We’re coming off an exciting 2024 in the astronomy world where millions viewed a total solar eclipse in April and then saw the northern lights in May.
Solar maximum peaked in October, meaning we’re still in the period of high solar activity. In May 2024, the earth saw the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades.
2025 looks to be a front-loaded, exciting year for all things celestial, lunar and planetary. Space lovers are going to take another solar plunge for what will be another eventful stretch for our galaxy.
Meteor showers likely to be spotty in 2025
“It’s not a great year for meteor showers, because the usual good ones, the ones that are most active and worth going out there and seeing, are going to be competing with the moonlight,” said NASA Ambassador Tony Rice. “The phase of the moon at the time is going to be not advantageous for seeing the most meteors.”
However, there is one shower that promises to be pretty impressive right off the bat.
Quadrantids meteor shower (Jan. 3-4)
Rice said the Quadrantids meteor shower could be the biggest event of the year. Because of the crescent moon’s early setting, there will be dark skies to make for a nice contrast. The moon will only be at 11% illumination for the Quadrantids.
At its peak, the shower can display up to 40 meteors per hour for viewers in a dark, rural area. There will be less visibility in a suburban or urban area.
For the best sights, look for a dark spot after midnight and before dawn.
Other visible meteor showers this year include:
- July 28, 29 – Southern Delta Aquarids (27% moon illumination)
- October 21, 22 – Orionids (2% moon illumination)
- November 17, 18 – Leonids (9% moon illumination)
Mars occultation (Jan. 13)
Mars will be at its brightest on Jan. 13 and visible all night long. That’s because the moon is passing in front of Mars, which is called an occultation.
“If there’s one thing I’m looking forward to out of the year, it’s the Mars occultation,” Rice said. “You can think of it as a kind of an eclipse. It’s the moon passing in front of something else, and it’s something that’s really easy to see.”
This is the best time to get a look at the red planet! A telescope can help view some of the details.
It’s also the first full moon of the year. The first full moon was known by Native American tribes as the Wolf Moon because hungry wolf packs would howl outside their camps during this time of year.
On the night of Jan. 16, Mars will reach opposition, which is when a planet is directly opposite the Sun. This is when Mars will be closest to Earth and it will be fully illuminated by the Sun. You will be able to see more details in a telescope or binoculars.
Supermoon schedule
Three supermoons are expected in the fall. A supermoon is what happens when a full moon happens at the same time as the moon’s closest approach to Earth.
3 supermoons during 2025
- Monday, Oct. 6
- Wednesday, Nov. 5
- Thursday, Dec. 4
You can see a list of supermoons through the mid 2030s here.
Will we see aurora again?
Solar Maximum, or the period of highest activity on the Sun, continues through 2025 which could mean more visible aurora deeper into the United States. It’s hard to say for certain, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled for solar activity.
You might remember last spring when a rare solar storm made auroras visible in North Carolina and wowed stargazers, who captured amazing images.
“That happened twice last year and because we’re still at a point of solar maximum, it is very possible we could see it in the coming months,” Rice said. “The first half of the year it’s going to be more likely than the last half because you know we are on the downswing. All the meteorologists there are keeping their eye out for any solar storms, coral mass ejections and that sort of thing that might be coming our way.”
Several northern states From Alaska to New York fell within the southern reach of the northern lights’ visibility on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31, 2024.
“That activity being so strong and so frequent provides the ingredients for Aurora to push their way down into the lower 48 states as far south as here,” Rice said.
Eclipses
There are partial solar eclipses scheduled for March 29 and Sept. 21. There are total lunar eclipses scheduled for March 14 and Sept. 7.
On March 14, the point of greatest eclipse will be just before 3 a.m. It will be visible in North America. A partial solar eclipse will happen on March 29.
On Sept. 7, the total lunar eclipse will be visible in parts of Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
Another partial solar eclipse is scheduled for Sept. 21, but will not be visible in North Carolina. It will be visible in parts of Australia and Antarctica.
Full moon schedule
In 2025, there are 12 full moons.
· Jan. 13
· Feb. 12
· March 14 (total lunar eclipse)
· April 12
· May 12
· June 11
· July 10
· Aug. 9
· Sept. 7 (total lunar eclipse)
· Oct. 6 (also a supermoon)
· Nov. 5
· Dec. 4 (also a supermoon)