While scores of amazing astronomical phenomena are in the offing each month, the year ahead offers some particular delights for sky-watchers, including a pair of lunar disappearing acts and a rare chance to see the solar system’s innermost planet silhouetted against the sun.

These are our picks for the celestial events you should definitely circle on your calendar for 2019.

The new year kicks off with a chance to witness one of the most widely shared types of sky shows: a total lunar eclipse. On January 20 and 21, Earth's dark shadow will creep over the bright lunar disk as our planet moves between the sun and the moon, turning the silvery orb blood red.

Lunar eclipses only happen during full