bumper year

来週の火曜日あたりに金星の星食occultation（ある天体が別の天体の背後を通過して，一時的に見えなくなること）が観測できるそうです。

Venus will pass behind the moon--a phenomenon called an occultation--next Tuesday, an event that will be visible across most of the nation and round off a bumper year for celestial shows involving the planet.
According to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the occultation can be observed (weather permitting) in areas except for parts of Okinawa Prefecture. This is the first time since 1989 that the event can be seen over such a broad swath of Japan.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/science/T120806004280.htm

a bumper yearは「豊漁の年，豊年」という意味の表現で，bumper year for〜で「〜の当たり年」という使い方があります（『ジーニアス英和大辞典』大修館書店）。bumperは以前にも取り上げられているので，そちらもぜひご参照ください。（Sugiuchi）
Cf: http://d.hatena.ne.jp/A30/20110320/1300629616