Astronomy for Everyone: How to Observe the Night Sky in 2025

By Ciarán Mallon

Astronomy can often be seen as an esoteric practice which requires a lot of upfront investment in tools and equipment, as well as a considerable base of knowledge and understanding of the night sky. However, often the opposite can be true. Anyone can enjoy and take part in astronomy, no matter their level of expertise. In this article I’m going to cover a series of astronomical events that will be in the night sky, all observable without the need of any equipment.

With the recent planetary parade having just passed, where six of the planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) aligned in the sky on the 25th of January, some of the larger planets will remain visible low in the southern sky for a short while after this, typically just after sunset and into the early night.

There is, however, another alignment of the planets coming at the end of February/start of March. This phenomenon will include all of the solar-system’s planets (excluding Earth, of course) lining up in the night sky again. Typically the planets stick close to the path the sun takes across the sky. With this in mind the planetary alignment will be visible in the southern half of the sky in the early evening, spanning from the eastern to western horizons, and will be best aligned on March 2nd. [1]

When looking out for the planets in the sky there are a few things to remember. Firstly, the furthest two planets, Uranus and Neptune, aren’t visible to the naked eye, requiring a telescope or high powered binoculars to view. However the rest of the planets can be very easy to pick out in the sky. Mars, aptly named ‘The Red Planet,’ can be seen as a reddish point. Saturn will appear yellow. Venus, brilliant white, and Jupiter, pale orange, will be the brightest of the planets and should stand out in the night sky. Mercury can be difficult to see because it is typically so near the sun and therefore overpowered, however if the sun has set Mercury will be a bright yellow point in the sky.

Later on in the year, from the 16th to 25th of April, the Lyrids will light up the sky. One of the major meteor showers of the year, this event will contain a series of fast, bright meteors. They are named as such because they will appear to come from the constellation ‘Lyra.’ Hitting their peak on the 22nd, the meteors will be best viewed after midnight, and Lyra will be in the eastern sky. This meteor shower will be visible across the whole sky. [2]

The Lyrids are one of the oldest recorded meteor showers, dating back to 687 BC. Typically meteor showers occur due to particles being left behind by comets and broken off parts of asteroids. In the case of the Lyrids, the debris that interacts with our atmosphere to cause these bright flashes originate from the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, discovered in 1861. [3]

There are two eclipses due to happen in March, one lunar eclipse and one solar eclipse. Eclipses are events that take place due to the positioning of the Earth, Sun and Moon. Solar eclipses occur when the moon is positioned between the Sun and the Earth, causing the Moon to cast its shadow on to the Earth. Conversely, lunar eclipses take place when the Earth is positioned directly between the Sun and Moon. In this case the Moon passes into the shadow that the Earth is casting.

The partial lunar eclipse is due to take place in the early morning on March 14th, briefly before the moon sets before the horizon. The eclipse will begin at 3:57. when the Moon passes into the Earth’s ‘penumbra.’ During this the Moon will begin to appear a more orange colour. The Moon will begin to move into the Earth’s ‘Umbra’ at 5:09. This marks the main part of the eclipse where the Moon will appear a reddish colour. This is where the term ‘Blood Moon’ comes from! The eclipse should last until the moon sets beyond the horizon, and the further west you are, the longer the event will be visible. [4]

I must preface this section on the partial solar eclipse by saying that observing the Sun can be very dangerous if the proper precautions aren’t implemented. Without any eye protection, you should not directly observe the sun. Eclipse glasses are fairly inexpensive and provide the best experience of the eclipse, allowing you to directly see how the Moon occludes the Sun without the risk of damaging your eyes.

With that said, there is a partial solar eclipse taking place on March 29th. Starting at 9:54 and ending at 12:03, this eclipse will include just under half of the Sun being covered for those viewing from Ireland. The eclipse will be at its maximum at 10:47. [5]

All of these events are best viewed in a dark sky spot, you can find your nearest one with a quick search of the internet, and if you can’t make it to one it’s best to find somewhere with low light pollution and try to let your eyes adjust to the dark sky. Anyone from beginners to experts in astronomy can enjoy the phenomena mentioned, and I firmly believe the night sky is something everyone can step outside and admire!

Sources:

[1] – “Planetary Alignment in January 2025: How to See It,” Starwalk, accessed Jan 25, 2025, https://starwalk.space/en/news/what-is-planet-parade

[2] – “Lyrid meteor shower,” Royal Museums Greenwich, accessed Jan 25, 2025, https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/lyrid-meteor-shower-when-where-see-it-uk

[3] – “Lyrids Meteor Shower,” NASA, accessed Jan 25, 2025, https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/lyrids/

[4] – Carter, Jamie. “There’s a blood Moon eclipse over America and Europe this March. How to see one of 2025’s top celestial events,” Sky at Night Magazine, Jan 3, 2025, accessed Jan 26, 2025, https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/total-lunar-eclipse-march-2025

[5] – “29th March 2025 Partial Solar Eclipse,” Time and Date, accessed Jan 26, 2025, https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2025-march-29