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The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is over but there will be a lot happening in the sky during 2010.

Diamond Ring at the end of the total eclipse - Photo Credit: Manuel Secher

There will be an Annular Solar Eclipse and a Total Solar Eclipse (Jan 15 and July 11) and a Partial and Total Lunar eclipses (Jun 26, Dec 21).

Fireball Meteor Over Groningen captured around 17:00UTC on October 13, 2009 - Source: Robert Mikaelyan

The Quadrantids Meteor shower is expected to peak between January 3 and 4. Lyrids should reach maximum between April 21 and 22, Eta Qauirids between May 5 and 6, Perseids between August 12 and 13, Orionid between October 22 and 23, Leonids between November 17 and 18 and Geminids between December 13 and 14.

Space shuttle Atlantis is seen on Launch Pad 39A of the NASA Kennedy Space Center shortly after the rotating service structure was rolled back - Source: NASA/Bill Ingalls

There will be five Space Shuttle missions to the International Space Station. STS-130 is currently scheduled to launch from Launch Pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center on February 7. STS-131 on March 18, STS-132 on May 14, STS-134 on July 29 and STS-133 on September 16. STS-133 is planned to be the last Space Shuttle mission*.

Bright fireball in Ursa Major with Aurora Borealis and Mars (middle right edge) - Credit: Bjørnar G. Hanse

On a more positive note: the 365 Days of Astronomy citizen podcast will go on for at least another year. Moonwatch and Meteorwatch (and maybe Solarwatch) will continue in 2010.

* NASA managers at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Johnson Space Center (JSC) have confirmed they are working on the addition of STS-135, to fly at end of the shuttle manifest in late 2010, early 2011