© Provided by Future Publishing Ltd. There's a lot going in space in 2019. Check out our up-to-date space launch schedule and calendar here!

LAST UPDATED Jan. 19: These dates are subject to change, and will be updated throughout the year as firmer dates arise. Please DO NOT schedule travel based on a date you see here. Launch dates collected from NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, Spaceflight Now and others.

Watch NASA webcasts and other live launch coverage on our "Watch Live" page, and see our night sky webcasts here. Find out what's up in the night sky this month with our visible planets guide and skywatching forecast.

Wondering what happened today in space history? Check out our "On This Day in Space" video show here!

January

Jan. 20: The moon will be in conjunction with Mars, passing about 2 degrees to the north of the Red Planet in the dawn sky. Look for the pair above the southeastern horizon.

Jan. 20: NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch will take a spacewalk to complete the replacement of batteries on the P6 truss of the International Space Station. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 6:50 a.m. EST (1150 GMT) and will last approximately 6.5 hours.

[Watch it live]

Jan. 21: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is expected to launch a third batch of approximately 60 satellites for the company's Starlink broadband network in a mission designated Starlink 3. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, at 11:59 p.m. EST (1659 GMT).

[Watch it live]

Jan. 22: Conjunction of the moon and Jupiter. The crescent moon will make a very close pass to Jupiter, but the pair will be difficult to observe, as they rise shortly before sunrise.

Jan. 24: New moon

Jan. 25: NASA astronaut Drew Morgan and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano will take a spacewalk to complete ongoing repairs to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer at the International Space Station. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 6:50 a.m. EST (1150 GMT) and will last approximately 6.5 hours.

[Watch it live]

Jan. 26: A Japanese H-2A rocket will launch an Information Gathering Satellite with an optical reconnaissance payload for the Japanese government. It will lift off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan at 8:00-10:00 p.m. EST (0100-0300 GMT).

© Provided by Space The crescent moon and Venus once again make for a gorgeous sight at the end of January. On Jan. 28, you'll find the pair hovering about 4 degrees apart in the southwest in the hour or so after sunset. (Image credit: NASA JPL)

Jan. 28: Conjunction of the moon and Venus. The crescent moon will make a close approach to Venus. Look for the pair above the western horizon at dusk.

Jan. 31: A Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft will depart the International Space Station and burn up in the atmosphere. It is scheduled to be released at 9:35 a.m. EST (1435 GMT).

[Watch it live]

Also scheduled to launch in January (from Spaceflight Now):

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force's third third-generation navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

will launch the U.S. Air Force's third third-generation navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. India's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will launch on its first orbital test flight from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India.

(SSLV) will launch on its first orbital test flight from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India. A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch a Meridian M communications satellite for the Russian Ministry of Defense.

will launch a communications satellite for the Russian Ministry of Defense. India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk. 2 (GSLV Mk.2) will launch the county's first GEO Imaging Satellite, or GISAT 1, from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India.

February

Feb. 5: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the Solar Orbiter spacecraft for NASA and the European Space Agency. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida during a 2-hour launch window that opens at 11:27 p.m. EST (0427 GMT on Feb. 6).

Feb. 6: Three astronauts will depart the International Space Station and return to Earth in their Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft. NASA astronaut Christina Koch, European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov will undock at 12:49 a.m. EST (0549 GMT), and they will touch down near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at about 4:14 a.m. EST (0914 GMT).

Feb. 7: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch approximately 32 satellites into orbit for the OneWeb satellite constellation. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Feb. 9: Northrop Grumman's Cygnus NG-13 cargo spacecraft will launch to the International Space Station on an Antares rocket. It will lift off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, at 5:39 p.m. EST (2239 GMT).

Feb. 9: The full moon of February, known as the Full Snow Moon, occurs at 2:33 a.m. EST (0733 GMT).

