Celestial Wonders Await: New England’s Stellar Showdowns in 2025!

The new calendar year will bring a duo of lunar eclipses, yet don’t anticipate any sun-blocking spectacles akin to the one that captivated North America last spring.

While humanity must await 2026 for the next total solar eclipse, the universe assures numerous other awe-inspiring events in 2025.

It’s kicking off the year with a parade of six planets in January that will be observable for several weeks. Tiny Mercury will join the assembly for a seven-planet display in February.

Five planets are already dispersed throughout the sky — all except Mars and Mercury — though binoculars or telescopes are required to spot a few of them shortly after sunset.

“Individuals should venture out and observe them some time over the next several weeks. I certainly will,” stated Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of the Planetary Society.

Here’s a preview of what lies ahead:

Eclipses

The moon will temporarily disappear for over an hour across North and South America on March 14, followed by a partial solar eclipse two weeks later visible from Maine, eastern Canada, Greenland, Europe, Siberia, and northwestern Africa.

This cosmic double feature will occur again in September with an extended total lunar eclipse covering Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, alongside a partial solar eclipse two weeks later close to the southern hemisphere.

Supermoons

This year will showcase three supermoons in October, November, and December.

During those three months, the full moon will appear exceptionally large and luminous as it orbits nearer to Earth than usual.

November’s supermoon will be the nearest, passing within 221,817 miles. The previous year featured four supermoons, concluding in November.

Planet parade

Six of our seven neighboring planets will align in the sky to create a long arc around mid-January. All except Neptune and Uranus should be visible without aid just after sunset, weather permitting.

The parade will persist for weeks, with certain planets occasionally coming close together. Mercury will make a guest appearance by the end of February. The planets will progressively depart, one by one, throughout spring.

Northern and Southern Lights

Last year, the sun produced significant activity, illuminating the sky with beautiful auroras in unexpected locations.

Space weather analysts are predicting more geomagnetic storms that could result in even more northern and southern lights.

This is due to the sun reaching its solar maximum during its current 11-year cycle, which may extend through this year. Shawn Dahl from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends that everyone stay informed about space weather updates to avoid missing any spontaneous, dazzling displays.

Meteor showers

The Perseids and Geminids are perennial favorites, peaking in August and December respectively. However, don’t overlook the smaller, less spectacular meteor showers such as the Lyrids in April, the Orionids in October, and the Leonids in November.

The darker the location and the fainter the moon, the better the viewing experience will be. Meteor showers are usually named after the constellation they seem to originate from. They occur when Earth travels through trails of debris left by comets and occasionally asteroids.

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