Unmissable Astronomy Events to Watch in 2025

Reflecting on the anticipated solar eclipse of 2024, undeniably, the Great North American Eclipse on April 8^th 2024 has left a lasting imprint in the collective memory of skywatching enthusiasts, igniting a newfound passion for astronomical pursuits.

However, the prevailing news for 2025 is less exhilarating, as it emerges as a relatively barren year devoid of total solar eclipses, instead offering a pair of distant partial solar events.

On a brighter note, the celestial tapestry of 2025 is rich with other tantalizing phenomena, including two spectacular total lunar eclipses, the peak performance of Mars, and a plethora of lunar occultations.

Moreover, the Sun remains energetically active, and the universe still has the potential to reveal another striking comet.

A Brief Overview of 2024

The April eclipse was undeniably spectacular, yet 2024’s events were notable for their unpredictability.

Initially, the Sun unleashed two remarkable solar storms, providing awe-inspiring auroras visible in regions unaccustomed to such displays.

Furthermore, Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS survived its perihelion in late September, enchanting northern hemisphere observers with a captivating show in October.

All these occurrences unfolded against the backdrop of a record number of global rocket launches, with SpaceX and its contemporaries vying to populate the skies with satellites like Starlink.

Will artificial stars outnumber natural ones in the near future? We are indeed witnessing a transformation in our celestial vistas, as the intricate mechanisms of the universe continue to unfold.

Establishing the Ground Rules

We posit that this subsequent list exemplifies the ‘crest of the wave’ for the year, meticulously distilled into standout events, augmented by the peculiarities that render them unique. Consider conjunctions occurring within a degree, comets shining brighter than +6^th magnitude, etc., as essential highlights of the year’s astronomical endeavors.

Top 12 Celestial Events to Anticipate in 2025

The realm of astronomy and skywatching in 2025 promises a myriad of captivating events. Here’s a subjective compilation of the twelve most stunning celestial phenomena to look forward to in the forthcoming year:

• The zenith of Solar Cycle 25 persists.
• Mars reaches opposition in January.
• Venus dominates the twilight sky at the year’s commencement, transitioning to dawn thereafter.
• A once-in-a-generation Major Lunar Standstill witnesses the Moon swinging significantly across the celestial dome.
• Saturn’s rings appear edge-on from our terrestrial viewpoint.
• Comet G3 ATLAS may achieve negative magnitudes in January.
• Two total lunar eclipses grace the year worldwide.
• Lunar occultations will occur for the stars Spica, Regulus, and Antares.
• A rare ‘triple year’ for lunar-stellar occultations.
• The Moon interacts multiple times with Saturn and Mars throughout 2025.
• A unique ‘smiling emoticon’ triple conjunction involving the Moon, Regulus, and Venus on September 19^th.
• The Moon will occult parts of Messier 45 (The Pleiades) on each pass in 2025.

The Sun, Seasons, and the Solar Cycle in 2025

Following the historical solar maximum in 2024 for Solar Cycle 25, we find ourselves in the exhilarating descent that persists into 2025.

Over this 11-year cycle, the Sun is expected to deliver a multitude of solar phenomena, with a steady approach toward its minimum, anticipated around 2029-2030.

Earth will reach perihelion on January 4^th at 0.98333 AU in 2025 and aphelion on July 3^rd at 1.01664 AU from the Sun.

The seasons in 2025 commence on:

• March 20^th (northward equinox)
• June 20^th (northward solstice)
• September 22^nd (southward equinox)
• December 21^st (southward solstice)

The Moon in 2025

The year 2025 unfolds with a notable ‘hilly’ trajectory for the Moon, marking our passage through a Major Lunar Standstill. This significant nodal crossing will occur on January 29^th.

The inclination of the Moon’s orbit, which tilts slightly over five degrees in relation to the ecliptic plane, gets influenced by the gravitational pull of the Sun, resulting in a complete orbit every 18.6 years, as demonstrated in the phenomenon known as lunar nodal precession.

This alignment results in a distinctive lunar display every 18.6 years, as the Moon ‘swings wide’ across the sky in relation to our vantage point on Earth.

A ‘Hilly Year’

Peculiarly, the Northern Hemisphere experienced the northernmost Full Moon of the decade on December 15^th, 2024, with the southernmost Full Moon due to occur on June 11^th.

Additionally, a rare event of a Black Moon (defined as the third New Moon within an astronomical season of four) will take place on August 23^rd, while the Harvest Moon nearest the September Equinox will occur in October, on the 7^th.

Moon Phases for 2025 (in Universal Time)

Eclipses in 2025

As previously mentioned, 2025 will witness a minimum of four eclipses—specifically, two total lunar eclipses and two partial solar eclipses, encapsulating two distinct eclipse seasons in the year.

