Space is magical, even if you don't get to actually fly up into it. You can still catch some amazing sights from right here down on Earth.
If you missed June's Strawberry Moon or Jupiter Rising, don't worry -- there are quite a few celestial highlights yet to be experienced this year.
We list some of the major star gazing appearances to look forward to in July and rest of 2019. Don't forget to get your telescope and mark your calendars.
Images courtesy: NASA
We'll see a total solar eclipse in July, the first since the one back in 2017. Unlike in 2017 though, this one will mostly have viewing angles in only the South Pacific Ocean. It'll also only last a fleeting 4 minutes and 32.8 seconds.
A week later, Saturn will be at its closest approach to Earth, and will be fully illuminated to our view by the sun. It'll be the brightest of any time through the year, so that night will be when you want to sneak a peek or grab photos. In fact, a medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn's rings and even a few of its brightest moons.
This is a smaller meteor shower, one that should produce about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. This particular display is thanks to debris from the comets Marsden and Kracht. Usually appears anywhere between July 12 to August 23.
This will be the day Mercury is on its closest approach to the Earth, and will be at the highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for our neighbour low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
Unlike the one in July, the Perseid meteor shower will be the biggest celestial display of the year. It should exhibit up to 90 meteors per hour. Unfortunately, this year's Perseid shower will be a couple of days before a full moon, meaning the night sky will be flooded with light.
During its transit on November 11, Mercury will move between the Earth and Sun. With telescopes, and of course proper approved solar filters, you will be able to see the dark shadow of the planet moving across the Sun. It' s an extremely rare event, and one that occurs only once every few years. The next is only scheduled for 2039.
In the last week of the year will be a final eclipse to cap things off, this time an annular solar eclipse. That's when the Moon is further away from the Earth than usual, so it doesn't fully blot out the Sun. Instead however, there'll be a shadow over the center with a ring of light shining around the Moon.
After that, you're just going to have to wait for next year's batch.