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USA Today
18-05-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Best stargazing spectacles of summer 2025: Full moons, meteor showers and eclipses
Best stargazing spectacles of summer 2025: Full moons, meteor showers and eclipses Show Caption Hide Caption Astronomy events to mark on your May calendar One of the most exciting stargazing events for the month of May include the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, which will peak on May 5-6. Meteor showers, a total lunar eclipse and Northern Lights displays have already dazzled across the sky so far this year, with May treating stargazers to the Eta Aquarids "shooting stars," a Venus-Saturn alignment and a glowing full moon. As the weather continues to heat up and attention turns toward summer, astrology enthusiasts have a lot to prepare for. Eclipses and more meteor showers are among the many space phenomena we can expect to see in the coming months, along with classic full moons and the chance to spot at least one planet glowing extra bright. Here are a few of the biggest astronomical events to keep an eye out for in the coming summer months. New moons The new moons of summer 2025 will occur on: June 25, July 24, Aug. 23 and Sept. 21. June 11: Full Strawberry Moon June's full moon is often known as the Strawberry Moon, not because the moon itself takes on a red hue (though it can), but rather because some Native American tribes associated it with the time of berry harvest in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. June 21: June Solstice The June solstice occurs when the sun travels along its northernmost path in the sky, creating the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day in the Southern Hemisphere, according to the Farmer's Almanac. In the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the beginning of summer, while it marks the beginning of winter in the Southern. It can occur from June 20-22 and the moment of the sun's peak northern position is expected to happen on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 02:42 UTC. Try to spot Mercury Mercury is small and close to the sun, making it difficult to spot with the naked eye on most days. On July 4, however, it will be at its greatest elongation east, meaning it will appear its furthest distance from the sun in the evening sky and therefore will be easier to spot, according to Time and Date. If you're more of a morning person, you'll get another chance on Aug. 19, when Mercury is at its greatest elongation west, meaning it will appear at its furthest distance from the sun in the morning sky. July 10: Buck Moon July's full moon is commonly called the "Buck Moon" again to signify a natural phenomenon that occurs around that time. Deer bucks shed their antlers to grow new ones seasonally; early June is roughly the time during which their new antlers begin regrowing from their heads, according to Time and Date. August 9: Sturgeon Moon August's full moon is often called the "Sturgeon Moon," again deriving its name from Native tribes who found an abundance of giant lake sturgeon ready to catch in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain in the later summer months, according to the Farmer's Almanac. August 12-13: Perseid Meteors shower The Perseid meteors, the product of space debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle falling to Earth, can be seen as "shooting stars" periodically between July 17 and Aug. 24. However, the meteor activity is supposed to peak between Aug. 12 and 13, creating one of the most vibrant meteor showers of the year, according to Time and Date. Sept. 7-8: Total Lunar Eclipse A total lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the sun and moon, blocking the sun's light and casting a shadow on the moon, creating a reddish glow. Unfortunately for U.S. stargazers, totality this time around will only be visible from Australia, Asia, Africa, and Europe. However, some people in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, North America and South America will be able to see at least some of the event, according to Time and Date. Sept. 7: Corn Moon The September full moon is generally called the "Corn Moon," as some Native American tribes traditionally harvested corn during this time, according to the Farmer's Almanac. Sept. 21: Partial Solar Eclipse A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the sun and Earth, only partially covering the sun's disk and often creating a crescent or "bite" illusion. Unfortunately for Americans, this partial solar eclipse will only be viewable in New Zealand, Australia, various Pacific islands and parts of Antarctica, according to Time and Date. Also Sept. 21: Try to spot Saturn Americans may not get a chance to see the Sept. 21 eclipse, but they may be able to spot Saturn. Saturn will be in opposition on that date, meaning the Earth, Saturn and Sun align, giving us the closest view of the ringed planet. It will then be visible from sunrise until sunset and be most visible from this point through October, according to the Farmer's Almanac. Sept. 22: September/Fall/Autumnal Equinox The September equinox, also known as the Autumnal or Fall equinox, occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator from north to south. It signals the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring in the Southern Hemisphere, according to Time and Date.
