Monterrey, NL - A series of celestial events are set to captivate stargazers in 2025, including meteor showers, a lunar eclipse, and bright planets.
Pablo Lonnie Pacheco Railey, an honorary member of the now-defunct Sociedad Astronómica del Planetario Alfa and director of astronomos.org, stated that most of these phenomena will be visible to the naked eye. He recommended using 7×50 or 10×50 binoculars for enhanced observation.
“Any telescope will reveal details on the planets: the phases of Mercury and Venus, Jupiter's moons, Saturn's rings, and the peach color that dominates Mars' surface,” explained Pacheco Railey.
Highlights of the year include the Quadrantids meteor shower that occurred on January 2, and the first full moon of 2025, which will rise on Monday, January 13. On that night, the Moon will pass in front of Mars, obscuring it in a phenomenon known as occultation.
On January 15, Mars will reappear brighter than usual due to the Sun-Earth-Mars alignment, which happens every two years.
Another significant event is the total lunar eclipse on the night of March 13, showcasing a transformation in the Moon's illumination and color. This occurs when the Earth is positioned directly between the Moon and the Sun, achieving a near-perfect alignment.
The eclipse will begin late on March 13, reaching its peak between 00:58 and 01:00 on March 14.
Throughout the year, several meteor showers are anticipated, named after the constellations from which they appear to originate. The upcoming showers include the Lyrids (April 21-22), Eta Aquariids (May 4-6), Perseids (August 11-13), Orionids (October 20-21), Leonids (November 16-18), and Geminids (December 13-14).
José Enrique Pérez León from the Universidad Astronómica Observatory noted that the Perseids and Geminids are expected to produce the highest meteor rates, with 40 to 50 meteors per hour. The Perseids will peak in the early morning of August 12, while the Geminids will reach their maximum on the night of December 13-14.
Other showers with lower meteor counts include the Cígnidas on August 20, Taurids on November 1, and Ursids on December 22, each offering 5 to 10 meteors per hour.
Pérez León also highlighted the visibility of the International Space Station over Monterrey on Saturday, January 11, between 18:42 and 18:49, moving from southwest to northeast.