The year of celestial wonders begins with a stunning planetary conjunction! On January 18, the neighboring planets Venus and Saturn will appear less than half a degree apart, about 30-45 minutes after sunset. Look for these planets shining together in the southwestern sky. Venus shines bright white while Saturn appears slightly dimmer with a golden hue beside it. Though both are visible with the naked eye, binoculars will enhance the view, and a small telescope will even reveal Saturn's very thin rings.

Watch for the moon to turn red in the early morning hours of March 14. The "Blood Moon" effect only happens during a full moon when the sun, Earth, and moon align perfectly so that Earth's shadow covers the lunar disk in the sky. Weather permitting, stargazers across much of the planet will have an excellent view. The first signs will occur in the late hours of March 13 as Earth's outer shadow begins to cover the lunar disk. The most breathtaking part of the sky show, the total lunar eclipse, occurs just before dawn and lasts about an hour, when the moon is completely immersed in Earth's shadow and appears in shades of orange or coppery red.

Unlike the April 2024 solar eclipse, the upcoming eclipse on March 29, 2025, will show the sun as a crescent. This event, visible across large parts of North America, Europe, Northern Asia, and Northwest Africa, starts in the early morning hours. About two hours later, the maximum portion of the sun will be covered by the moon. The Atlantic region and northern Quebec in Canada will see the highest coverage at around 80-92 percent. Remember to always use proper solar viewing glasses or other indirect methods for safe viewing. Never look directly at the sun.

Have you ever seen the closest planet to the sun? Mercury is often difficult to spot due to its proximity to the sun and its blinding glare. On June 26, viewing this elusive planet will be easier as it appears alongside the moon. Even novice skywatchers can look to the western horizon shortly after sunset, about 20-30 minutes before the twilight fades completely. In this area, Mercury will shine as a faint dot visible to the naked eye, next to the thin crescent moon. Remember to find a location with a clear view of the horizon to see both. It may be challenging to spot tiny Mercury in the blinding sunset glow, so try using binoculars to enhance your view.

Set your alarm for an early morning sky show on August 12, as two bright planets, Venus and Jupiter, appear stunningly close to each other. This conjunction offers a rare opportunity to see two brilliant planets side by side. To find this phenomenon, look east at dawn. Venus, with its white and golden brilliance, outshines Jupiter, while Jupiter appears slightly dimmer but more golden. With a small telescope, you can see the colorful bands of Jupiter's atmosphere and its four Galilean moons, which may appear as tiny dots around the planet.

Earthlings get another chance to see a blood moon in 2025 as a total lunar eclipse occurs on the evening of September 7, visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Earth's shadow slowly begins to cover the lunar surface, with the total eclipse phase lasting about 75 minutes. During the total eclipse phase, sunlight filtered through Earth's dusty atmosphere refracts toward the red end of the spectrum and falls on the lunar surface, causing the moon to be bathed in an eerie orange and red glow. To view this phenomenon, find a location with a clear view of the eastern sky. No equipment is necessary, but binoculars or a telescope will enhance the red glow of the lunar surface.

A beautiful celestial trio will grace the early morning sky on September 19. About 45 minutes before sunrise, look east to see the thin crescent moon, bright Venus, and the bright star Regulus forming a beautiful triangle. Venus, the brightest element in the night sky after the moon, shines like a diamond, and Regulus nearby displays a blue-white color.

Saturn's rings are what we all expect to see when observing this giant planet, but in early November, Saturn will temporarily lose its familiar appearance as its rings are viewed edge-on. This rare event occurs every 15 years when Saturn's rotational axis is perpendicular to an Earth-based observer, making the rings (which are just a few kilometers thick) appear nearly invisible. The best way to observe this is with a home telescope at high magnification. For the best view, look south at night as this gas giant shines in the constellation Aquarius.

Every December, Earth passes through a cloud of debris left behind by an asteroid, creating the Geminid meteor shower. This phenomenon peaks on December 13-14, when 60 to 120 meteors pass by every hour. 2025 promises to be a good year for Geminid meteor shower enthusiasts as the peak will coincide with dark skies and no moon. To see these meteors, go to an area free from light pollution. Even from a suburban backyard or park, dozens of meteors will be visible each hour under clear skies.