2025 Night Sky Highlights: What to Watch for Every Month
From meteor showers and eclipses to planetary alignments, explore the must-see celestial events of 2025 and mark your stargazing calendar.
2025 Stargazing Calendar: The Best Celestial Events to Watch
The universe is ready to dazzle in 2025, offering everything from fiery meteor showers to planet alignments that seem straight out of a sci-fi movie. Grab your binoculars, find a dark spot, and mark your calendar because these events will light up—or temporarily darken—the sky.
January: A Meteor Shower and Mars Magic
Quadrantid Meteor Shower (Jan. 3–4): Starting the year with a bang, the Quadrantids peak on January 4 at around 4 a.m. EST. Northern Hemisphere viewers can expect over 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, and a 47% moon won’t ruin the show.
Wolf Moon + Mars Occultation (Jan. 13): Mars will do its best disappearing act behind the first full moon of the year, reemerging just over an hour later.
Mars at Opposition (Jan. 15): January’s pièce de résistance: Mars is at its brightest and fully illuminated from Earth’s perspective. You’ll find it in the eastern sky at sunset.
February: Planetary Parade
Planetary Parade (Feb. 1–28): The planets are putting on a parade, aligning in Earth's sky for most of the month. By February 28, even Mercury—Earth’s shy neighbor—joins the lineup.
Venus at Its Closest (Feb. 19): Look for a dazzling crescent Venus as it swings closest to Earth.
March: Eclipses Galore
Total Lunar Eclipse (March 14): Prepare for the moon to go full-on crimson as it passes through Earth’s shadow. The Americas and Antarctica get front-row seats.
Partial Solar Eclipse (March 26): Up to 93% of the sun will disappear for lucky viewers along North America’s east coast.
April: Lyrid Meteor Shower
Active April 15–30, the Lyrids peak on April 21–22, offering up to 20 meteors per hour. Fireball enthusiasts, keep an eye out for those extra-bright streaks.
May: Halley’s Legacy
Eta Aquarids (May 6–7): Southern Hemisphere stargazers get the better show (up to 60 meteors per hour), but Northern Hemisphere viewers can still catch this display courtesy of Halley’s Comet.
July: Double Meteor Delight
Delta Aquarids and Alpha Capricornids (July 29–30): The former offers subtle brilliance for Southern Hemisphere viewers, while the latter dazzles with bright, albeit fewer, meteors.
August: Perseid Power
Perseid Meteor Shower (Aug. 12–13): Despite competing with a post-full moon, the Perseids promise nearly 100 meteors per hour—and a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in the early morning sky sweetens the deal.
September: Saturn at Opposition
Sept. 21: Saturn steals the show, glowing at its brightest as it reaches opposition. For added celestial drama, a partial solar eclipse will be visible from New Zealand on the same day.
October: Orionid Brilliance
Orionids (Oct. 22–23): With only a sliver of moonlight, expect 10–20 meteors per hour from this Halley’s Comet offshoot.
Draconid Storm? (Oct. 6): Don’t hold your breath, but astronomers suggest there’s a faint chance of a meteor storm this year.
November: Supermoon + Leonids
Supermoon (Nov. 5): The second supermoon of 2025 promises to be the biggest and brightest since 2019.
Leonid Meteor Shower (Nov. 16–17): With a faint crescent moon, this shower could wow with up to 15 meteors per hour.
December: The Grand Finale
Geminid Meteor Shower (Dec. 13–14): Known for its bright, multicolored meteors, the Geminids wrap up the year with up to 120 meteors per hour under moonless skies.
Get your blankets, brew some coffee, and prepare for 2025’s celestial smorgasbord. And remember, the best viewing experiences come with patience, a dark sky, and a little luck. Happy stargazing!
