most spectacular meeting will occur Jan. 21. Even a pair of binoculars should reveal Jupiter's two largest moons, Ganymede and Callisto, just off the moon's shadowed horizon, as seen in this image from 2004.

Jan. 21, Monday, 20:30, Moon very close to planet Jupiter (0.75º)*

Jan. 26, Saturday, 21:38, Full snow moon

February

Feb. 1, Friday, 1:00, Moon close to bright star Spica

Feb. 3, Sunday, 3:00, Moon close to planet Saturn

Feb. 3, Sunday, 6:56, 3rd quarter moon

Feb. 8, Friday, 18:30, Planet Mercury very close to planet Mars (0.3º)

Feb. 10, Sunday, 0:20, New moon

Feb. 16, Saturday, 13:59, Mercury at greatest elongation 18.1° east of the sun

Feb. 17, Sunday, 13:31, 1st quarter moon

Feb. 18, Monday, 19:00, Moon close to planet Jupiter

Feb. 20, Wednesday, 23:36, Neptune in conjunction with the sun

Feb. 25, Monday, 13:26, Full crow moon

Feb. 28, Thursday, 23:56, Moon very close to bright star Spica (0.1°)

March

March 2, Saturday, 23:00, Moon close to planet Saturn

March 4, Monday, 5:55, Mercury at inferior conjunction with the sun

March 4, Monday, 14:53, 3rd quarter moon

March 5, Tuesday, N/A, Comet PANSTARRS closest to Earth (1.09 AU)

March 10, Sunday, 2:00, Daylight Savings Time Begins

March 10, Sunday, N/A, Comet PANSTARRS at Perihelion (0.30 AU from sun)

March 11, Monday, 13:51, New moon

March 13, Wednesday, 19:30, Moon close to Comet PANSTARRS*

March 17, Sunday, 19:30, Moon close to planet Jupiter and bright star Aldebaran

March 19, Tuesday, 11:27, 1st quarter moon

March 20, Wednesday, 5:02, Vernal equinox (spring begins in Northern Hemisphere)

March 27, Wednesday, 3:27, Full egg moon

March 27, Thursday, 22:00, Moon close to bright star Spica

March 28, Thursday, 10:45, Venus in superior conjunction with the sun

March 28, Thursday, 17:59, Uranus in conjunction with the sun

March 28, Thursday, 23:00, Moon close to planet Saturn

March 31, Sunday, 15:59, Mercury at greatest elongation 27.8° west of the sun

April

April 2, Tuesday, 22:36, 3rd quarter moon

April 2, Tuesday, 20:30, Comet PANSTARRS close to M31 Andromeda Galaxy

April 10, Wednesday, 3:35, New moon

April 14, Sunday, 21:00, Moon close to planet Jupiter

April 17, Wednesday, 17:39, Mars in conjunction with the sun

April 18, Thursday, 6:31, 1st quarter moon

April 22, Monday, 5:03, Lyrid meteor shower (20 meteors per hour)

April 24, Wednesday, 21:00, Moon close to bright star Spica

April 25, Thursday, 13:57, Full milk moon

April 25, Thursday, 14:09, Partial Lunar Eclipse (Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia)

April 25, Thursday, 21:00, Moon close to planet Saturn

April 28, Sunday, 1:42, Saturn at opposition (8.82 AU from Earth)*

May

May 2, Thursday, 5:14, 3rd quarter moon

May 4, Saturday, 18:17, Eta Aquarid meteor shower (60 meteors per hour)

May 9, Thursday, 18:26, Annular solar eclipse (Australia, Pacific Ocean)

May 9, Thursday, 18:29, New moon

May 11, Saturday, 14:57, Mercury at superior conjunction with the sun

May 12, Sunday, 21:00, Moon close to planet Jupiter

May 17, Friday, 22:35, 1st quarter moon

May 21, Tuesday, 22:00, Moon close to bright star Spica

May 22, Wednesday, 22:00, Moon close to planet Saturn

May 24, Friday, 22:11, Penumbral lunar eclipse (North America, South America, Africa)