Feb. 11: Northrop Grumman's Cygnus NG-13 cargo spacecraft will arrive at the International Space Station. Astronauts will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture the incoming cargo vessel at approximately 4:30 a.m. EST (0930 GMT).

Feb. 18: The crescent moon will be less than 1 degrees to the north of Mars. It will be in conjunction with Mars at 8:17 a.m. EST (1317 GMT), and you can find the pair above the southeastern horizon at dawn.

Feb. 19: The crescent moon will be less than 1 degrees to the south of Jupiter. The conjunction with Jupiter occurs at 2:36 p.m. EST (1936 GMT), and you can see the pair together above the southeastern horizon at dawn.

Feb. 23: New moon

Feb. 27: The waxing, crescent moon will make a close approach to Venus in the evening sky. It will be in conjunction with Venus at 6:51 a.m. EST (1151 GMT), and the pair will still appear close the evenings before and after. Look for them above the southwestern horizon after sunset.

Also scheduled to launch in February (from Spaceflight Now):

Crew Dragon Demo 2: SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to take its first crewed test flight to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on board. This will be the Crew Dragon's first test flight with astronauts on board following the uncrewed Demo-1 mission in March. It will lift off on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to take its first crewed test flight to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on board. This will be the Crew Dragon's first test flight with astronauts on board following the uncrewed Demo-1 mission in March. It will lift off on a from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA252, to launch the Japanese-owned JCSAT 17 communications satellite and the South Korean GEO-Kompsat 2B oceanography satellite. It will lift off from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana.

March

March 1: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Dragon CRS-20 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

March 5: An Arianespace Soyuz rocket will launch the Falcon Eye 2 Earth-imaging satellite for the United Arab Emirates. It will lift off from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana a 8:33 p.m. EST (0133 GMT on March 6).

March 9: Super Worm Moon. The full moon of March, known as the Worm Moon, coincides with a supermoon again this year. (There was also a Super Worm Moon in 2019.)

March 16-20: The 51st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) takes place in The Woodlands, Texas.

March 19: Happy Equinox! Today marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall in the Southern Hemisphere.

March 20: The waning, crescent moon will make a close approach to Jupiter in the dawn sky. It will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 2:21 a.m. EDT (0621 GMT), and the pair will be above the southeastern horizon for a few hours before sunrise.

March 20: An Arianespace Vega rocket will launch on the Small Spacecraft Mission Service, or SSMS, proof-of-concept mission carrying 42 microsatellites, nanosatellites and cubesats. The rideshare mission will lift off from the Guiana Space Center near Kourou, French Guiana.

March 24: New moon

March 28: The waxing, crescent moon will make a close approach to Venus in the evening sky. It will be in conjunction with Venus at 6:37 a.m. EDT (1037 GMT), and the pair will still appear close the evenings before and after. Look for them above the southwestern horizon after sunset.

March 30–April 2: The 36th annual Space Symposium takes place in Colorado Springs.

March 30: A Russian Proton rocket will launch the Express 80 and Express 103 communications satellites for the Russian Satellite Communication Company. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

March 31: Conjunction of Saturn and Mars. The Ringed Planet and the Red Planet meet up for a special conjunction in the dawn sky. Saturn will pass less than 1 degree north of Mars at 6:56 a.m. EDT (1056 GMT).

Also scheduled to launch in March (from Spaceflight Now):

The U.S. Air Force will use a Minotaur 4 rocket to launch a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. Dubbed NROL-129 , the mission will lift off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

to launch a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. Dubbed , the mission will lift off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite for the U.S. military. The AEHF-6 mission will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

will launch the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite for the U.S. military. The mission will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the SAOCOM 1B Earth observation satellite for Argentina. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

April

April 7: Super Pink Moon. The full moon of April, known as the Pink Moon, coincides with a supermoon.

