Five celestial events to look out for this spring

We're now into spring - meteorologically speaking - but for astronomers it'll start at the equinox on 20 March this year.

Spring is shaping up to be a great time for skygazers with the opportunity to see aurora, meteor showers and both a lunar and solar eclipse this year.

So keep your fingers crossed for clear skies throughout March, April and May.

Some of the best seasonal patterns of stars can be spotted towards the south of the sky.

According to Anna Gammon-Ross, an Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, "the three brightest stars that can be seen at this time of the year make up a small triangle in the sky".

Each of the three stars is part of a separate constellation, and if you're trying to identify them, Anna Gammon-Ross explained: "Look out for a star that is part of Leo the Lion, a constellation that looks a little bit like a mouse.

"Another in Virgo that looks like a square with wobbly arms and legs.

"And the final star, is part of the constellation called Botez, recognised as a hunter or herdsman."

A lunar eclipse occurs during a full Moon, when it passes through the Earth's shadow causing the Moon to darken. This will be on 14 March.

The Americas will have the best chance of viewing this total lunar eclipse as it will take place during their overnight period and will only be visible in dark skies.

Parts of the UK, away from the south-east, could notice some changes to the Moon's appearance as it starts to set in the early hours of the morning.

If you're in the Northern Hemisphere you'll have a chance of seeing this partial eclipse taking place on 29 March.

There won't be complete darkness but the Moon is going to pass in front of our view of the Sun covering around a third of it.

In the UK this event will start at around 10:00 GMT reaching its maximum coverage at around 11:00 GMT. It will be over by midday.

The Lyrids peak on 22 April but will be visible on the nights either side of this date.

"Meteor showers are visible all over the world and on the peak nights of the Lyrids you can expect to see up to 100 meteors per hour," added Anna Gammon-Ross.

With the Sun at peak activity in its 11-year cycle, it's likely that there will be more sightings of aurora this year.

While it can happen at any time of the day or year, the most crucial factor is darkness.

And with rapidly increasing daylight hours throughout spring and therefore fewer hours of darkness, our chances of seeing the aurora become more limited.

However, all is not lost as around the equinox in March, there can often be boost in sightings due to the Sun and Earth aligning in a way that allows more solar energy to enter our atmosphere.

Clear skies after dark will always provide the best chance to see what's going on in the night sky. If you're planning on catching these celestial events, check the local forecast, sunrise and sunset times on the BBC weather website or on our app.