As the new year approaches, I like to take a moment to mark down the things I am looking forward to 鈥� whether that be a big trip, seeing an old friend or simply experiencing summer warmth again (in Chicago December, that last one feels particularly distant). My stocktaking includes the big astronomical events I will be watching next year, so I thought I would share some of what I am excited about for 2025 with you.
First off, I have high hopes that the coming year will see more nights of astonishing auroras. Having only seen the aurora borealis once in my entire life before this year, 2024 was a bonanza, and hopefully that will continue into 2025. We are still right in the middle of the current 11-year solar cycle 鈥� in fact, activity is expected to reach a maximum mid-2025 鈥� so it is fair to expect there will be more gorgeous light shows, like the one seen here in Alaska in 2024, to come.
I am also a particular fan of meteor showers. There is something about finding a dark spot and just lying there for a while watching the sky that is deeply relaxing. This year鈥檚 best meteor shower in the northern hemisphere is expected to be the Geminids, which don鈥檛 happen until December but promise upwards of 100 meteors per hour at the shower鈥檚 peak mid-month. The Perseids in August should also be impressive. There will be fewer meteors and the glare of the moon will hide some of them, but that鈥檚 the shower I tend to have the best luck with.
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While both of these meteor showers will be visible in the southern hemisphere too, they will be far less impressive there. Instead, I would look out for the Eta Aquariids, which will peak in the first week of May with up to 40 or so meteors per hour. This isn鈥檛 quite as dramatic as the northern hemisphere meteor showers 鈥� just bad luck as far as where in Earth鈥檚 atmosphere the showers occur 鈥� but it should still be great.
The coming year is also a fun one if you love planets. Starting in January, Mars will be in opposition, meaning that Earth is directly between Mars and the sun. Opposition is typically one of the best times to observe a planet, because it is close enough to Earth to appear relatively big and bright in the sky, and the whole disc of the planet is illuminated by sunlight. Saturn and Neptune will reach opposition in September, and Uranus in November.
Finally, there are two solar eclipses in 2025, both partial (we will have to wait until 2026 for the next total solar eclipse, sadly). On 29 March, a partial solar eclipse will pass over Canada and parts of northern Europe, and then, on 21 September, another will be visible from New Zealand and Antarctica.
As for me, I will continue to look up every night the sky is clear, watching for auroras, meteors and the same old familiar stars. Happy New Year!
Leah Crane is a features editor at New Scientist based in Chicago. You can reach her at launchpad@newscientist.com
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