April 9: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft to the International Space Station with three new Expedition 62 crewmembers: NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and two Russian cosmonauts, Nikolai Tikhonov and Andrei Babkin. The rocket will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

April 14: The last-quarter moon will make a close approach to Jupiter and Saturn in the dawn sky. It will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT), followed by a conjunction with Saturn on April 15 at 5:18 a.m. EDT (0918 GMT). Catch the trio in the morning sky, before sunrise.

April 21-22: The Lyrid meteor shower peaks.

April 22: Earth Day

April 22: New moon

April 25: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the 75th Progress cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

April 26: The waxing, crescent moon will make a close approach to Venus in the evening sky. It will be in conjunction with Venus at 11:23 a.m. EDT (1523 GMT), and the pair will still appear close the evenings before and after. Look for them above the southwestern horizon after sunset.

April 28: Shining brightly at mag -4.5, the "evening star" Venus reaches its greatest brightness of the year.

Also scheduled to launch in April (from Spaceflight Now):

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force's third third-generation navigation satellite, designated GPS 3 SV03, for the Global Positioning System. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

May

May 7: The full moon of May, also known as the Flower Moon, occurs at 6:45 a.m. EDT (1045 GMT).

May 12: See the moon, Jupiter and Saturn huddled together in the predawn sky. The waning, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 5:41 a.m. EDT (0941 GMT), followed by a conjunction with Saturn at 2:11 p.m. EDT (1811 GMT).

May 14: The last-quarter moon will make a close approach to the Red Planet. It will be in conjunction with Mars at 10:02 p.m. EDT (0202 GMT on May 15). Look for the pair above the southeastern horizon before sunrise.

May 18: Jupiter and Saturn will make a close approach in the early morning sky. The pair will be in conjunction at 12:45 a.m. EDT (0445 GMT).

May 22: New moon

May 23: The one-day-old moon will make a close approach to Venus in the evening sky. It will be in conjunction with Venus at 10:40 p.m. EDT (0240 GMT on May 24). Look for them above the southwestern horizon just after sunset.

May 31–June 4: The 236th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society takes place in Madison, Wisconsin.

Also scheduled to launch in May (from Spaceflight Now):

A Japanese H-2B rocket will launch the HTV-9 cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. It will lift off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.

will launch the HTV-9 cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. It will lift off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the AFSPC 7 mission for the U.S. Air Force. The mission's primary payload is the X-37B space plane, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, will fly on the program's sixth mission (OTV-6).

June

June 5: A penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible from Asia, Australia, Europe and Africa. The moon will begin passing through Earth's shadow at 1:45 p.m. EST (1745 GMT), and the eclipse will last for 3 hours and 18 minutes.

June 5: The full moon of June, known as the Strawberry Moon, occurs at 3:12 p.m. EDT (1912 GMT).

June 8: The waning, gibbous moon will form a small triangle with Jupiter and Saturn in the morning sky. It will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 1:21 p.m. EDT (1721 GMT), followed closely by a conjunction with Saturn about 9 hours later at 10:12 p.m. EDT (0212 GMT on June 9).

June 12: Just a day before reaching last quarter phase, the moon will make a close approach to Mars in the predawn sky. The pair will be in conjunction at 7:55 p.m. EDT (2355 GMT), but they will be below the horizon for skywatchers in the U.S. at that time. You can find them above the southeastern horizon for a few hours before sunrise.

June 19: The one-day-old moon will make a close approach to Venus in the evening sky. It will be in conjunction with Venus at 4:53 EDT (0853 GMT). Look for them above the eastern horizon just before sunrise.

June 20: Happy Solstice! Today marks the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of Winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

June 21: An annular solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Africa and Asia.

June 30: Asteroid Day

Also scheduled to launch in June (from Spaceflight Now):

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket will launch a classified spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission, titled NROL-44, will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

July

July 4: Happy Aphelion Day! Earth is farthest from the sun today.

