And the Autumnal Equinox is on September 22 — this is the date when the length of day and night are equal for every one of Earth's 8.2 billion people

This month the most famous meteor shower — the Perseids — will peak on the evening of August 12

There will be a lunar eclipse in the early hours of March 14 and a solar eclipse on March 29

Human space travel won't always be the preserve of the elite but until then there are other ways to experience the dramatic beauty of space