You can look forward to a total lunar eclipse - during which you'll see the sunrise and sunset of the Earth on the Moon.
The year 2020 was a big one in space. All five visible planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) were visible for parts of the year. Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were at opposition and very bright in our skies at times. We also ended 2020 with the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, had a Halloween Blue Moon, and a few good meteor showers along the way.
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There was also a hive of activity in space. We saw mission land on the Moon and return to the Earth. Hayabusa2 landed in South Australia with samples from an asteroid and NASA's Osiris-Rex touched down on another asteroid. More evidence of water was found on the Moon and Mars as well as a potential biomarker on Venus. The first private company, SpaceX, launched humans into space. After all of that and more, what does 2021 have in store?
In early- to mid-February, the interplanetary conga line to Mars will finally reach its destination. CNSA's rover Tianwen-1 and NASA's Perseverance rover along with its drone Ingenuity will land on Mars. The UAE's Hope mission will also enter Martian orbit.
On the evening of May 26, all of Australia will see a total lunar eclipse. This occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in a perfect line. As a result, the Moon passes into Earth's shadow, first darkening then turning red. As a little bit of light passes through Earth's atmosphere, this turns the Moon red. That means you're seeing the sunrise and sunset of the Earth on the Moon.
In July, NASA will launch DART - the first mission to attempt to redirect an asteroid. While it may seem straight out of Hollywood (no, Bruce Willis will not be on it), it will test the ability to nudge an asteroid. If successful, it may provide a back-up plan in case we do find a potentially hazardous asteroid.
In October 2021, we are scheduled to see the first fully private human mission into space. The private company Axiom Space has two private astronauts who will head to the International Space Station on SpaceX's Crew Dragon. The other two seats will be filled by Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman. Yes, in October 2021, not only will private space travel kick off, but the first movie will be partially filmed in space.
On October 11 we will also see the first cargo mission to the Moon, as part of NASA's goal to return there. NASA's Lucy is scheduled for the week after, October 16. Lucy will visit seven different asteroids, helping to unlock key questions around how our solar system was formed.
Then in November, a slew of NASA and JAXA small satellites will be launched to the Moon. They will discover not only more about the Moon, but pave the way for humans returning to it.
We will also get another crack at the Moon with a partial lunar eclipse on November 19. While it won't be like the Total Lunar Eclipse on May 26, it will still be pretty good with the Moon being close to totality - the full red colour. And again, just like in May, everyone in Australia can see it.
So make sure to strap in - it will be a busy year, up there, in 2021!
- Brad Tucker is an astrophysicist and cosmologist at Mount Stromlo Observatory, and the National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at ANU