July 4-5: A penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible from the Americas and parts of Africa and Antarctica. The moon will begin passing through Earth's shadow on July 4 at 11:07 p.m. EST (0307 GMT on July 5), and the eclipse will last for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

July 5: The full moon of July, known as the Beaver Moon, occurs at 12:44 a.m EDT (0444 GMT). That same day, the moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 5:38 p.m. EDT (2138 GMT). The moon will also be in conjunction with Saturn on July 6 at 4:38 a.m. EDT (0838 GMT). The trio will form a small triangle in the night sky before fading into the dawn.

July 8: The "morning star" Venus is at its greatest brightness for the year, shining at magnitude -4.5 in the morning sky.

July 11: The waning, gibbous moon will make a close approach to the Red Planet in the early morning sky. It will be in conjunction with Mars at 3:38 p.m. EDT (1938 GMT).

July 14: Jupiter reaches opposition, which means the planet will appear at its biggest and brightest. This happens about once a year, when Jupiter's position is almost directly opposite the sun in the sky. Around the same time, Jupiter will also make its closest approach to Earth.

July 17: NASA's Mars 2020 rover launches to the Red Planet! It will lift off on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

July 17: The crescent moon will be in conjunction with Venus, the "morning star," at 3:27 a.m. EDT (0727 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon before dawn.

July 20: New moon

July 20: Saturn reaches opposition, which means the planet will appear at its biggest and brightest. This happens about once a year, when Saturn's position is almost directly opposite the sun in the sky. Around the same time, Saturn will also make its closest approach to Earth.

July 23: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the 76th Progress cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Also scheduled to launch in July (from Spaceflight Now):

The ExoMars lander, a joint effort by the European Space Agency and Russia's space agency Roscosmos, will launch to the Red Planet. It will lift off on a Russian Proton rocket .

lander, a joint effort by the European Space Agency and Russia's space agency Roscosmos, will launch to the Red Planet. It will lift off on a Russian . The United Arab Emirates plans to launch its first Mars orbiter, the Hope Mars Mission . It will launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on a Japanese H-2A rocket .

. It will launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on a Japanese . China plans to launch an orbiter and a small rover to Mars. The mission, called Huoxing 1, will lift off on a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan, China.

August

Aug. 1: The nearly-full moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 7:32 p.m. EDT (2332 GMT). The following morning (Aug. 2), it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 9:10 a.m. EDT (1310 GMT). Look for the trio in the evening sky.

Aug. 3: The full moon of August, known as the "Sturgeon Moon," occurs at 11:59 a.m. EDT (1559 GMT).

Aug. 5: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Dragon cargo resupply mission (CRS-21) to the International Space Station. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Aug. 9: The waning, gibbous moon will make a close approach to the Red Planet in the early morning sky. It will be in conjunction with Mars at 4 a.m. EDT (0800 GMT).

Aug. 11-12: The Perseid meteor shower peaks.

Aug. 15: The crescent moon will be in conjunction with Venus, the "morning star," at 9:01 a.m. EDT (1301 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon before dawn.

Aug. 18: Black Moon: The third new moon in a season with four new moons is known as a "black moon." (A black moon can also be the second new moon in a single calendar month.)

Aug. 28/29: The waxing, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 9:35 p.m. EDT (0235 GMT on Aug. 29). The following day, it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 12:32 p.m. EDT (1632 GMT). Look for the trio in the evening sky.

Also scheduled to launch in August (from Spaceflight Now):

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force's fourth third-generation navigation satellite, designated GPS 3 SV04, for the Global Positioning System. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida

September

Sept. 1: Asteroid 2011 ES4 will make a close flyby of Earth, passing by at a safe distance of 0.0005 AU, or 46,000 miles (75,000 kilometers).

Sept. 2: The full moon of September, known as the "Harvest Moon," occurs at 1:22 a.m. EDT (0522 GMT).

Sept. 6: The waning, gibbous moon will make a close approach to the Red Planet in the early morning sky. It will be in conjunction with Mars at 12:46 a.m. EDT (0446 GMT).

