Top skywatching events for 2025 you don't want to miss

WASHINGTON — From a blood moon to bright meteor showers, 2025 is set to be spectacular year for stargazers across the country. 

The lineup of celestial marvels includes a total lunar eclipse that will appear to paint the moon a crimson color, supermoons and more. That's all on top of plenty of full moons in the calendar year. 

If you're planning to gaze at the night sky in the upcoming year, be sure to jot down these dates for some of the biggest celestial events. 

Here are the top skywatching events in 2025: 

January

Quadrantids meteor shower

A meteor shower kicks off 2025 just days after millions have rung in the new year. 

The Quadrantids meteor shower, considered among the top annual meteor showers, peaks between Jan. 3 and Jan. 4. 

During peak activity and under favorable conditions, these showers can produce about 120 shooting stars per hour. While most meteor showers tend to have a two-day peak, NASA says the Quadrantids have a much smaller peak window -- often lasting just a few hours. 

March

Total Lunar Eclipse

Americans across the nation will see a total lunar eclipse on Mar. 14. 

While it may not be as captivating as a total solar eclipse, the celestial marvel still puts on a show. 

During a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves into the inner part of the Earth's shadow, known as the umbra. Some of the sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere reaches the moon's surface, subtly lighting it. The moon tends to take on an orange or reddish hue during lunar eclipses, according to NASA. 

The space agency says the intensity of the moon's color will depend on the amount of dust or clouds in the Earth's atmosphere at the time of the eclipse -- the more clouds or dust there is, the redder it appears. Their reddish hue earns them the nickname of "Blood Moon."

The upcoming lunar eclipse will be seen across the Americas, Western Europe, Western Africa and the Pacific, NASA says. 

Boeing Starliner astronauts set to come home

NASA announced that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams will return from the International Space Station sometime in late March. 

The two test pilots planned on being away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. Their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to send the company’s problem-plagued Starliner capsule back empty in September.

April

Lyrid meteor shower

Some of the fastest meteors can be seen around Earth Day each year. 

The Lyrids, which are expected to peak between April 22 and April 23 next year, are known for their speedy and bright fireballs. Under ideal conditions, the up to 15 Lyrids can be seen per hour. 

Having been observed for more than 2,700 years, it is among the oldest known meteor showers. 

The Lyrids are known to have outbursts, which that increase rates to as many as 100 meteors per hour, every 60 years, according to NASA. The next outburst is expected in 2042. 

August

Perseid meteor shower

The Perseid meteor shower is often one of the most anticipated celestial marvels each year. 

These meteor showers are a must-watch for any stargazer as they are usually one of the brights and most active ones of the calendar year. The showers are expected to peak on the mornings of Aug. 12 and Aug. 13, according to TimeandDate. 

In 2025, the meteor shower will happen around a bright waning gibbous moon, which will reduce the overall visibility of the Perseids. 

During peak activity, these showers can bring about 50 to 100 meteors per hour. 

November

Leonid meteor shower

The Leonids, a major meteor shower with colorful and bright streaks, peak during mid-November. 

Peak activity is predicted between Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, according to TimeandDate. During this time, stargazers can see up to 15 meteors per hour. 

Despite the low count, the Leonids are historically known to produce some powerful storms every 33 years or so, NASAs says. During a storm in 1966, thousands of meteors per minute appeared to fall like rain in the night sky. 

The last Leonid storm was in 2002, according to the space agency.

Conditions are rather favorable for 2025 as the Leonids peak near a new moon. 

December

Geminid meteor shower

The annual meteor shower peaks during mid-December and is set to peak between Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 next year.

During peak activity and with clear skies, up to 120 meteors per hour are visible. According to NASA, you may even see a meteor every minute.

Most meteors tend to appear colorless or white, but the Geminids often show a greenish hue, according to NASA. It's considered "one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers," according to the space agency.