The year's special events in the sky

 

 

Sun:  

Looking at the Sun either with the unaided eye or through binoculars or a telescope is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!    PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE CAN AND PROBABLY WILL OCCUR.   Click  here  to find out how to observe the Sun safely.

 

 

Moon Phases: 

The Moon is ideal for viewing in the week centred on the First Quarter phase, both regarding the sights presented and the most convenient time for observing (evenings). In addition, it is quite high in the sky at sunset. First Quarter in 2024 will occur on the following dates:

2025:    January 7;   February 5;   March 7;   April 5;   May 4;   June 3;   July 3;  August 1;   August 31;   September 30;   October 30;   November 28;   December 28.

                                                                             

 

Eclipses in 2025:

 

Lunar:

TOTAL, MARCH 14:   The next lunar eclipse visible from Australia will occur on this evening, but people living in south-east Queensland will only see a partial phase, as the total phase will occur before the Moon has risen above our horizon. The following timings are for the Sunshine Coast:  The penumbral phase of the eclipse will start at 1:56 pm. The umbral phase will begin at 3:09 pm. Totality will begin at 4:26 pm and end at 5:31 pm. Moonrise will occur at 6:07 pm, when about half of the Moon will be eclipsed. This partial umbral phase will end at 6:48 pm, after which no eclipse will be noticeable. The faint penumbral phase will end at 8 pm, when the Full Moon will appear brighter than normal.

TOTAL, SEPTEMBER 8:   This lunar eclipse will occur after midnight in Australia, an inconvenient time for most observers. The penumbral phase will begin at 1:31 am, and the umbral phase at 2:26 am. Totality (when the Moon is completely immersed in the Earth's shadow) will occur at 3:31 am. Mid-eclipse will occur at 4:11 am and totality will end at 4:52 am. The penumbral phase of the eclipse will end at 5:56 am, and two minutes later the Moon will set. The next total lunar eclipse after this one that is visible from the Sunshine Coast will occur on March 3, 2026 (perfectly timed to occur between 6:44 pm and 12:23 am).

 

Solar:

PARTIAL, MARCH 29:    No part of this eclipse of the Sun will be visible from anywhere in Australia, but it will be visible from Greenland, Labrador, Iceland, United Kingdom, Europe, Scandinavia and Northern Russia. As there is no place experiencing a total eclipse, there is no eclipse path.

PARTIAL, SEPTEMBER 22 (AEST):    This partial eclipse of the Sun will not be visible from Queensland. It will be visible from New Zealand, Antarctica and some Pacific islands. In Australia, it will last for only three minutes from Lismore, six minutes from Sydney, less than a minute from Canberra, and nine minutes from Hobart as a tiny sliver of the Sun is covered by the Moon. In the islands of the Pacific Ocean, the further south you are, the greater the portion of Sun that is eclipsed and the longer the spectacle lasts. In.Auckland New Zealand, the eclipse will reach a maximum magnitude of 0.69 at 8:04 am and will last for 1 hour 54 minutes. In Queenstown it will reach a maximum magnitude of 0.78 at 7:10 am and will last for 1 hour 45 minutes. At McMurdo Base in Antarctica, the eclipse will reach a maximum magnitude of 0.767 and will last for 2 hours 12 minutes. There is no eclipse path as the eclipse is partial. 

The next total solar eclipse visible from parts of Australia will occur at 12:56 pm on July 22, 2028, the eclipse track running from Wyndham in Western Australia through Alice Springs to Birdsville and then Sydney, before crossing the Tasman Sea to Dunedin in New Zealand's South Island.

