Next year is poised to bring a packed schedule of astral spectacles, from lunar phenomena to planetary wonders involving several of Earth’s neighbors in the solar system. For sky watchers looking to mark their calendars, here are the top celestial events to watch in 2025.
January 3: Quadrantid meteor shower
The first astral show of the coming year comes soon, on January 3, when the Quadrantid meteor shower peaks Considered one of the most impressive annual meteor showers to witness, the event can produce anywhere from 60 to 200 visible meteors under perfect weather conditions, depending NASA.
January 13: occultation of Mars
The first full moon of 2025 is called the Wolf Moon. It’s also a supermoon, appearing in the night sky on January 13 and passing in front of Mars during a phenomenon known as an occultation. People across the United States should be able to see the moon covering Mars before the red planet finally shows up again.
March 14: Total Lunar Eclipse and Blood Moon
A total lunar eclipse will occur on March 14, the first of two in 2025, but the only one that will be visible in North America. during a total lunar eclipsethe earth passes between the moon and the sun, and for a time all three are perfectly aligned. The planet casts a shadow over the moon and blocks most sunlight from reaching it.
Ted S. Warren / AP
This eclipse coincides with the Blood Moon, where the moon has a reddish hue. The phenomenon happens because some of the sunlight filters through the Earth’s atmosphere and reaches the Moon during a total lunar eclipse, but in the case of a blood moon, only the colors with longer wavelengths , like red and orange, get there.
March 29: partial solar eclipse
A partial solar eclipse will take place a couple of weeks later on March 29. Like the lunar eclipse that preceded it, this is the first of two partial solar eclipses planned for 2025, but the only one that will be visible in North America next year.
Unlike a lunar eclipse, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, casting its shadow over the planet as it appears to cover the star. during a total solar eclipselike the one seen in the US and Mexico last April, the moon completely blocks the sun’s rays. A partial eclipse doesn’t have the same effect, but people in some areas will be able to see the moon in front of part of the sun.
Tatan Syuflana / AP
April 21: Lyrid meteor shower
The Lyrid meteor shower is active from April 15 to April 30 next year, according to the American Meteorological Society. It is expected to peak between April 21 and April 22, with people in the northern hemisphere likely to see the bright display.
August 12-13: Perseid meteor shower
The Perseid meteor shower It will reach its peak between August 12 and 13. Called the “best meteor shower of the year” by NASA, this shower typically has the ability to produce 50 to 100 visible meteors per hour when the sky is clear enough to see them, and they are. not dominated by moonlight.
Unfortunately, the American Meteorological Society notes that the Perseids may not be as spectacular in 2025 because the shower should occur at the same time as a waning gibbous moon, and strong moonlight could hide up to 75% of meteors .
Petros Giannakouris / AP
August 12: Venus-Jupiter conjunction
The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter will occur around the time of the peak of the Perseids, Space.com reports This alignment of two of the brightest planets in the solar system will bring Venus and Jupiter much closer to each other in the sky than they usually appear.
Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto
September 7: total lunar eclipse
The second total lunar eclipse of 2025 will fall on September 7, according to NASA. People will be able to see it in parts of Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
September 21: partial solar eclipse
Another partial solar eclipse is scheduled for September 21. This will be visible in parts of Australia, in addition to Antarctica and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
October 7, November 5 and December 4: Supermoons
Next autumn there will be three supermoons, on October 8th, November 5th and December 4th. A supermoon it happens when the full moon phase of the lunar cycle occurs while the moon is at one of the closest points to Earth in its orbit. Because of the full moon’s close proximity to the planet, sky watchers tend to see a brighter and larger moon than they normally do. In 2025, the November 5 supermoon will appear especially bright, as the moon will be closest to Earth at that time.
Seth Wenig / AP
December 13-14: Geminid meteor shower
The Geminids meteor showerknown for producing a particularly bright and colorful display, it peaks annually between December 13 and 14.