• An extensive total lunar eclipse on the night of March 13-14^th for the Americas;
• A partial solar eclipse on March 29^th traversing the North Atlantic;
• A second total lunar eclipse on the night of September 7-8^th centered over Central Asia;
• A partial solar eclipse on September 21^st visible in New Zealand and the South Pacific.

The Inner Planets in 2025

The elusive Mercury reaches its greatest elongation six times throughout 2025 (three during dawn and three at dusk), providing optimal viewing opportunities:

• March 8^th – Mercury is 18º east (dusk)
• April 21^st – Mercury is 27º west (dawn, the most favorable of 2025)
• July 4^th – Mercury is 26º east (dusk)
• August 19^th – Mercury is 18º west (dawn)
• October 29^th – Mercury is 24º east (dusk)
• December 8^th – Mercury is 21º west (dawn)

Meanwhile, Venus engages in dynamic activity during 2025. The brilliant planet will initially dominate the evening sky, achieving its greatest elongation of 47 degrees east of the Sun on January 10^th, radiating at magnitude -4.5.

This marks the most spectacular appearance of Venus since 2017. Subsequently, Venus will transition towards the Sun, passing within nine degrees north of it on March 21^st-22^nd.

Now is the opportune moment to attempt the challenging feat of observing Venus near its inferior conjunction, ensuring to physically block out the Sun from sight.

Venus will subsequently transition to a remarkable dawn appearance, reaching its greatest elongation of 46 degrees west of the Sun on June 25^th.

The Outer Planets in 2025

The highlight of planetary events in early 2025 is Mars’s opposition on January 16^th.

Despite being part of an unfavorable cycle as the Red Planet is distancing itself from us, edging towards aphelion on April 16^th, 2025, this event marks the initiation of the biannual Mars observation season.

At its peak, Mars will shine at a brightness of -1.5 magnitude and will be observable as a disk spanning 15? across.

Following its opposition, Mars will primarily appear in the evening sky, culminating in solar conjunction scheduled for January 9^th, 2026.

Jupiter’s Journey in 2025

Jupiter, having reached opposition on December 7^th, 2024, will skip a year and approach opposition again on January 10^th, 2026. This bypassing pattern was last observed in 2013.

Callisto, the only substantial moon that can evade Jupiter, will start its shadow-casting and return into Jupiter’s shadow on May 11^th. This event anticipates another dual-decade mutual eclipse season for Jupiter’s moons starting in 2026.

In 2025, three instances of double shadow transits can be observed:

• February 25^th (Ganymede-Europa)
• October 13^th (Ganymede-Io)
• October 29^th (Io-Europa)
• November 5^th (Io-Europa)
• November 21^st (Callisto-Io)

Keep an eye out for a unique event occurring when only Callisto is visible on October 6^th. Jupiter will transition to solar conjunction on June 24^th, moving from the evening to the dawn sky.

Observing Saturn in 2025

Beginning the year in the evening sky, Saturn will migrate behind the Sun, transitioning into the dawn sky on March 12^th. Notably, Saturn reaches opposition on September 21^st, making this the optimal time to observe the magnificent ringed planet.

Saturn’s rings will appear edge-on during March 23^rd, 2025, granting viewers a rare opportunity to witness an ostensibly ‘ring-less’ Saturn — a fascinating thought, considering how mundane our solar system might seem if Saturn’s rings were always concealed.

This equatorial alignment also invites opportunities to observe Saturn’s moons transiting its disk. While more challenging compared to the Galilean moons of Jupiter, shadow transits of the somewhat diminutive Titan can still be within reach of amateur telescopes. Utilize the IMCCE’s resource for shadow transit predictions of Titan in 2025.

Observations will note that Uranus reaches opposition on November 21^st in Taurus, Neptune on September 23^rd in Pisces, and distant Pluto on July 25^th in Capricornus.

Highlight Conjunctions and Groupings in 2025

In 2025, a plethora of intriguing lunar-planetary alignments await.

One astonishing opportunity arises to observe all naked-eye planets (from Mercury to Saturn) subtly aligned in the evening sky in mid-March, as Mercury completes the tableau.

The most striking planetary conjunction will transpire on August 12^th, when Jupiter and Venus come within 54? of each other at 36 degrees from the Sun at dawn.

The most impressive planet-star conjunction will occur when Venus passes just 30? north of Regulus on September 19^th, also at dawn.

An intriguing note: a remote location in the Siberian Arctic will witness the 5% illuminated waning crescent Moon simultaneously covering both celestial bodies while others will perceive a quirky, ‘smiley face’ configuration, suggesting that the cosmos possesses a delightful sense of humor.

