Magical 'events' not to be missed in the night sky in 2025

In 2025, stargazers can look forward to a host of exciting celestial wonders.

Interesting astronomical phenomena will take place in 2025

January 18: Saturn and Venus 'merge'

A year of celestial wonder begins with a stunning planetary pairing. On January 18, neighboring worlds Venus and Saturn will appear less than half a degree apart in the sky, about 30–45 minutes after sunset. Look for the two planets shining in the southwest. Venus will be brighter and more brilliant white, while Saturn will be slightly dimmer and more yellow.

March 14: Total lunar eclipse and blood moon

Catch a glimpse of the moon glowing pink in the early morning hours of March 14. The 'blood moon' effect only occurs when there is a full moon and the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned so that our planet's shadow falls across the moon in the sky. Stargazers can get great views of the event across the Americas, weather permitting.

During a total lunar eclipse, light is refracted through Earth's atmosphere, creating a brilliant glow on the Moon's surface (as seen in this image taken in 2022 in Portugal). (Source: National Geographic).

March 29: Partial solar eclipse

The March 29 solar eclipse will cause the Sun to appear as a crescent moon — visible across large swaths of North America, Europe, northern Asia, and northwest Africa. The event begins at 4:50 a.m. ET. By 6:47 a.m. ET, most of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon.

June 26: Moon and Mercury Meet

Have you ever seen the planet closest to the Sun? Mercury is usually hard to spot because of its proximity to the Sun and its brightness. On June 26, the planet will be 'easier to see' when it appears next to our Moon.

Look to the west just after sunset, about 20-30 minutes before twilight has completely disappeared. Mercury will shine as a faint point of light to the naked eye, just three degrees to the side of the thin crescent moon.

August 12: Venus and Jupiter come together

Catch a show in the early morning sky on August 12 as the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, appear incredibly close together. This is a rare opportunity to see the two brightest planets side by side.

Look high to the east at dawn to find two bright objects, close enough to see each other through binoculars. Venus will be brighter than Jupiter with a brilliant white light, while Jupiter will appear slightly dimmer and more yellow.

September 7: Another total lunar eclipse and blood moon

Earthlings will have a second chance to see a blood moon in 2025, when a total lunar eclipse covers Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania on the evening of September 7.

The Earth's shadow will begin to spread across the moon's surface at 12:27 p.m. ET, while the total lunar eclipse phase runs from 1:30 p.m. to 2:52 p.m. ET.

This image shows the moment the super full moon begins to glow red from under the Earth's shadow, as seen from the Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve in Portugal. (Source: National Geographic)

During a total solar eclipse, sunlight passing through Earth's dusty atmosphere is bent towards the red part of the spectrum and shines down on the Moon's surface, causing the Moon to appear to be 'bathed' in an eerie red-orange light.

September 19: The Moon, Venus and Regulus 'Cuddle' in the Sky

A stunning celestial trio will dominate the early morning sky on September 19. Look east about 45 minutes before sunrise to see the slender crescent Moon, brilliant Venus and bright star Regulus forming a striking triangle. Venus, the brightest object after the Moon, will shine like a diamond, with Regulus shining nearby in a majestic blue-white.

November 8: Saturn's Rings Disappear

Saturn's iconic rings are what we expect when we look at the giant planet. But in early November, Saturn will temporarily lose its popularity because its rings will appear horizontal.

This rare event occurs every 15 years when Saturn's tilt aligns with Earth's, rendering the thin rings nearly invisible.

December 13-14: Geminid meteor shower peaks

Every December, Earth passes through a cloud of space debris left over from a collapsing asteroid, creating a barrage of meteors.

In a normal year, the Geminid meteor shower can produce between 60 and 120 meteors per hour during its peak days — December 13 and 14. This year promises to be especially good for the Geminids, as the shower's peak will coincide with dark, moonless skies.

See the aurora in 2025

Last October, representatives from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the International Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced that the Sun had reached its peak solar activity period and could continue into next year.

Throughout 2025, we may see increased solar activity. This will certainly increase the chances of Earth witnessing strong and vivid auroras in the sky.