Top events not to miss - Facts With Mudassir

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Richard Witkowski captured the aurora storm on May 10-11, 2024, from Indiana Dunes National Park. It was surely one of the best night sky events of this past year. Thanks, Richard! So how about 2025? We can’t predict the next auroral display, but we can provide a preview of 2025’s top stargazing events. Mark your calendars!

Best stargazing of 2025: Top events not to miss

It’s the best of 2025! Mark your calendars for these stargazing events in the upcoming year. From the moon hiding planets, to Earth’s shadow hiding the moon in a total lunar eclipse – from planetary pairings, to inspiring nightscapes – there’s much to see in 2025. Plus, to keep up with unexpected events, visit EarthSky.org’s Tonight pages regularly for the latest on solar storms, new comets and more!

January 13: The full moon hides bright Mars

On the evening of January 13, the full moon will slowly slide in front of Mars – in what we call an occultation – visible from the Americas and Africa. Those outside of these locations will see the moon and the red planet quite close together. And Mars is just two days from opposition, when it’s opposite the sun in our sky and close to Earth. So it will be at its brightest, helping you to see it close to the full moon. The timing of this event depends on your location. For example, from Chicago you’ll want to start watching around 8:00 p.m. CST to see the lunar orb inching closer to Mars. In San Diego, you can start watching around 5:30 p.m. PST, not long after the moon has risen from your location. The moon will take 20 to 70 minutes to pass in front of Mars, depending on your location.

Try Stellarium for a precise view from where you live.

A white disk lies directly above small red dot. Two white dots are above the white disk. — The bright full moon will occult Mars on the evening of January 13, 2025.

A white arrow pointing towards the lower left of a white disk and a small red dot. — A binocular view of the full moon approaching Mars, eventually passing in front of it, on the evening of January 13. Mars should be bright enough to spot in the bright glare of the moon.

January 17-18: Venus and Saturn meet up

Brilliant Venus will lie in the west-southwest 90 minutes after sunset throughout January. On the evenings of January 17 and 18, it will pass Saturn. They may look close to each other in the sky, but in three-dimensional space they are 900 million miles apart!

White starred dot moves along an arrow to the upper left. A small dot lies left. — Brilliant Venus will meet Saturn in the early evening on January 17 and 18, 2025.

February 6: The 1st quarter moon hides the Pleiades

The dark side of the 1st quarter moon moves in front of the pretty Pleiades star cluster in the hours after midnight on February 6, 2025. During the event, the clusters’ stars will disappear one by one. The disappearance of the Pleiades – an event called an occultation – will be in the western sky for viewers in the Midwest and the western states. On the East Coast, observers will see the moon closely approach the Pleiades before they both set.

A white half-circle lies immediately below a number of small white dots. To their upper left is a red dot and a white dot. — The 1st quarter moon will occult – or hide – the Pleiades after midnight on February 6.

A white half-circle lies immediately below a number of small white dots. A white arrow points to the upper left of the white half-circle. — Binocular view of the moon slowly passing in front of stars of the Pleiades.

February 28: The thin crescent moon meets Mercury

On the final evening of February, the waxing crescent moon, bright with earthshine, floats below little Mercury in the west 30 minutes after sunset. Brilliant Venus stands above them guarding the scene. Binoculars will really help bring out both the moon’s thin crescent and Mercury.

A white crescent shape lies immediately below a white dot. Above them both lies a white starred dot. — Shortly after sunset on February 28, the thin waxing crescent moon will hover just above the horizon, and just below little Mercury. Above them, Venus will glow unmistakably.

A white crescent shape lies below a white dot. — Binocular view of the moon lying below Mercury.

March 13-14: Total lunar eclipse

Total lunar eclipses are always fascinating to watch, and the one overnight on March 13 over the Western Hemisphere will be no exception. The moon will start to enter Earth’s umbral shadow at 12:09 a.m. CDT on March 14 (10:09 p.m. PDT on March 13), reaching mid-eclipse at 1:58 a.m. CDT on March 14. The lunar orb will completely depart the shadow by 3:48 a.m. CDT. During totality, the darkened moon will turn a shade of deep red, often earning it the nickname Blood Moon.

Star chart showing circle for Earth's shadow and smaller circle for moon in 3 places. — Half the world will see a total lunar eclipse on March 13-14, 2025.

March 29: Partial solar eclipse

Time to get out your eclipse glasses! Viewers in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada will see a partial solar eclipse as the sun is rising on March 29. The deepest part of the eclipse will happen before sunrise. But you’ll still see part of the sun covered for a while after sunrise. Start viewing as soon as the sun begins to appear above the horizon, when the moon will still cover an appreciable portion of the solar disk. Don’t forget to look for shadows on the ground mimicking the crescent shape of the eclipse in the sky.

