From supermoons to star showers, 2016 was packed with dramatic celestial events.

The year also witnessed a variety of landmark space missions taking place – there were the Falcon 9’s successful first stage landings, the Juno probe’s Jupiter rendezvous and the longest stay at the International Space Station.

So what does the year 2017 have in store?

As far as the realms of space go, Boeing will attempt the Starliner capsule’s first unmanned test flight and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin private space firm has a mooted 2017 manned test flight date.

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Its New Shepard space capsule offers large windows and space for up to six people.

In the East, China’s space programme marches on with a rather ambitious mission to the moon.

The first private space landing on the moon is also being attempted, with SpaceIL (Israel), Moon Express (US), Synergy Moon (International) and Team Indus (India) all in the running for the title.

Google’s Lunar X Prize will award $20m to the first private firm to land a robotic craft on the moon, have it travel 500 metres and transmit HD video/pictures back to Earth.

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Meanwhile, back on Earth, those of us with our feet on the ground are preparing to keep an eye out for other astronomical events.

Here’s a month-by-month rundown of some of the key celestial highlights to look out for in 2017.

Waiting for the Quadrantids. Magnus Manske

Many times a year, hundreds of celestial fireballs light up the night skies.

They may be called shooting stars but they don’t really have anything to do with stars. These small space particles are meteoroids and they are literally celestial debris.

In 2017, the first major shower of the year, the Quadrantids, will peak on the night of January 3 and during the early morning hours of January 4.

An above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at its peak, the fiery lights are thought to be produced by dust grains left behind by an extinct comet known as 2003 EH1, discovered that year.

Unlike other meteor showers that tend to stay at their peak for about two days, the peak period of the Quadrantids is only for a few hours.

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This year, the first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight leaving fairly dark skies for what could be a good show.

Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Aurora Borealis over Caithness in March 2016. © SWNS Group

Scotland is a great place to see the dancing solar winds in the night sky. A natural wonder that has fascinated mankind for millennia, the Northern Lights are nature’s very own theatrical performance.

Northern Scotland actually lies at the same latitude as Stavanger in Norway and Nunivak Island in Alaska, which means you’re in with a good chance of spotting the Mirrie Dancers.

Autumn and winter seasons, with their long periods of darkness and the frequency of clear nights, are probably the best time of the year to experience the auroral displays.

Nights need to be cold and the sky clear of clouds, with limited light pollution and increased solar activity.

In 2016, a large and fast eruption on the sun’s surface in February led to a spectacular show so we’ll be keeping our eyes on the sky during 2017 too.

Websites like Aurora Watch UK allow you to track the activity and you can also sign up to get alerts for when the geomagnetic activity is high, leading to a better chance of the Northern Lights appearing.

For the best views head north or venture across to the north western isles, which have witnessed some of the most striking light displays in recent years.

This majestic moment was captured by an amateur photographer. Andy Leonard

Lunar lovers can take advantage of some beautiful moons throughout the year, though dark winter nights are often a firm favourite with photographers.

The moon picture of the year in 2016 was undoubtedly this incredible shot by amateur photographer Andy Leonard, 59, during an outing with the local RSPB beside Loch Muick on the Queen’s Balmoral estate.

Spotting the stag, Andy ran up the side valley so he could get the deer in the right position in front of the moon.

“I jumped over a wall and used a block of granite to rest my camera and take a series of photographs,” he says.

“It was very majestic. I guess the deer was just standing there for a few minutes which gave me a chance to get this photograph.”

In March, the moon will be in a similar phase on March 6 and 19 so if you can isolate another majestic Scottish creature or building as it rises you’ll be in for some pretty good shots.

The Lyrid meteor shower is usually active in April. © Mark Wilson

The Lyrid meteor shower is usually active between April 16 and April 25 every year. It tends to peak around April 22 or April 23. The best time to watch it is after midnight and before dawn.

Considered to be the oldest known meteor shower, the Lyrids are named after constellation Lyra.

The radiant point of the shower – the point in the sky where the meteors seem to emerge from – lies near the star Vega, one of the brightest stars in the sky during this time of the year.

Scotland is one of the top places to see shooting stars, particularly in the north and in places with Dark Sky status such as Galloway Forest.

Aquarid meteor shower spotted above California. Jason Jenkins

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is usually active between April 19 and May 28 every year.

In 2017, it will peak around May 5 or May 6.

The best time to see it is in the early morning, just before dawn. Though there’s no particular sharp peak time, there could be up to 60 meteors per hour.

The meteors are formed from the dust particles of the famous Halley’s comet, which becomes visible from Earth every 75 to 76 years.

The Eta Aquarids seem to radiate from the direction of the constellation Aquarius in the sky. The shower is named after the brightest star of the constellation, Eta Aquarii.

You can be anywhere in the world and see the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, though Scotland’s dramatic mountains provide a particularly stunning backdrop.

Milky Way over the Boochle, head of Glen Etive in the Highlands. John McSporran

The summer months can be a perfect time to search out the Milky Way.

