In 2025, skywatchers can look forward to a series of stunning celestial events, including a bright Mars occulted by the Wolf Moon, Venus at its brightest, a spectacular “devil’s horns” solar eclipse, and plenty of meteor showers peaking under moonless night skies.
Although many of these events are visible to the naked eye, a nice pair of binoculars and a good beginner telescope can significantly enhance your experience.
Here are 15 must-see skywatching events to mark on your calendar.
1. QUADRANTID METEOR SHOWER: JAN. 3, 2025 (AROUND MIDNIGHT)
Although the Quadrantid meteor shower is mostly ignored by skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere because it occurs during the winter, the Quadrantids are more prolific than most meteor showers. In addition to bringing up to 120 “shooting stars” per hour at their peak after dark on Jan. 3, the Quadrantids often produce a few superbright “fireballs.” The moon will be below the horizon this year, so expect a good show if the skies are clear.
2. MARS GOBBLED UP BY THE WOLF MOON: JAN. 13-14, 2025 (BEFORE MIDNIGHT)
Mars will be spectacularly bright throughout January 2025, but this is the best night to catch it. Although the entire globe can watch the moon appear to pass close to Mars, North America gets a front-row seat to see the Red Planet disappear behind the almost full Wolf Moon. The exact time to view it depends on your location, but from Washington, D.C., Mars will disappear behind the moon at 9:16 p.m. EST and reappear at 10:31 p.m. EST on Jan. 13, according to In-The-Sky.org, which gives the times for all locations.
3. MARS AT OPPOSITION: JAN. 15, 2025 (ALL NIGHT)
Just a couple of nights after its occultation by the full moon, Mars will reach its full phase, called opposition. This happens only once every 26 months, and it’s hard to miss it because the Red Planet will be prominent all night for a few weeks on each side. Mars will reach perigee — its closest point to Earth — a few days earlier, on Jan. 12.
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This article originally appeared here and was republished with permission.