A trio of conjunctions of this nature will not grace our skies again until February 13^th, 2056, when the Moon, Mars, and Mercury come together.

Bright Planetary Encounters with Clusters

Throughout 2025, three planets will transit the Beehive Cluster (Messier 44):

• May 4^th: Mars versus M44 (83º from the Sun at dusk)
• July 2^nd: Mercury versus M44 (25º from the Sun at dusk)
• August 31^st: Venus versus M44 (31º from the Sun at dawn)

Planets Occulted by the Moon in 2025

In 2025, the Moon will occult four naked-eye planets, (excluding Jupiter) a total of seven times:

Bright Stars Occulted by the Moon in 2025

2025 presents a unique occurrence where the Moon will occult three of the four +1^st magnitude stars it is capable of occulting: Spica (11 times), Antares (12 times), and Regulus (6 times). Notably, Aldebaran will not participate in this phenomenon.

Spica’s occultations will gradually drift towards the Antarctic region throughout 2025, while Regulus events will shift to more northern latitudes from the Arctic region.

Meanwhile, Spica occultations are ongoing and will conclude in November.

Occultations of the Pleiades by the Moon in 2025

The Moon will occult the Pleiades a total of 14 times globally in 2025, an ongoing series expected to extend into 2029:

Illuminating Comets to Watch in 2025

Currently, one comet presents a significant possibility of becoming visible to the naked eye in 2025: Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS.

This celestial traveler will reach perihelion on January 13^th, dwelling 0.094 AU from the Sun, with expectations that it may brighten to -1^st magnitude or higher.

As of late December 2024, Comet G3 ATLAS is at magnitude +7 and may emerge as a stunning sight low in the dawn sky for southern hemisphere observers, provided it remains stable and performs according to projections.

Meteor Showers to Anticipate in 2025

Here are the projected highlights for annual meteor showers in 2025:

• Quadrantids – Reaching a Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) of 80 on January 4^th with a +27% illuminated, waxing crescent Moon.
• Lyrids – Peaking on April 22^nd with a ZHR of 18 against a -32% illuminated, waning crescent Moon.
• Eta Aquariids – Expected to peak on May 5^th with a ZHR of 50 amidst a +64% illuminated, waxing gibbous Moon.
• Southern Delta Aquariids – Anticipated peak on July 31^st with a ZHR of 25, while a +44% illuminated, waxing crescent Moon will be visible.
• Perseids – Set to peak on August 12^th, with an expected ZHR of 100, brightened by a -87% illuminated, waning gibbous Moon.
• Orionids – Estimated peak on October 21^st with a ZHR of 20 coinciding with a New Moon.
• Leonids – Projected peak on November 17^th, with a ZHR of 10 alongside a -5% illuminated, thin waning crescent Moon.
• Geminids – Scheduled peak on December 14^th with a high ZHR of 150 against a -23% illuminated, waning crescent Moon.
• Ursids – Final peak on December 22^nd with a ZHR of 10 alongside a 7% illuminated, waxing crescent Moon.

The Geminids are predicted to be the most spectacular meteor shower of 2025.

Embracing the Strange and Unusual

It’s astonishing to realize that we have officially entered the second quarter of the 21^st century.

As enthusiasts of celestial cartography, the coordinates of 2050.0 will gradually become more pertinent as we inch closer to mid-century, creating a thought-provoking shift for those familiar with 1950.0 coordinates.

In a broader cosmic sense, we await the enormous anticipation surrounding the elusive T Coronae Borealis to erupt.

Furthermore, the white dwarf star Sirius B is currently at apastron, 11.5? distant from its salient primary, marking an opportune time to observe it and check off this item on your observation list—the double star 70 Ophiuchus, of magnitudes +4 and +6, will also attain its maximum separation of 6.7? in 2025.

Lastly, will the obsolete Soviet Kosmos 482 Venus mission re-enter our atmosphere in 2025? Should we brace for potential encounters with the ‘Venus Death Probe’, reminiscent of classic science fiction?

…And a Preview for 2026

As the celestial cycle continues into 2026, anticipate the remarkable mutual eclipse season for Jupiter’s considerable moons as they traverse one another.

Additionally, the ongoing solar cycle is projected to maintain its activity, producing sunspots and various space weather phenomena.

Finally, a significant event on the horizon is the anticipated return of total solar eclipses on August 12^th, as the Moon’s shadow sweeps across Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain.

Do not miss the extensive range of celestial phenomena and more, manifesting in the vast expanse of the sky awaiting your observation.

This article was initially published by Universe Today. Explore the original article.