View the sun only through approved safe solar filters!

A large yellow dot is partially blocked by a black dot of the same size. — The moon will partly block the sun at sunrise on March 29, 2025, in a partial solar eclipse. Use only safe solar filters to view this event!

April 1 and 2: The moon, Jupiter and stars of Taurus

The waxing crescent moon and bright Jupiter lie in the west-northwest on the evenings of April 1 and 2, in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Look an hour after sunset. The moon will float near the tiny dipper-shaped Pleiades star cluster on April 1. Also nearby is the larger V-shaped Hyades cluster with its red foreground star Aldebaran.

A white crescent shape is just above a number of small, white dots. They are all right of a number of small dots and a red dot. Above them is a larger white dot. On the following eveing , the white crescent shape moves above everything. — Spot an enchanting gathering of the waxing crescent moon, Jupiter and the stars of Taurus the Bull on April 1 and 2.

May 3: The moon and Mars meet at the Beehive

Look high in the west 60 minutes after sunset to see the waning crescent moon hanging next to Mars. Just below the red planet will glow the dim Beehive star cluster in Cancer the Crab. Binoculars will help you spot the dim cluster. In this one scene lies the 240,000-mile-distant moon sitting by the 135 million-mile-distant Mars, with both appearing near the 577 light-year-distant Beehive.

A large white crescent shape is immediately above a red dot, which is in turn within a yellow circle. — The waning crescent moon will lie above Mars, which will lie at the upper edge of the Beehive star cluster, on the evening of May 3, 2025.

A large white crescent shape is immediately above a red dot. They are near a number of small white dots. — Binocular view of the waxing crescent moon near Mars and the Beehive.

June 16: Mars and Regulus pair up

On the evening of June 16, 90 minutes after sunset, look for red Mars shining next to the similarly bright Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Planets, like Mars, don’t normally twinkle, while stars, like Regulus, often do.

A red dot lies closely above a white dot. — Look 90 minutes after sunset on June 16, 2025, to see red Mars paired with Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion.

July 20 and 21: The crescent moon and the Pleiades

Before dawn on July 20, the moon – in Taurus the Bull – will move in front of the Pleiades star cluster, blocking its stars one by one. As the moon completes its passage, the stars pop out from its dark side. West Coast observers will see this event in progress as the waning crescent moon rises in the east-northeast.

On the next morning, a thinner waning crescent moon will have moved above brilliant Venus, forming an attractive triangle with it and Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus.

A white crescent shape sits next to a number of small dots, which in turn are above more white dots and a starred dot. The following morning, the white crescent shape has moved lower and above the white starred dot. — Look 60 minutes before sunrise on July 20 and 21 to see the waning crescent moon, Venus, Jupiter, the Pleiades and Aldebaran with the Hyades in a captivating morning scene.

August 11 and 12: Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter

During the first part of August, brilliant Venus will drop toward bright Jupiter in the eastern morning sky. Venus will pass Jupiter, seemingly switching places with it, on August 11 and 12, 2025. They are nowhere near each other in space. Venus lies 114 million miles from our world, and Jupiter is another 440 million miles beyond that. For the rest of the month, Venus will continue its slow slide to the horizon. And while you’re out admiring them, don’t forget it’s the peak of the Perseid meteor shower!

A starred white dot follows a white arrow to the lower left passing a white dot. — On the mornings of August 11 and 12, brilliant Venus will slide past bright Jupiter.

A white arrow points to the lower left and a starred white dot follows it. Another, but smaller white dot lies left of the arrow. — Binoculars will help separate Venus and Jupiter as Venus moves below Jupiter on the mornings of August 11 and 12.

August 20 and 21: A dramatic gathering before sunrise

On the mornings of August 20 and 21, the waning crescent moon, full with earthshine, along with brilliant Venus, bright Jupiter and little Mercury will gather in the east among the stars Castor, Pollux and Procyon. Begin looking 60 minutes before sunrise to witness this intriguing celestial scene.

A white crescent shape lies left of a white dot and a starred white dot. They all lie right of two small white dots. On the following morning, the white crescent shape is above another small white dot. — The waning crescent moon will appear near brilliant Venus, bright Jupiter and the stars Castor and Pollux on the morning of August 20. The following morning, the moon will lie closer to the horizon and above little Mercury.

