Another spectacular 12 months awaits stargazers. From the looks of unusually shiny Venus to the primary total lunar eclipse of 2022, there can be loads of reasons to look up on the sky this 12 months. Other attractions will include a deep partial solar eclipse in North America, 4 moonless meteor showers and three supermoons. Although lots of these events can be visible to the naked eye, investing in them now good telescope for beginners can greatly improve your experience.
Quadrant meteor shower
The first meteor shower of the 12 months in the Northern Hemisphere is usually impressive – if you happen to can bear the chilliness – with 25 to 200 shooting stars per hour at its peak. This can be the last meteor shower before the Lyrids in April.
Venus at its brightest
When Venus reaches its closest point to Earth, it’s going to shine at magnitude -4.5 – as shiny as ever – but this dazzling sight will reveal something else if you happen to point a small telescope at it. As an inner planet, it appears as a crescent moon because it approaches Earth; watch from January 11 to February 19 and you will see it shrink every night.
Total lunar eclipse
The first total lunar eclipse since late 2022 will turn the lunar surface a superb orange-reddish color for 65 minutes. North America will receive a ringside seat, and the event can be available to look at at night across the continent. Europa isn’t so lucky, as it’s going to have the ability to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon during moonset.
Aurora borealis through the equinox
The equinoxes, when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the Sun, create the proper geometry for reliable and spectacular displays aurora borealis across the poles – and this 12 months, these light shows are prone to appear further north and south. With the sun at solar maximum in 2025, increased solar activity is predicted, including auroral outbursts, especially in the weeks after the equinox.
Partial solar eclipse
While it won’t match the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse, for sheer drama, residents of the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canadian provinces could catch a glimpse of an eclipsed sunrise if the sky is evident. This partial solar eclipse will cause as much as 94% of the sun to be blocked by the Moon and may also occur in Europe and northwest Africa.
Lyrid meteor shower
The Perseids in 2024 – probably the most prolific and popular meteor shower of the 12 months – can be eclipsed by the intense moonlight, and other meteor showers may have to catch up. When the crescent moon sets in the early evening, expect a great display of Lyrids, which offer about 10 to twenty shooting stars per hour and a few super-bright fireballs. April can be a great month to begin searching Milky Way later at night.
Eta Aquariid meteorite display
About 60 shooting stars per hour are expected through the eta-Aquarids peak, which can occur under ideal astronomical conditions. It is one among two meteor showers attributable to dust and debris left in the inside solar system By Halley’s Comet (the second is the November Orionids). Eta Aquarids is best seen from the southern hemisphere.
Saturn in opposition
Saturn can be at its brightest and best in late September when Earth passes between the gas giant and sun. This can be the best time to look at Saturn, although you will want a small telescope to see its rings. There can be no opposition from Jupiter in 2025 – the enormous planet will align with Earth and the Sun in early 2026.
Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter
On this present day, rise before sunrise and you’ll likely see the gorgeous sight of Jupiter and Venus shining only one degree apart. That’s lower than the width of your little finger stretched at arm’s length toward the sky. Jupiter will shine with an influence of -1.8, and Venus -3.9.
Beaver supermoon
Will be three supermoons in 2025the closest of which can be November’s Beaver Moon, positioned 221,726 miles (356,833 km) from Earth. This can be the closest full moon this 12 months and the closest since 2019. It can be supported by October’s Hunter’s Moon and December’s Cold Moon, with January 2026’s Wolf Moon also being a supermoon.
