The Sky Promises Many Big Events in 2025
2025-01-06
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1The world will have to wait until 2026 for the next total solar eclipse.
2However, the sky promises plenty of other big events in 2025.
3The new year starts off with a six-planet parade in January that people will be able to see for weeks.
4The smallest planet, Mercury, will join the crowd for a seven-planet line in February.
5The Planetary Society's chief scientist Bruce Betts said about the visible planets, "People should go out and see them sometime during the next many weeks. I certainly will."
6Here is a look ahead to the major sky events in 2025:
7The moon will disappear for more than an hour over North and South America on March 14.
8The event will be followed two weeks later by a partial solar eclipse.
9People in Maine, eastern Canada, Greenland, Europe, Siberia and northwestern Africa will be able to watch the show.
10In September, there will be an even longer total lunar eclipse over Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
11Two weeks later, a partial solar eclipse will take place in the area over the South Pacific, including New Zealand and parts of Antarctica.
12Three supermoons are coming this year in October, November and December.
13The full moon will look especially big and bright those three months as it orbits closer to Earth than usual.
14November's supermoon will come closest, passing within 356,980 kilometers from Earth.
15Last year had four supermoons, ending in November.
16This month, six of our seven neighboring planets will line up in the sky to form a long arc.
17All but Neptune and Uranus should be visible with the eye just after sunset, weather permitting.
18The parade will continue for weeks.
19Mercury will make a short appearance by the end of February.
20The planets will slowly exit, one by one, through spring.
21Geomagnetic storms painted the sky with beautiful colors in unexpected places last year.
22Space weather experts predict more of these storms this year.
23Such storms could produce even more northern and southern lights.
24The reasoning for the prediction is that the sun has reached its solar maximum during its current 11-year cycle.
25The cycle could continue through this year.
26The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Shawn Dahl urges everyone to follow space weather news, so as not to miss any colorful shows.
27The Perseid and Geminid meteor events, or showers, are well-known crowd-pleasers.
28The Perseids will take place in August.
29The Geminids come in December.
30But do not forget about the smaller meteor showers including the Lyrids in April, the Orionids in October and the Leonids in November.
31Areas away from cities, where night skies are darker, are best for watching the events.
32Generally, meteor showers are named for the constellation which they appear to come from.
33They take place whenever Earth moves through paths of debris left behind by comets and sometimes asteroids.
34I'm John Russell.
1The world will have to wait until 2026 for the next total solar eclipse. However, the sky promises plenty of other big events in 2025. 2The new year starts off with a six-planet parade in January that people will be able to see for weeks. The smallest planet, Mercury, will join the crowd for a seven-planet line in February. 3The Planetary Society's chief scientist Bruce Betts said about the visible planets, "People should go out and see them sometime during the next many weeks. I certainly will." 4Here is a look ahead to the major sky events in 2025: 5Eclipses 6The moon will disappear for more than an hour over North and South America on March 14. The event will be followed two weeks later by a partial solar eclipse. People in Maine, eastern Canada, Greenland, Europe, Siberia and northwestern Africa will be able to watch the show. 7In September, there will be an even longer total lunar eclipse over Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Two weeks later, a partial solar eclipse will take place in the area over the South Pacific, including New Zealand and parts of Antarctica. 8Supermoons 9Three supermoons are coming this year in October, November and December. 10The full moon will look especially big and bright those three months as it orbits closer to Earth than usual. 11November's supermoon will come closest, passing within 356,980 kilometers from Earth. Last year had four supermoons, ending in November. 12Planet parade 13This month, six of our seven neighboring planets will line up in the sky to form a long arc. All but Neptune and Uranus should be visible with the eye just after sunset, weather permitting. 14The parade will continue for weeks. Mercury will make a short appearance by the end of February. The planets will slowly exit, one by one, through spring. 15Northern and southern lights 16Geomagnetic storms painted the sky with beautiful colors in unexpected places last year. 17Space weather experts predict more of these storms this year. Such storms could produce even more northern and southern lights. 18The reasoning for the prediction is that the sun has reached its solar maximum during its current 11-year cycle. The cycle could continue through this year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Shawn Dahl urges everyone to follow space weather news, so as not to miss any colorful shows. 19Meteor showers 20The Perseid and Geminid meteor events, or showers, are well-known crowd-pleasers. The Perseids will take place in August. The Geminids come in December. But do not forget about the smaller meteor showers including the Lyrids in April, the Orionids in October and the Leonids in November. 21Areas away from cities, where night skies are darker, are best for watching the events. Generally, meteor showers are named for the constellation which they appear to come from. They take place whenever Earth moves through paths of debris left behind by comets and sometimes asteroids. 22I'm John Russell. 23Marcia Dunn reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. 24__________________________________________ 25Words in This Story 26eclipse - n. the total or partial obscuring of one celestial body by another 27supermoon - n. a kind of full moon that takes place when the moon is at or near the closest point to earth in its orbit 28arc - n. a special kind of curved or arched path 29maximum - n. the upper limit; the highest or furthest point 30cycle - n. a course or series of events or operations that happen regularly 31constellation - n. a configuration of stars 32debris - n. the remains of something (often said of something that has been destroyed or broken)