May 24, Friday, 22:25, Full flower moon

May 26, Sunday, 21:00, Planets Venus, Jupiter, Mercury cluster in evening sky*

May 27, Monday, 21:00, Planet Mercury 2º from planet Jupiter

May 28, Tuesday, 21:00, Planet Venus 1º from planet Jupiter

May 31, Friday, 12:58, 3rd quarter moon

June

June 8, Saturday, 9:56, New moon

June 10, Monday, 21:00, Moon close to planets Venus and Mercury*

June 12, Wednesday, 10:59, Mercury at greatest elongation 24.3° East of the sun

June 16, Sunday, 11:24, 1st quarter moon

June 18, Tuesday, 22:00, Moon close to bright star Spica

June 19, Wednesday, 9:00, Jupiter in conjunction with the sun

June 19, Wednesday, 22:00, Moon close to planet Saturn

June 20, Thursday, 21:30, Planet Mercury 2º from planet Venus

June 20, Thursday, 23:04, Summer solstice (summer begins in Northern Hemisphere)

June 21, Friday, 21:30, Venus close to bright star Pollux

June 23, Sunday, 5:32, Full thunder moon

June 29, Saturday, 22:54, 3rd quarter moon

July

July 3, Wednesday, 21:30, Planet Venus in the Beehive Star Cluster, M44

July 5, Friday, 12:59, Earth at Aphelion, farthest from sun (1.0167 AU)

July 8, Monday, 1:14, New moon

July 9, Tuesday, 12:39, Mercury at inferior conjunction with the sun

July 15, Monday, 22:00, Moon very close to bright star Spica (0.5º)

July 15, Monday, 21:18, 1st quarter moon

July 16, Tuesday, 22:30, Moon close to planet Saturn

July 21, Sunday, 4:30, Planet Mars 0.8º from planet Jupiter

July 22, Monday, 21:30, Planet Venus 1º from bright star Regulus

July 22, Monday, 12:15, Full green corn moon

July 27, Saturday, 20:05, Delta Aquarid meteor shower (20 per hour)

July 29, Monday, 11:43, 3rd quarter moon

July 30, Tuesday, 2:59, Mercury at greatest elongation 19.6° west of the sun

August

Aug. 3, Saturday, 5:00, Moon close to planet Jupiter

Aug. 6, Tuesday, 15:51, New moon

Aug. 9, Friday, 21:00, Moon close to planet Venus

Aug. 11, Monday, 21:00, Moon close to bright star Spica

Aug. 12, Monday, 11:59, Perseid meteor shower (90 per hour)*

Aug. 12, Monday, 21:00, Moon close to planet Saturn

Aug. 14, Wednesday, 4:56, 1st quarter moon

Aug. 17, Saturday, 5:00, Mars close to bright stars Castor and Pollux

Aug. 20, Tuesday, 19:45, Full blue moon

Aug. 24, Saturday, 14:37, Mercury at superior conjunction with the sun

Aug. 26, Monday, 18:01, Neptune at opposition (28.973 AU from Earth)

Aug. 28, Wednesday, 3:35, 3rd quarter moon

Aug. 31, Saturday, 5:00, Moon close to planet Jupiter

September

Sept. 5, Thursday, 5:36, New moon

Sept. 5, Thursday, 20:30, Planet Venus 1.6º from bright star Spica

Sept. 8, Sunday, 5:00, Mars passes through the Beehive Star Cluster, M44

Sept. 8, Sunday, 20:00, Moon close to planet Venus

Sept. 9, Monday, 20:30, Moon close to planet Saturn

Sept. 12, Thursday, 11:08, 1st quarter moon

Sept. 18, Wednesday, 20:00, Planet Venus 3.5º from planet Saturn

Sept. 19, Thursday, 5:13, Full fruit moon

Sept. 22, Sunday, 14:44, Autumnal equinox (autumn begins in Northern Hemisphere)

