Skywatching Events for 2010

"Skywatching Highlights of 2010"
Space.com (January 3, 2010)

"Here are some of the more noteworthy sky events that will take place in 2010. Each will be covered in greater detail as the event approaches. Notes about terminology:

"Magnitude: On this scale, smaller numbers represent brighter objects, with the brightest stars and planets represented by negative numbers.

"Degrees: Distances in the sky, from our point of view, are measured in degrees. Your fist on an outstretched arm measures about 10 degrees of sky.

"Jan. 15 – Solar Eclipse

"An annular (ring) eclipse of the sun will take place over parts of Africa, India and China. Because the moon is near apogee (its farthest point from Earth in its orbit) and the Earth has just passed perihelion. So the moon appears much smaller than average, and the sun somewhat larger...."

There's more: Mars will come very close to Earth, about 61,700,000 miles; Venus and Jupiter, and Venus and Mars, will appear to approach each other in our sky; plus the usual meteor showers and a few more eclipses.

This article could be a pretty good go-to page for skywatchers for 2010.