• 2 days ago
From a pair of oppositions and conjunctions to a total lunar eclipse, here are the top astronomy events to mark down on your 2025 calendar! Happy New Year, stargazers!
Transcript
00:00Happy New Year! As we welcome 2025, get ready for an exciting lineup of astronomy events
00:12you don't want to miss. Starting at number five, a pair of planetary conjunctions. On
00:19January 17th, Venus and Saturn will form a conjunction, appearing incredibly close to
00:26one another in the southwestern night sky. They will get together at 9 p.m. local time.
00:32On August 12th, Venus will form another conjunction, this time with Jupiter before daybreak in
00:39the eastern sky. Venus will be the linchpin for both of these alignments this year. A
00:45pair of planetary oppositions comes in at number four. Mars will be in opposition with
00:51Earth on January 16th, with the next opposition not occurring until 2027. On September 21st,
01:00Saturn will be in opposition and will shine bright all month long. These will be the best
01:05days to observe both planets with a telescope, so mark these events down on your calendar.
01:12Number three on the list is the Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids will peak on the night
01:17of August 12th through the 13th with a rate of 100 meteors per hour. For best viewing,
01:24be sure to defend your night vision from a nearly full moon. Number two is the Geminid
01:30meteor shower on the night of December 13th through the 14th. Unlike the Perseids, the
01:36moon will not disrupt views of the shower. The Geminids boast an even more impressive
01:41rate of 120 meteors per hour and will dominate a moonless night sky. Just be sure you bundle
01:49up for a cold night. In number one, the total lunar eclipse on the night of March 13th through
01:56the 14th. This year, all of North America will be able to enjoy a total lunar eclipse,
02:02weather permitting. Consider this an encore of the solar eclipse, only this time the moon
02:08is under lunar totality. Reporting for AccuWeather, I'm Brie Guy.