Sept. 24, Tuesday, 5:00, Moon close to bright star Aldebaran

Sept. 26, Thursday, 21:56, 3rd quarter moon

October

Oct. 3, Thursday, 7:27, Uranus at opposition (19.04 AU from Earth)

Oct. 4, Friday, 18:35, New moon

Oct. 6, Sunday, 19:00, Moon close to planets Mercury and Saturn

Oct. 8, Tuesday, 19:30, Moon close to planet Venus

Oct. 9, Wednesday, 3:59, Mercury at greatest elongation 25.3° east of the sun

Oct. 11, Friday, 17:02, 1st quarter moon

Oct. 14, Monday, 5:00, Planet Mars 1º from bright star Regulus

Oct. 16, Wednesday, 19:30, Venus 1.5º from bright star Antares

Oct. 18, Friday, 17:38, Full harvest moon

Oct. 18, Friday, 17:51, Penumbral Lunar Eclipse (Africa, North and South America, Europe, Asia)

Oct. 21, Monday, 4:17, Orionid meteor shower (20 per hour)

Oct. 21, Tuesday, 22:00, Moon close to the bright star Aldebaran

Oct. 26, Saturday, 17:41, 3rd quarter moon

November

Nov. 1, Friday, 1:59, Venus at greatest elongation 47.1° east of the sun*

Nov. 1, Friday, 13:12, Mercury at inferior conjunction

Nov. 3, Sunday, 2:00, Daylight savings time ends

Nov. 3, Sunday, 5:47, Hybrid total/annular solar eclipse (Atlantic Ocean, Africa)

Nov. 3, Sunday, 5:50, New moon

Nov. 5, Tuesday, 3:45, South Taurid meteor shower (10 per hour)

Nov. 6, Wednesday, 4:29, Saturn in conjunction with the sun

Nov. 9, Saturday, 22:57, 1st quarter moon

Nov. 12, Tuesday, 3:02, North Taurid meteor shower (15 per hour)

Nov. 17, Sunday, 8:16, Full hunter's moon

Nov. 17, Sunday, 9:19, Leonid meteor shower (15 per hour)

Nov. 17, Sunday, 18:59, Mercury at greatest elongation 19.5° west of the sun

Nov. 18, Monday, 19:30, Moon close to bright star Aldebaran

Nov. 25, Monday, 12:28, 3rd quarter moon

Nov. 25, Monday, 6:00, Planet Mercury 0.3º from planet Saturn

Nov. 29, Friday, 5:30, Moon close to bright star Spica

Comet Hale-Bopp on March 16, 1997: The brightest comet that most people alive today can remember is Comet Hale-Bopp, which hung in our evening sky like a kite for several weeks in spring 1997. In 2013, two new comets might outperform Hale-Bopp — Comet PanSTARRS and Comet ISON. Comet ISON, in particular, has the potential to outshine Hale-Bopp by a factor of 4000, becoming one of the brightest comets seen from Earth in centuries. We'll just have to wait and see.

Nov. 29, Friday, 12:00, Comet ISON at Perihelion, possibly visible near sun in daytime sky (0.0125 AU from sun)*

December

Dec. 1, Sunday, 6:00, Moon close to planets Mercury and Saturn

Dec. 2, Monday, 17:22, New moon

Dec. 9, Monday, 8:12, 1st quarter moon

Dec. 13, Friday, 22:30, Geminid meteor shower (120 per hour)*

Dec. 15, Sunday, 18:00, Moon close to bright star Aldebaran

Dec. 17, Tuesday, 2:28, Full long night moon

Dec. 21, Saturday, 10:11, Winter solstice (winter begins in Northern Hemisphere)

Dec. 22, Sunday, 7:00, Ursid meteor shower (10 per hour)

Dec. 25, Wednesday, 6:48, 3rd quarter moon

Dec. 26, Thursday, 6:00, Moon close to planet Mars and bright star Spica

Dec. 28, Saturday, 6:00, Moon close to planet Saturn

Dec. 28, Saturday, 23:00, Mercury at superior conjunction with the sun

*Denotes one of Jimmy Westlake's top 10 celestial events of 2013