Scotland enjoys some of the darkest skies in Europe, giving us prime position to see some of its 400 billion stars.

The Milky Way is the name of our own galaxy. It’s hard to see it in a city as the light pollution overpowers its delicate beauty.

In many parts of Scotland, you’ll clearly see it with the naked eye as a silvery band. Look at it through a telescope or even binoculars and you’ll be able to see individual stars.

The Teapot of Sagittarius. makelessnoi

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The summer months are an ideal time to view the Milky Way galaxy but also to look at the constellation of Sagittarius, which contains a pattern of stars that looks a bit like a teapot.

Modern stargazers have a hard time seeing a centaur with a bow and arrow in the constellation Sagittarius.

The Teapot – in the western half of Sagittarius – is easy to make out. The Teapot is an asterism, not a constellation, but it is a recognisable pattern of stars.

It is best viewed during the evening hours from about July to September and is right in the centre of our galaxy.

On dark, moonless nights, look for the “steam” billowing out of the Teapot’s spout.

A total solar eclipse is set to cover the United States.

A total solar eclipse is set to cover the United States on August 21, with partial eclipses able to be seen from Scotland.

The event occurs when the moon’s apparent diameter is larger than the Sun’s, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness.

Only Iceland, Scotland and Ireland will see the eclipse from beginning to end.

This eclipse is the 22nd of the 77 members of Saros series 145, the one that also produced the solar eclipse of August 11, 1999.

Members of this series are increasing in duration. The longest eclipse in this series will occur on June 25, 2522, and last for seven minutes and 12 seconds.

Scotland has a variety of dark sky spots. Pixabay

As we leave summer behind the darkening nights makes for great stargazing trips, especially before the winter frosts set in.

According to Visit Scotland, there are many dark sky places in Scotland offering great locations to see the night sky.

The aforementioned Galloway Forest Park in particular was chosen by the International Dark Sky Association to be the very first national park in the UK to be honoured with Dark Sky Park status.

There are only two other such parks in the whole of Europe.

Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway also takes the title of Europe’s first Dark Sky Town, having adopted special street lighting to keep light pollution to a minimum in order to preserve the starry skies.

North west Sutherland, between Kylesku and Inchnadamph is also arguably one of the darkest sky locations in the UK and possibly Europe.

There are no less than nine locations on Skye that have been officially named Dark Discovery Sites after they were judged to be perfect spots for stargazing.

Draconid meteor shower from the banks of Loch More, Caithness Maciej Winiarczy

It’s a double celestial whammy in October as both the Draconid and the Orionid meteor showers peak in the sky.

The Draconid meteor shower will peak around October 7, and the name comes from the constellation Draco the Dragon.

It occurs every October when the Earth passes through a stream of debris from the Comet 21/P Giacobini-Zinner, a periodic comet that orbits the Sun once every 6.6 years.

While usually a modest event with ten to 20 meteors falling per hour, the Draconids have been known to flare up when conditions are right.

In 1933 and 1946, observers reported thousands of meteors falling per hour, turning the shower into a meteor storm. There were also good shows as recently as 1998, 2005 and 2011.

The Orionid meteor shower, which is also associated with debris from Halley’s comet, peaks around October 21. The name comes from the constellation Orion.

Orionids tend to be active every year in the month of October, and at its peak, up to 20 meteors are visible every hour.

The best time to view the Orionids is just after midnight and right before dawn.

The Orionid meteor shower is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Halley’s comet, which will next be visible from Earth in 2061.

The Leonids will peak during the night of November 17. Navicore

In 2017, the Leonids will peak during the night of November 17 and the early morning of November 18.

The Leonids occur when the Earth passes through the debris left by the comet Tempel-Tuttle. The comet takes around 33 years to make one orbit around the Sun.

You can see about 20 meteors an hour when the the Leonids meteor shower reaches its peak of activity.

While it is not necessary to look in any particular direction to enjoy a meteor shower, astronomers suggest lying down on the ground and looking at the sky between the east and the point right above you to view the Leonids.

The Geminids owe their name to the constellation Gemini. Jason Jenkins

The Geminids owe their name to the constellation Gemini and are the only major meteor shower not associated with a comet but with an asteroid.

Considered by many to be the most stunning meteor display, the Geminids can produce up to 60 multicoloured meteors per hour at their peak.

The Geminid meteor shower will reach its maximum rate of activity on December 14.

The shower is also expected to flare in different colours. Mostly glowing white, they may also appear yellow, blue, green or red.

Usually visible to the naked eye, it can be enjoyed by amateurs and experts alike – with no professional equipment required.

Some shooting stars associated with the shower are expected to be visible each night from December 7.

The Geminid shower was first noted in the 1860s and astronomers believe it is intensifying with each year that passes.

Now, lucky observers may be able to see over 100 meteors per hour. Some reports have seen between 120 and 160 meteors per hour during optimal conditions.

Created by debris from the 3200 Paethon asteroid that passes close to the sun during its orbit, the passing meteors travel up to 22 miles per second and burn up at around 24 miles above the Earth.