 

 

 

The Planets in 2025: 

 

Mercury:        January 2:                     Western stationary point                         
                                        January 13:                   Greatest elongation from Sun in morning sky (23º 27')                                       
                                        January 19:                   Aphelion
                                        February 9:                   Superior conjunction
                                        March 4:                       Perihelion
                                        March 8:                       Greatest elongation from Sun in evening sky (18º 09')
                                        March 15:                     Eastern stationary point
                                        March 25:                     Inferior conjunction
                                        April 7:                          Western stationary point 
                                        April 17:                        Aphelion
                                        April 22:                        Greatest elongation from Sun in morning sky (27º 17')
                                        May 30:                        Superior conjunction
                                        May 31:                        Perihelion
                                        July 4:                          Greatest elongation from Sun in evening sky (25º 56')
                                        July 14:                        Aphelion
                                        July 18:                        Eastern stationary point            
                                        August 1:                     Inferior conjunction
                                        August 11:                   Western stationary point
                                        August 19:                   Greatest elongation from Sun in morning sky (18º 34')
                                        August 27:                   Perihelion
                                        September 13:            Superior conjunction
                                        October 10:                 Aphelion
                                        October 30:                 Greatest elongation from Sun in evening sky (23º 43')
                                        November 10:             Eastern stationary point
                                        November 20:             Inferior conjunction
                                        November 23:             Perihelion
                                        November 30:             Western stationary point
                                        December 8:              Greatest elongation from Sun in morning sky (21º 36')
                                        January 6, 2026:         Aphelion
                                        January 22, 2026:       Superior conjunction


The best times for observing Mercury in the evening sky are:  mid-March,  mid-June to mid-July,  October to mid-November.

The best times for observing Mercury in the morning sky are:  January,  mid-April to mid-May,  mid-August,  December.     
                                      
                                  


                              
Venus:                   January 10:                 Greatest elongation from Sun in evening sky (47º 10')
                                        February 20:               Perihelion                  
                                        March 2:                     Eastern stationary point
                                        March 23:                   Inferior conjunction
                                        April 13:                      Western stationary point
                                        June 1:                       Greatest elongation from Sun in morning sky (45º 51')
                                        June 12:                     Aphelion
                                        October 2:                  Perihelion
                                        January 7, 2026:        Superior conjunction
                                     
                                                                                 
In January and February, Venus will be a dominant feature of the western twilight sky. Its appearance will change from a "half-Moon" to a thinning crescent in this period. Its angular diameter will increase as it approaches the Earth. During the first three weeks of March, Venus will move close to the Sun and will be hard to detect. DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN WITH THE NAKED EYE, BINOCULARS OR TELESCOPE.

Venus will reappear in the eastern pre-dawn sky during April, and from then on will dominate the eastern sky as a 'Morning Star'. It will firstly appear as a large, narrow crescent, but as the weeks go by Venus, moving faster than the Earth, will leave us behind and will diminish in size. By early June it will appear as a little "half-Moon" again, by August it will appear as a smaller 'gibbous Moon', and by October it will appear nearly "Full", but very small.  Venus will pass through superior conjunction (on the far side of the Sun) on January 7, 2026, and will therefore move from the morning sky to the evening sky.

 

             mid-January 2025                late February 2025                    mid-April 2025                     early June 2025                       January 2026                   
 

 

 

Mars:                     December 7, 2024:       Western stationary point      (angular diameter =  12.2", magnitude = -0.64 )
                                       January 16, 2025           Opposition                           (angular diameter =  14.6", magnitude = -1.38 )
                                       February 24:                  Eastern stationary point       (angular diameter =  11.4", magnitude = -0.41 )
                                       April 17:                          Aphelion                               (angular diameter =  7.3",  magnitude =  0.74 )
                                       April 21:                          Eastern quadrature              (angular diameter =  7.0",  magnitude = 0.81 )
                                       January 9, 2026:            Conjunction                          (angular diameter =  4.2",  magnitude = 1.24 )                                          

In mid-January 2025, Mars will be at its closest approach to Earth (opposition) and therefore will be at its largest and brightest. From January 17, each night its size will diminish and its brightness will fade. The next opposition of Mars will be on February 19, 2027.

