Moon eclipse, Saturn’s rings, meteors and more in 2025
In addition to the annual parade of star pictures or constellations passing above our heads each night, there are always exciting events to look out for in the sky
In addition to the annual parade of star pictures or constellations passing above our heads each night, there are always exciting events to look out for in the sky. 2025 is no exception and has its fair share of such events. And for most events you do not need a telescope or binoculars.
Eclipses
March and September eclipses of the Moon During the early morning of September 8, the full Moon will move into the shadow of Earth and be eclipsed. The Moon will turn a red or coppery colour because sunlight is bent or refracted by Earth’s atmosphere onto the Moon.
Total eclipses of the Moon are more common than those of the Sun. They can be seen from all the regions on Earth where it is night. Unlike eclipses of the Sun, lunar eclipses are safe to watch with the unaided eye. They are also safe to photograph. A tripod will help, as will a camera or phone able to take timed exposures.
On March 14, people can see a total eclipse of the Moon as it rises above the horizon just after sunset.
Saturn’s disappearing rings
Gazing at Saturn and its rings through a telescope is always a thrill, whether you are seeing them for the first or the hundredth time. However, in early 2025 the rings will seem to vanish as Earth passes through the plane of the rings. This phenomenon occurs twice during Saturn’s 29-year path around the Sun, that is, at roughly 15-year intervals. Unfortunately, on March 24, the date when this will occur, the planet will be too close to the Sun in the sky for us to observe.
However, in the evenings until mid-February and in the morning from late March we will be able to see Saturn with quite narrow, tilted rings.
Meteor shower
The two main meteor showers of the year are the Eta Aquariids and the Geminids. In 2025, the Eta Aquariids are best seen on May 7, while the Geminids will be most visible on the mornings of December 14 and 15.
This year, viewing conditions for both meteor showers are favourable. The darker the sky you can find, the better. Keep away from street lights or any other light.
Planets
The five planets you can see with the naked eye – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – move across the sky along a line called the ecliptic. As the planets move, they sometimes appear to pass close to each other and take on interesting patterns. Of course, they only appear close from our point of view. In reality, the planets are tens or hundreds of million kilometres apart!
On January 18–19, the brightest planet, Venus, is close to the ringed planet Saturn in the evening sky. On April 1–15, Mercury, Venus and Saturn form a slowly changing compact group in the eastern sky near sunrise. On August 12–13, Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets, are only separated by two moon-widths in the morning sky.
Constellations
As the year progresses, different constellations appear in the evening sky. The perpetual chase of Orion and Scorpius (the hunter and the scorpion) across the sky was noted in 2024. In 2025, wait for Southern Cross (known as Crux to astronomers) and Sagittarius (the archer).
The Southern Cross is the best-known constellation in the southern sky. It is easy to find, as it is made up of a compact group of bright stars in the shape of a cross. The constellation Sagittarius is next to Scorpius. In the evenings, it is best placed for observation in August.
A join-the-dots look at the constellation’s brightest stars gives the impression of a teapot. Sagittarius is an important constellation, as it contains the centre of the Milky Way galaxy.
