DUBAI: The Emirates Astronomical Society has outlined a series of 16 significant celestial phenomena set to captivate skywatchers worldwide in 2025, with events ranging from lunar occultations to solar eclipses.
According to Emirates News Agency, the society has detailed numerous occurrences, starting with notable lunar conjunctions early in the year. On January 3rd, a conjunction of the Moon with Venus and Saturn will be visible post-sunset, followed closely by the occultation of Saturn by the Moon on January 4th. Additionally, a full moon will occult Mars on January 13th and 14th, also post-sunset.
Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Board Chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society and a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, provided further insights into the upcoming events. He noted that on February 1st, the Moon will make a close approach to Venus post-sunset. March 2nd will feature a conjunction between the crescent moon and Venus, followed by a total lunar eclipse, often called a “blood moon,” on March 13th and 14th during the nighttime. This will be followed by a partial solar eclipse on March 29th.
The astronomical calendar continues with a conjunction involving the crescent moon, Venus, and the Pleiades star cluster on June 22nd, pre-sunrise. A similar event will occur on July 22nd, featuring Venus and Jupiter. On August 19th and 20th, the crescent moon will approach Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury pre-sunrise. A second total lunar eclipse is scheduled for September 7th, followed by another partial solar eclipse on September 21st.
Al Jarwan highlighted additional events, including the Harvest Moon on October 6th, marking the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, which will be visible post-sunset. On November 5th, observers can anticipate the closest supermoon since 2019. The series of celestial phenomena will conclude with the appearance of the Cold Moon on December 4th, the full moon closest to the winter solstice, visible post-sunset.