Mars begins the year in the constellation Cancer, travelling westwards along its retrograde loop. It passes into Gemini, the Twins on January 13. It reverses direction on February 24 and heads eastwards, crossing into Cancer the Crab on April 13. It enters Leo, the Lion on May 26, then Virgo, the Virgin on July 28, and Libra, the Scales on October 4. It passes into a claw of Scorpius on November 4, and then out again and into Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer on November 16. Mars passes into Sagittarius on December 11, and then into Capricornus on January 23, 2026. By then its angular diameter will be only 4.2 arcseconds and its brightness will have faded to magnitude 1.24. 

 

 

Jupiter:                 February 4:                   Eastern stationary point
                                        March 3:                        Eastern quadrature
                                        June 25:                        Conjunction
                                         October 17:                   Western quadrature
                                        November 12:                Western stationary point
                                        January 10, 2026:         Opposition (Jupiter rises in the east at sunset)
                                      
                                                                     
The giant planet begins 2025 in the constellation of Taurus. the Bull, but crosses into Gemini, the Twins on June 12.  It will remain in Gemini until it crosses into Cancer on June 22, 2026.ii

 Ju

 

Saturn:                  March 12:                      Conjunction
                                        June 23:                        Western quadrature
                                        July 13:                         Western stationary point
                                        September 21:              Opposition
                                        November 28:               Eastern stationary point
                                        December 17:               Eastern quadrature
                                        March 25, 2025:            Conjunction
                                  

Saturn will begin 2025 in the constellation of Aquarius, and will cross into Pisces on April 19. It will retrograde back into Aquarius on September 30, and return to Pisces on January 15, 2026.

 

 

 

Uranus:               January 30:                     Eastern stationary point
                                       February 12:                   Eastern quadrature
                                       May 18:                           Conjunction
                                      August 24                        Western quadrature
                                      September 6:                  Western stationary point
                                      November 21:                  Opposition
                                      February 4, 2026:            Eastern stationary point
                                      February 16, 2026:          Eastern quadrature


Uranus will begin 2025 in the constellation of Aries, and will cross into Taurus on March 4, 2025.

 

 

Neptune:            March 20:                      Conjunction
                                       June 23:                         Western quadrature
                                       July 5:                             Western stationary point
                                       September 23:               Opposition
                                       December 10:                Eastern stationary point
                                       December 21:                Eastern quadrature
                                       March 22, 2026:             Conjunction


Neptune spends the whole of 2025 in Pisces, not far from Saturn.

 

 

Pluto:                     January 21:                 Conjunction
                                      April 24:                       Western quadrature
                                      May 4:                          Western stationary point
                                      July 25:                        Opposition
                                      October 14:                 Eastern stationary point
                                      October 24:                 Eastern quadrature
                                      January 23, 2026:       Conjunction

Pluto begins 2025 in Capricornus, near the boundary with Sagittarius.  It will not move out of Capricornus until  March 15, 2039.

 

 

 

Meteor Showers:

 

    January 4:               Quadrantids
    February 8:              Alpha-Centaurids
    April 22:                   Lyrids
     April 24:                   Pi-Puppids
    May 4:                     Alpha Scorpids
    May 5:                     Eta Aquarids (from Comet Halley)
    June 8:                    Arietids
    June 10:                  Zeta Perseids
    June 29:                  Beta Taurids
    July 10:                   Pegasids
    July 29:                   S Delta-Aquarids
    July 30:                   Alpha-Capricornids
    August 13:              Perseids (from Comet Swift-Tuttle)
    September 1:         Alpha-Aurigids
    October 22:            Orionids (from Comet Halley)
    November 3:           S Taurids (from Comet Encke)
    November 13:         N Taurids (from Comet Encke)
    November 18:         Leonids (from Comet Tempel-Tuttle)
    December 7:          Phoenicids
    December 14:        Geminids (from Comet Phaethon)
    December 24:        Ursids

The 3.9 metre Anglo-Australian Telescope near Coonabarabran, NSW

 

 

 

The main Constellations visible at about 8.00 pm each month, from the horizon to the zenith:          

 

January:

        East:          Hydra, Canis Minor, Canis Major, Puppis
        South:       Crux, Musca, Carina, Vela, Pavo
        West:         Aquarius, Capricornus, Pisces, Grus, Piscis Austrinus, Phoenix, Cetus, Eridanus
        North:        Aries, Perseus, Taurus, Auriga, Gemini, Orion

 

February:

        East:          Leo, Crater, Corvus, Hydra, Canis Major, Puppis
        South:       Grus, Centaurus, Crux, Musca, Carina, Vela
        West:         Cetus, Eridanus, Aries
        North:        Auriga, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Orion

 

March:

        East:          Virgo, Libra, Lupus, Centaurus, Corvus, Crater, Hydra, Crux, Musca, Vela
        South:       Triangulum Australe, Toucan, Carina, Puppis
        West:         Phoenix, Cetus, Eridanus, Taurus, Orion, Canis Major
        North:        Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Canis Minor

 

April:

        East:          Bootes, Libra, Scorpius, Virgo, Centaurus, Lupus, Ara, Crux, Musca, Corvus
        South:       Triangulum Australe, Pavo, Carina, Vela
        West:         Eridanus, Orion, Gemini, Canis Minor, Canis Major, Puppis
        North:        Cancer, Ursa Major, Leo, Crater, Hydra

 

May:

        East:          Corona Borealis, Serpens, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius, Libra, Scorpius, Ara, Lupus, Centaurus
        South:        Indus, Pavo, Triangulum Australe, Crux, Musca, Carina
        West:         Canis Major, Canis Minor, Cancer, Puppis, Hydra
        North:        Ursa Major, Leo, Coma Berenices,Bootes, Virgo, Crater, Corvus

 

June:

        East:          Ophiuchus, Capricornus, Sagittarius, Scorpius
        South:        Pavo, Triangulum Australe, Ara, Lupus, Crux, Musca
        West:         Hydra, Leo, Carina, Vela, Puppis, Crater, Corvus
        North:        Coma Berenices, Bootes, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Virgo, Serpens, Libra

 

July:

        East:          Aquarius, Delphinus, Grus, Capricornus, Aquila, Sagittarius, Scorpius
        South:       Carina, Musca, Crux, Ara, Triangulum Australe, Centaurus
        West:         Hydra, Crater, Corvus, Virgo, Vela, Libra
        North:        Bootes, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Serpens

 

August:

        East:          Aquarius, Phoenix, Piscis Austrinus, Grus, Sagittarius
        South:       Eridanus, Musca, Crux, Triangulum Australe
        West:         Corvus, Virgo, Bootes, Libra, Centaurus, Ara, Lupus, Scorpius
        North:        Corona Borealis, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, Delphinus, Aquila

 

September:

        East:          Pisces, Cetus, Eridanus, Phoenix, Piscis Austrinus, Grus, Aquarius, Capricornus
        South:       Crux, Musca, Triangulum Australe, Pavo
        West:         Centaurus, Libra, Serpens, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Lupus, Ara
        North:         Lyra, Cygnus, Pegasus, Delphinus, Aquila

 

October:

        East:           Eridanus, Cetus, Aries, Piscis Austrinus
        South:        Hydrus, Centaurus, Musca, Triangulum Australe, Ara, Pavo, Grus
        West:          Lupus, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius, Aquila, Capricornus
        North:         Cygnus, Delphinus, Pegasus, Andromeda, Aquarius

 

November:

        East:           Taurus, Eridanus, Cetus, Phoenix
        South:        Carina, Musca, Triangulum Australe, Pavo
        West:          Scorpius, Sagittarius, Aquila, Delphinus, Capricornus, Grus, Piscis Austrinus
        North:         Pegasus, Andromeda, Aries, Pisces, Cetus, Aquarius

 

December:

        East:           Taurus, Orion, Canis Major, Puppis, Carina, Eridanus
        South:        Carina, Musca, Pavo
        West:          Capricornus, Aquarius, Grus, Piscis Austrinus, Phoenix
        North:         Pegasus, Andromeda, Aries, Perseus, Cetus

 

 

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