Sept. 11: Neptune is at opposition. If you have the right equipment and a sky dark enough to see it, now is the best time all year to look!

Sept. 14: The crescent moon will be in conjunction with Venus, the "morning star," at 12:44 a.m. EDT (0444 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon before dawn.

Sept. 17: New moon

Sept. 22: Happy Equinox! At 9:15 a.m. EDT (1315 GMT), autumn arrives in the Northern Hemisphere while the Southern Hemisphere will have its first day of spring.

Sept. 25: The waxing, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 2:48 a.m. EDT (0648 GMT). The following day, it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 4:38 p.m. EDT (2038 GMT). Look for the trio in the evening sky.

Also scheduled to launch in September (from Spaceflight Now):

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission, NROL-101, will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

October

Oct. 1: The full moon of October, known as the "Hunter's Moon," occurs at 5:05 p.m. EDT (2105 GMT).

Oct. 2: The waning, gibbous moon will make a close approach to the Red Planet in the early morning sky. It will be in conjunction with Mars at 11:25 a.m. EDT (0325 GMT).

Oct. 4-10: World Space Week

Oct. 7-8: The Draconid meteor shower peaks.

Oct. 13: Mars is at opposition, which means it's bigger and brighter than any other time of year. Look for the glowing Red Planet above the eastern horizon after sunset.

Oct. 14: A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the Expedition 65 crew: Russian cosmonauts Anatoli Ivanishin, Ivan Vagner and Nikolay Chub. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Oct. 16: New moon

Oct. 21-22: The Orionid meteor shower peaks.

Oct. 22: Just a day before reaching first quarter phase, the moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 1:12 p.m. EDT (1712 GMT). That same day, it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 11:42 p.m. EDT (0324 GMT on Oct. 23). Look for the trio in the evening sky.

Oct. 29: The waxing, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Mars at 12:16 p.m. EDT (0325 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon after sunset.

Oct. 31: Uranus is at opposition. This is the best time of year to view the planet, as it is at its biggest and brightest. If the sky is dark enough, you may be able to spot it with your bare eyes.

Oct. 31: This month has two full moons, which means we'll have a "Blue Moon" on Halloween. The moon reaches full phase at 10:49 a.m. EDT (1449 GMT).

Also scheduled to launch in October (from Spaceflight Now):

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus NG-14 cargo spacecraft will launch to the International Space Station on an Antares rocket. It will lift off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

November

Nov. 11-12: The Northern Taurid meteor shower peaks.

Nov. 12: The crescent moon will be in conjunction with Venus, the "morning star," at 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon before dawn.

Nov. 15: New moon

Nov. 16-17: The Leonid meteor shower peaks.

Nov. 19: The waxing, crescent moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 3:57 a.m. EST (0857 GMT). Shortly afterward, it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 9:51 a.m. EST (1451 GMT). Look for the trio in the evening sky.

Nov. 25: The waxing, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Mars at 2:46 p.m. EST (1946 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon after sunset.

Nov. 30: A penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible from the Americas, Australia and Asia. The moon will begin passing through Earth's shadow at 2:32 a.m. EST (0732 GMT), and the eclipse will last for 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Nov. 30: The full moon of November, known as the "Beaver Moon," occurs at 4:30 a.m. EST (0930 GMT).

Also scheduled to launch in November (from Spaceflight Now):

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Sentinel 6A satellite (also known as Jason-CS A), a joint mission between the European Space Agency, NASA, NOAA, CNES and Eumetsat to continue recording sea level data that was previously collected by the Jason series of satellites. It will lift off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

December

Dec. 13-14: The Geminid meteor shower peaks.

Dec. 14: The only total solar eclipse of 2020 will cross through the southern tip of South America. The moon's shadow will take a similar path to the one it did for the "Great South American Eclipse" of July 2, 2019.