September 7-8: Total lunar eclipse

For those in the Eastern Hemisphere who won’t get to see the total lunar eclipse on March 13-14, it’s your turn! Overnight on September 7, the full moon will slide into Earth’s shadow, becoming totally eclipsed. This event is visible over much of Asia, Africa and western Australia. During totality, you should be able to spot Saturn easily to the moon’s east.

Star chart showing a circle for Earth's shadow and 3 different colored circles for the moon's location during the eclipse. — The partial phase of the lunar eclipse begins at 16:26 UTC on September 7, 2025. Then the moon will be totally eclipsed from 17:30 UTC to 18:53 UTC. (The moment of greatest eclipse is 18:11 UTC.) By 19:56 UTC, the moon will have completely left the umbral shadow.

September 19: The moon, Venus and Regulus

There’s a celestial pileup in the eastern sky before dawn on September 19. Look about 90 minutes before sunrise to see the thin waning crescent moon and brilliant Venus snug together. Just beside them will shine Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion.

A crescent shape is above a starred dot which in turn is above a smaller round dot. — Catch the tight trio of the thin crescent moon, Venus and Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion, before sunrise on September 19, 2025.

October 9: The crescent moon hides the Pleiades

The waning gibbous moon will occult – or hide – the individual stars of the Pleiades on the evening of October 9, 2025. It will take a few hours for the moon to pass from one side of the cluster in Taurus to the other.

A fat white hemisphere lies immediately above and right of a tight group of small white dots. — The waning gibbous moon will slide over many of the stars of the Pleiades on the evening of October 9, 2025.

A fat white hemisphere lies to the upper right of a number of small white dots. A white arrow points to the lower left through those white dots. — Binocular view of the moon slowly passing in front of stars of the Pleiades.

November 23: See Saturn without its rings!

January and February 2025 will be your last time to see the northern side of Saturn’s rings until the year 2039. In March, we will cross the plane of Saturn’s rings, but at that time Saturn will be too close to the sun for us to see its rings disappear. After that, there’ll be slim peeks at the southern side of the rings. However, the rings will temporarily bobble back to nearly edge-on in November. On November 23, 2025, the rings will be at their narrowest from our point of view. You’ll need a telescope to see them, or visit an observatory on an open stargazing night. Can you see a thin line on Saturn, or nothing of the rings at all? Saturn’s ring system will remain nearly closed for the rest of the year.

12 views of Saturn with rings wide, narrow, edge-on, and then widening again. — View larger. | This beautiful montage of Saturn from Earth is from Damian Peach. It was the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) on September 19, 2021. It shows the changing tilt of Saturn’s rings as viewed from Earth between 2004 and 2015. We see this perpetual change – sometimes seeing the north face of the rings, sometimes the south face – over a cycle of about 15 years. In March 2025, the rings will be edge-on, but Saturn will be too close to the sun to view. However, thanks to a bobble in our collective orbits, the rings will narrow down to almost nothing from our perspective again in November. Montage used with permission. Thank you, Damian!

December 13-14: Geminid meteors in a dark sky

The peak of the Geminid meteor shower will occur overnight on December 13, 2025. You’ll be able to see perhaps more than 60 meteors an hour. Begin viewing after 8 p.m. your local time and continue watching all night. Any light from the thin waning crescent moon, which rises after 3 a.m., won’t interfere with meteor sightings this year.

Blue lines extending from a central round area. Two white dots are below this point. A larger dot is below it, but to its right. — View the Geminid meteor shower after 8 p.m. your local time on December 14, when its radiant point rises above the east-northeastern horizon.

Bottom line: There you have it … the best stargazing of 2025! Mark your calendar for these observing events. And may we have clear, dark skies for all to enjoy.

John Jardine Goss

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About the Author:

“I can sometimes see the moon in the daytime” was a cosmic revelation that John Jardine Goss first discovered through personal observations at age 6. It shook his young concept of the universe and launched his interest in astronomy and stargazing, a fascination he still holds today. John is past president of the Astronomical League, the largest U.S. federation of astronomical societies, with over 24,000 members. He’s earned the title of Master Observer and is a regular contributor to the video series, “Global Star Party.” He has authored the celestial observing guides “Exploring the Starry Realm,” and “Carpe Lunam,” and “Take Your First Steps, an Introduction to Amateur Astronomy.” John also wrote for twenty years the monthly stargazing column, Roanoke Skies, for the Roanoke Times, and currently writes a bimonthly column, Skywatch, for Blue Ridge Country magazine. He has contributed to Sky and Telescope magazine, the IDA Nightscape, the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine, and the RASC Observer’s Handbook.

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