Earth will have to wait until 2026 to witness the next total solar eclipse, but the cosmos promises many more amazing moments this year, which begins with a parade of six planets in January – a parade visible for weeks. Mercury will join the crowd for a parade of seven planets in February.
Five planets are already scattered across the sky, except Mars and Mercury, but binoculars or telescopes are needed to spot some just after sunset.
Here’s a look at what awaits us in 2025 in the sky.
Eclipses
On March 14, the moon will disappear for more than an hour over North and South America. Two weeks later, on March 29, a partial solar eclipse will be visible from Maine, eastern Canada, Greenland, Europe, Siberia and northwest Africa.
You will be able to see the partial solar eclipse depending on where you are in Quebec that morning. In the west of the province, from Abitibi-Témiscamingue to the middle of Bas-Saint-Laurent, the maximum of the eclipse will take place before sunrise; to the east of this imaginary line, therefore on the North Shore and from Rimouski to Gaspésie, the maximum will occur after sunrise, indicates Éclipse Québec.
But the total lunar eclipse will be visible throughout Quebec in a nocturnal process which will last from 11:57 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The total lunar eclipse of March 14, 2025 in Quebec
- Start of process: 11:57 p.m.
- End of process: 6h
The partial solar eclipse of March 29, 2025 in Quebec
- Start of process: 5:34 a.m.
- Visibility of partial solar eclipse (sunrise): 6:40 a.m.
- End of eclipse: 7:15 a.m.
This double cosmic event will repeat in September with an even longer total lunar eclipse over Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, and a partial solar eclipse two weeks later near the end of the world.
Superlunes
Three “super” moons are expected this year in October, November and December.
The full moon will be especially large and bright during these three months, as it orbits closer to Earth than usual.
November’s supermoon will be the closest, passing within 356,980 kilometers. Last year, four supermoons were observed, which ended in November.
Parade of planets
Six of our seven neighboring planets will line up in the sky to form a long arc around mid-January. All planets except Neptune and Uranus should be visible to the naked eye just after sunset, weather conditions permitting.
The parade will continue for weeks, with some planets huddling together from time to time. Mercury will make an appearance towards the end of February. The planets will gradually disappear, one after the other, during the spring.
Northern and Southern Lights
Last year, the sun was erupting, painting the sky with beautiful auroras in unexpected places.
Space weather forecasters are expecting more geomagnetic storms that could give rise to even more northern and southern lights.
Indeed, the sun has reached its solar maximum during its current 11-year cycle, which could continue until the end of the year. Shawn Dahl of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration urges everyone to stay up to date with space weather news so you don’t miss any dazzling sights.
Meteor showers
The Perseids and Geminids, which reach their peak in August and December respectively, are perennial crowd attractions. But don’t overlook smaller, less spectacular meteor showers, like the Lyrids in April, the Orionids in October, and the Leonids in November.
The darker the place and the weaker the moon, the more favorable the observing conditions are. Meteor showers are usually named after the constellation they appear to come from. They occur when Earth passes through debris streams left by comets and sometimes asteroids.
