Are you prepared for the blood moon?

Blood Moon: The unusual term describes a total lunar eclipse. [Photo: Getty Images]

As the buzz of the solar eclipse dies down, take a look at what else will grace our skies this year

Thousands of sky watchers who flocked to see the solar eclipse are preparing for the next big celestial event - the Blood Moon.

It looks like the total lunar eclipse predicted for later this year could be the next big astronomical phenomenon, the Chronicle reported.

Here are some other cosmic events to hit our skies over the next 12 months:

• April 13 to 18 - International Dark Sky Week will see people worldwide turn out their lights in order to observe the wonders of the night sky without light pollution. It has been endorsed by the International Dark-Sky Association, the American Astronomical Society, the Astronomical League.

• April 21 and 22 - The Lyrids Meteor Shower is classed as an “average” shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. These meteors can produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. They usually peak on April 21 and 22, although some can be visible from April 16 to 25. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight.

• May 5 and 6 - The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower is capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour. Most of the activity is seen in the southern hemisphere but stargazers here may still see some when it peaks in the pre-dawn hours of May 5 and 6.

• May 23 - we will be treated to a spectacle called Saturn at opposition. The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to see and photograph Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see the planet’s rings and a few of its brightest moons.

• August 12 and 13 - The Perseids Meteor Shower runs from July 17 to August 24 but peaks on August 12 and 13. This is one of the best meteor showers to observe and are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. They can produce 50 to 100 meteors per hour in a dark sky.

• September 1 - Neptune will be at opposition. The blue planet will be at its closest approach to earth and will be visible all night long. However, due to its extreme distance from earth, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

• September 28 - There will be a total lunar eclipse. This occurs when the earth comes between the sun and the moon. This means that the earth stops the sun’s rays reaching the moon. During this type of eclipse, the moon will gradually get darker and then take on a rusty or blood red colour. It will be visible just before 4am. It’s safe to look at the lunar eclipse with the naked eye and telescopes.

• October 11 - It is the turn of Uranus to be at its closest approach to earth. Once again, it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot unless it is seen through the most powerful telescopes.

• October 20 - The Orionids Meteor Shower tends to be active in the month of October, usually peaking around October 20. People can sometimes see about 20 meteors an hour.

• October 28 - a rare three-planet conjunction will be visible. The planets Venus, Mars, and Jupiter will all form a tight one-degree triangle in the early morning sky. Look to the east just before sunrise for this spectacular event.

• November 16 and 17 - The Leonid meteor shower peaks around these days. The shower is called Leonids because its radiant or the point in the sky where the meteors seem to emerge from, lies in the constellation Leo. There can be around 20 meteors an hour.

• December 13 to 23 - The month of December is good for meteor shower watchers, with the Geminids gracing the skies, peaking around December 13 and 14, and the Ursids that peak around December 22 and 23. The Geminids owes its name to the constellation Gemini while the Ursids get their name from the constellation Ursa Minor.