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.
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.
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.
In 2024, see you, Crater!
2025 will bring even more reasons to gaze up at the sky after a year filled with incredible solar events, such as a total solar eclipse and northern light sightings.
With meteor showers to start the new year, things are already looking promising.
NASA claims that although the Quadrantids are one of the most powerful and reliable meteor showers, their window of maximum visibility is significantly shorter than other meteor showers. The Quadrantids peak in early January every year.
On the night of Thursday, January, the Quadrantids lasted for only six hours, whereas most meteor showers peak over two days. into Friday, January 2. 3. . The early predawn hours on Friday will be the best time to see the year’s first meteor shower.
There will be a number of other showers in 2025 if you miss the Quandrantids, such as the Perseids, which peak in August. Geminids from December 12 to 13. 13.
On January, later in the month. 13. Skywatchers in the United States will be able to see the moon appear to pass in front of Mars in the evening. S. and Canada’s east provinces.
Venus will be “just a couple of finger widths’ distance” from Saturn this month as well; the conjunction will be at its closest on January. NASA specified 17 and 18.
A few month-long celestial events are also scheduled for January. Jupiter will be high overhead, Mars in the east, Venus and Saturn in the southwest, and all four planets will be visible after dark throughout the month. Neptune and Uranus can also be seen with a telescope.
Furthermore, Mars will be directly opposite the sun from Earth, causing the red planet to shine brightly all night long, beginning in the east at dusk and moving to the southwest at sunrise.
Sightings of the northern lights will persist into 2025 as well, and your chances of seeing the aurora will be higher than you might anticipate.
On New Year’s Eve, Earth’s magnetic field was hit by two coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which triggered the Northern Hemisphere’s light displays. More northern lights are anticipated on Friday, January, as a new CME approaches Earth. 3, and January Saturday. 4, according to Dr. Tamitha Skov, a space weather physicist.
A total lunar eclipse, which NASA said will take place on March 14, is one of the other celestial events that will take place later this year. Will it be observable from the U.S. A. is influenced by the weather.
September will see a second total lunar eclipse. 7. However, it won’t be visible from the U.S. S.
Additionally, a partial solar eclipse is scheduled for March 29 in some parts of North America.
There will not be a total solar eclipse this year or anytime soon, in contrast to 2024; the next one that will be visible in the United States is scheduled for August 2044.
NASA has announced that the first of three consecutive supermoons will begin in October.
The last one will take place in December. 4. .