Dec. 16/17: The waxing, crescent moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 11:30 p.m. EST (0430 GMT on Dec. 17). A few hours later on Dec. 17, it will be in conjunction with Saturn at 12:20 a.m. EST (0520 GMT). Look for the trio near the southwestern horizon just after sunset. .

Dec. 21: The solstice arrives at 4:47 a.m. EST (0947 GMT), marking the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Dec. 21: Jupiter and Saturn will make a close approach in the evening sky. The pair will be in conjunction at 8:24 a.m. EST (1324 GMT).

Dec. 21-22: The Ursid meteor shower peaks.

Dec. 23: The waxing, gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Mars at 1:31 p.m. EST (1831 GMT). Look for the pair above the eastern horizon after sunset.

Dec. 29: The full moon of December, also known as the Cold Moon, occurs at 10:28 p.m. EST (0328 GMT).

Also scheduled to launch in December (from Spaceflight Now):

A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the 77th Progress cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. It will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

More coming in 2020...

Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket will launch the ELaNa-20 rideshare mission with 14 cubesats. A Boeing 747 named "Cosmic Girl" will air-launch the rocket over the Pacific Ocean after taking off from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.

rocket will launch the rideshare mission with 14 cubesats. A Boeing 747 named "Cosmic Girl" will air-launch the rocket over the Pacific Ocean after taking off from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. India's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will launch on its first commercial mission with four Earth observation satellites for BlackSky Global. It will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India.

(SSLV) will launch on its first commercial mission with four Earth observation satellites for BlackSky Global. It will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India. Starliner Crew Flight Test: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on its first crewed mission to the International Space Station. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

A United Launch Alliance will launch Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on its first crewed mission to the International Space Station. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch on its first mission from a new launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia. It will launch an experimental mission for the U.S. Air Force's Space Test Program called Monolith, which carries a space weather instrument.

will launch on its first mission from a new launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia. It will launch an experimental mission for the U.S. Air Force's Space Test Program called Monolith, which carries a space weather instrument. A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch approximately 32 satellites into orbit for the OneWeb satellite constellation. The mission, called OneWeb 3 , will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

will launch approximately 32 satellites into orbit for the OneWeb satellite constellation. The mission, called , will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch a fourth batch of approximately 32 satellites into orbit for the OneWeb satellite constellation. The mission, called OneWeb 4 , will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

will launch a fourth batch of approximately 32 satellites into orbit for the OneWeb satellite constellation. The mission, called , will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Anasis 2 , or KMilSatCom 1, communications satellite for the South Korean military, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

will launch the , or KMilSatCom 1, communications satellite for the South Korean military, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. An Arianespace Vega C rocket will launch on its inaugural flight, carrying the Italian space agency's LARES 2 satellite into orbit. It will lift off from the Guiana Space Center near Kourou, French Guiana.

will launch on its inaugural flight, carrying the Italian space agency's satellite into orbit. It will lift off from the Guiana Space Center near Kourou, French Guiana. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Turksat 5A communications satellite for the Turkish satellite operator Turksat. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

will launch the communications satellite for the Turkish satellite operator Turksat. It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the AFSPC 44 mission for the U.S. Air Force. The mission will lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is expected to deploy two undisclosed payloads into geosynchronous orbit.

will launch the mission for the U.S. Air Force. The mission will lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is expected to deploy two undisclosed payloads into geosynchronous orbit. A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket will launch a classified spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission, titled NROL-82 , will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

will launch a classified spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission, titled , will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman Minotaur 1 rocket will launch a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission, NROL-111 , will lift off from Wallops Island, Virginia.

will launch a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission, , will lift off from Wallops Island, Virginia. A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the AFSPC-8 mission for the Space Force's Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP). It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

will launch the mission for the Space Force's Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP). It will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. China will launch the Chang'e 5 mission to return samples from the moon. It will be the first lunar sample return mission attempted since 1976.

Please send any corrections, updates or suggested calendar additions to hweitering@space.com. Follow Space.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.