Explore the Celestial Wonders: A 2025 Traveler’s Manual to the Southern Sky

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A total lunar eclipse, the rings of Saturn vanishing, meteors, and additional phenomena. Here’s a comprehensive list of celestial happenings observable from Australia throughout the year.

Apart from the yearly display of star formations passing overhead each evening, there are consistently thrilling occurrences to anticipate in the sky. The year 2025 offers its share of these remarkable events.

While the night sky is exceptionally breathtaking from a remote, dark area, you can still witness the events mentioned here even if you reside in a city with considerable light pollution, like many others. For the majority of these events, a telescope or binoculars are not essential.

Here are some notable highlights.

Eclipses of the Moon in March and September

In the early hours of Monday 8 September, the full Moon will enter Earth’s shadow, resulting in a total eclipse. The lunar body will take on a red or copper hue, as sunlight is refracted by Earth’s atmosphere onto the Moon. The refracted light appears red due to the reflection of sunrises and sunsets across the globe.

Total lunar eclipses occur more frequently than solar eclipses and can be observed from all regions on Earth where it is nighttime.

In contrast to solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to observe without any optical aid. They are equally secure to photograph. Using a tripod can enhance the result, and a camera or smartphone capable of timed exposures will be advantageous.

The eclipse commences with Earth’s shadow slowly enveloping the Moon over approximately one hour. Similarly, after totality, it takes about an hour for the shadow to recede from the Moon.

From the east coast of Australia, the total eclipse will occur between 3:30am and 4:53am on September 8. In New Zealand, this will happen from 5:30am until moonset; for South Australia or the Northern Territory, from 3:00am to 4:23am,and from Western Australia 1:30am to 2:53am.

Earlier this year, on the evening of Friday 14 March, individuals in Aotearoa New Zealand will have the opportunity to witness a completely eclipsed Moon as it ascends above the horizon just after dusk. Observers in eastern Australia will also catch a fleeting view of a partially eclipsed Moon following moonrise, with durations of 34 minutes from Sydney, 43 minutes from Brisbane, and 16 minutes from Cairns.

Related: What is a lunar eclipse?

March: Saturn’s ‘disappearing’ rings

Experiencing Saturn and its rings through a telescope is always exhilarating, whether you are observing them for the very first time or the hundredth time. However, in early 2025, the rings will appear to disappear as Earth traverses the plane of the rings.

This occurrence takes place twice during Saturn’s 29-year orbit around the Sun, approximately every 15 years. Regrettably, on March 24, the day this will happen, the planet will be too close to the Sun in the sky for observation.

Nonetheless, in the evenings leading up to mid-February and in the mornings from late March we shall be able to observe Saturn with relatively narrow, inclined rings.

It is important to note that a small telescope is required to view Saturn with or without its rings. If you do not possess one, consider joining a night tour at a public observatory such as the Sydney Observatory or participating in a viewing session with a local astronomical society, like those at Melbourne Observatory with the Astronomical Society of Victoria.

May and December: meteor showers

The two primary meteor showers each year are the Eta Aquariids and the Geminids.

In 2025, the Eta Aquariids are optimally observed on the morning of Wednesday May 7, while the Geminids will be most visible on the mornings of Sunday 14 December and Monday 15 December.

This year, conditions for viewing both meteor showers are favourable, as there will be no bright Moon present in the sky during those mornings. To catch a glimpse, direct your gaze towards the north-east (for Eta Aquariids) and north (for Geminids) before dawn commences to brighten the sky.

The darker the location you can find, the better the viewing experience. Stay away from streetlights or any other sources of illumination.

January, April and August: planets

The five planets observable with the naked eye – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn – traverse the sky along a line known as the ecliptic.

As these planets move, they may sometimes appear to come close to one another, creating fascinating configurations. Of course, they only seem close from our perspective. In reality, the planets are separated by tens or hundreds of millions of kilometres.

In 2025, these configurations will include:

• January 18–19: the most luminous planet, Venus, is near the ringed planet Saturn in the evening sky
• April 1–15: Mercury, Venus, and Saturn form a slowly evolving compact cluster in the eastern sky near dawn
• August 12–13: Venus and Jupiter, the two most brilliant planets, will only be two moon-widths apart in the morning sky.

June and August: constellations

As the year unfolds, various constellations emerge in the evening sky. The continuous pursuit of Orion and Scorpius (the hunter and the scorpion) across the heavens was observed in 2024.

In 2025, pay attention to the Southern Cross (known as Crux to astronomers).and Sagittarius (the archer).

The Southern Cross is the most recognizable constellation in the southern sky. Its compact cluster of luminous stars forms the shape of a cross, making it effortless to locate.

Two guiding stars from the adjacent constellation of Centaurus, the centaur, also assist in indicating its location. From Sydney and regions further south, the Southern Cross remains perpetually above the horizon. Nonetheless, in the evenings, it is ideally observed during June, when it stands high in the southern sky.

The constellation Sagittarius is positioned next to Scorpius. During evening hours, it is most favorably situated for observation in August, as it is directly overhead at that time of year.

If one connects the brightest stars of the constellation, it creates an outline resembling a teapot, which is commonly referred to by that name. Sagittarius holds significant importance for Australian astronomers, as it encompasses the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

Nick Lomb is an Honorary Professor at the Centre for Astrophysics, University of Southern Queensland.

The insights within this article are derived from the 2025 Australasian Sky Guide. This guide includes monthly star charts and offers a wealth of additional information to enhance your experience of observing the night sky from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

This article is published with permission from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Related: When is Australia’s forthcoming total solar eclipse?