It’s back: Astronomy magazine’s free downloadable Sky Guide, your preview of everything happening in the sky next year.
Mars opens 2025 by reaching opposition the night of Jan. 15/16, when it shines brighter and appears larger through a telescope than at any time since December 2022. You’ll find it in Gemini, near the heads of the Twins. Venus rules the evening skies in early 2025, then shifts to the morning by April and remains a blazing morning star through November. Mercury makes one of its finest appearances of the year in June, even as Jupiter disappears into the Sun’s glare. The gas giant returns to the sky in July, standing among the stars of Gemini in the morning sky and coming within within 1.5° of Venus for three days centered on Aug. 12. Saturn reaches is peak in late September, after a ring-plane crossing in March, even as it’s hidden by the Sun at that time. And Uranus reaches opposition Nov. 21, standing at that time just 4° south of the Pleiades.
Speaking of the Pleiades, in February the Moon — just one day past its First Quarter phase — passes in front of this young star cluster, hiding the Seven Sisters from view in an occultation. Then, a dazzling total lunar eclipse occurs in mid-March, as Luna passes through our planet’s shadow overnight on March 13/14. Two weeks later, on March 29, observers in northeastern North America, Western Europe, and northwestern Africa will experience a partial solar eclipse. All the while, the Sun remains at solar maximum, hopefully producing several repeats of the stunning aurorae we enjoyed in 2024.
Several meteor showers will enjoy excellent viewing prospects in 2025, starting with the Quadrantids, peaking Jan. 3. The Lyrids (April 22), Orionids (Oct. 21), Leonids (Nov. 17), and Geminids (Dec. 14) should also put on spectacular shows next year.
There’s so much to enjoy in the sky in 2025 — download our full Sky Guide 2025, linked below, to ensure you won’t miss a thing!
