Here’s what 2025 has in store if you look up

Here’s what 2025 has in store if you look up

See you crater, 2024!

After a year of out-of-this-world solar events — including a total solar eclipse and sightings of the northern lights — 2025 will bring even more reasons to look up at the sky.

Things are looking bright in the new year already, kicking off with meteor showers.

The Quadrantids, which peak in early January each year, are described as one of the strongest and most consistent meteor showers — but the peak visibility window is way shorter than others, according to NASA.

While most meteor showers have a two-day peak, the Quadrantids’ lasts only a few hours — just six hours on the night of Thursday, Jan. 2, into Friday, Jan. 3. The best time to view the first meteor shower of the year will be in the early predawn hours on Friday.

If you miss the Quandrantids, several other showers will occur in 2025, including the Perseids, which peak from Aug. 12 to 13, and the Geminids from Dec. 13 to 14.

Later in January, on Jan. 13, the moon will appear to pass in front of Mars in the evening, which will be visible to skywatchers in the U.S. and eastern Canada.

Also this month, Venus and Saturn will come “just a couple of finger widths’ distance” apart — and the conjunction will be at its closest on Jan. 17 and 18, NASA said.

January will see a couple of month-long celestial events as well. Four planets will be visible after dark all month: Venus and Saturn in the southwest, Jupiter high overhead and Mars in the east. If you have a telescope on hand, Uranus and Neptune can be visible, too.

Starting in October, three supermoons will take over the night skies. AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File

Additionally, Mars will be directly opposite the sun from Earth, with the red planet shining brightly all night, starting in the east as night falls and in the southwest at dawn.

Northern lights sightings will continue into 2025 as well — and chances of seeing the aurora will come sooner than you may think.

Two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) struck Earth’s magnetic field on New Year’s Eve, bringing out the displays of light in the Northern Hemisphere. With a new CME coming toward Earth, more northern lights can be expected around Friday, Jan. 3, and Saturday, Jan. 4, according to space weather physicist Dr. Tamitha Skov.

There will be a partial solar eclipse, which will be visible in parts of North America on March 29, 2025. ESA-P. Carril @ESA/European Space Agency

Other cosmic events happening later in the year include a total lunar eclipse, which NASA said will occur on March 14. Whether it will be visible from the U.S. is weather-dependent.

A second total lunar eclipse will happen on Sept. 7, but it will not be visible from the U.S.

There will also be a partial solar eclipse, which will be seen in parts of North America on March 29.

Unlike 2024, there will be no total solar eclipse this year or any time soon; the next one that will be visible stateside will be in August 2044.

October kicks off the first of three supermoons in a row, according to NASA.

The final one will occur on Dec. 4.

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