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
What time is the full moon tonight? See peak times and cloud forecast for 'Flower Moon'
What time is the full moon tonight? See peak times and cloud forecast for 'Flower Moon' Show Caption Hide Caption Top astronomy events for May 2025 This May brings us a meteor shower visible around the world and a planetary alignment with our moon. April showers bring May flowers, but this month's full moon is called the Flower Moon, and here's everything you should know about it before it blossoms into the night sky. On Monday, May 12, people will be able to see the full moon, although it might appear slightly smaller than usual, a phenomenon known as a micromoon. According to NASA, this occurs when the celestial body is at its farthest point from Earth, about 251,000 miles away. What time can I see the micromoon? The Flower Moon will be at its peak illumination at 12:56 p.m. EDT, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Will it be cloudy Monday night? Most of the country will have clear skies Monday afternoon except for the Southeast, West and Northwest when the moon is at its peak, according to the National Weather Service. Why is it called a Flower Moon? May's full moon is called many things, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, as the warmer weather makes a return across North America: Corn, or Corn Planting Moon Flower Moon Milk Moon Hare's Moon Vesak, Buddha Jayanti, or Buddha Purnima What's the difference between a regular full moon and a micromoon? When is the next full moon? The following dates list out the rest of the full moons in 2025: June 11 - Strawberry Moon - Strawberry Moon July 10 - Buck Moon - Buck Moon Aug. 9 - Sturgeon Moon - Sturgeon Moon Sept. 7 - Harvest Moon - Harvest Moon Oct. 6 - Hunter's Moon - Hunter's Moon Nov. 5 - Beaver Moon - Beaver Moon Dec. 4- Cold Moon Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun
Forbes
17-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Perseid Meteor Shower 2025: Why You Need To Change Your Plans
The Perseids — the most popular meteor shower of the year — is set to disappoint skywatchers in August 2025, with an almost full moon destined to blot out all but the brightest shooting stars. However, if you plan carefully, there is a way to see them. Active from July 17 to August 23, 2025, the Perseid meteor shower's peak night will this year occur overnight on Tuesday, August 12 through Wednesday, August 13, with the early hours of the latter the time to view — though not this year. Unfortunately, the sky won't be dark enough to see most of the 100-150 shooting stars because an 84% waning gibbous moon — a few days after being a full 'Sturgeon Moon' — will rise about 10 p.m. local time, just as it gets dark, and shine brightly for the rest of the night. Moonlight will likely wash out all but the brightest meteors. The best advice this year is to avoid the peak night, instead concentrating on the three subsequent evenings when rates of meteors should still be relatively high. On Thursday, August 14, a 65%-lit moon will rise about an hour after dark; on Friday, August 15, a 53%-lit moon will rise two hours after dark; and on Saturday, August 16, a 41%-lit moon will rise after midnight. This night gives at least a small window to see Perseids. The Perseids are an annual meteor shower caused by Earth busting through streams of dust and debris left in the inner solar system by a massive comet called 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy comet discovered in 1862. The Lyrid meteor shower will begin on Thursday, April 17 and peak in the early hours of Tuesday, April 22. During that peak, about 18 shooting stars per hour, some very bright fireballs, are expected. Meanwhile, the Eta Aquarids will begin on April 19 and peak in the early hours of Monday, May 5 when around 40-60 shooting stars are possible. According to NASA, with a nucleus 16 miles (26 kilometers) across, it's more than twice the size of the object thought to have killed the dinosaurs. Comet Swift-Tuttle was last in the inner solar system in 1992 and won't be back until 2125. Each time it visits, it leaves debris on its orbital path that can cause shooting stars on Earth (and the other planets) for centuries. Each August, Earth moves through its debris, with the particles hitting its atmosphere, energizing and releasing energy as photons of light—shooting stars. Most are no larger than grains of sand, but they enter the atmosphere at speeds of over 130,000 miles per hour (210,000 kilometers per hour). It largely has to do with timing and celestial geography. Its source constellation, Perseus, rises in the northeastern night sky in August, a popular time for camping trips — whether carefully planned to coincide with the event or not. It's also a fairly prolific and dependable meteor shower, with up to 100 shooting stars visible per hour during the peak night. Contrary to popular belief, the Perseids aren't the most prolific meteor shower of the year. That honor goes to the Geminid meteor shower, which can see 150 shooting stars per hour on the peak night. Since the Geminids occur in mid-December, few in the Northern Hemisphere see it, but this year, it's the meteor shower to plan for. Active from Monday, December 1 through Sunday, December 21, it will peak overnight on Friday, December 12 through Saturday, December 13, 2025. A waning crescent moon will rise about 2:00 a.m. local time, giving a long window to view the year's only meteor shower produced not by a comet but by an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. If you want to see an impactful meteor shower in 2025, make it the Geminids — and perhaps travel somewhere relatively warm and famously dark to watch it from, such as the San Pedro de Atacama in Chile's Atacama desert or Namibia, to name but a few. One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space. In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's Terms of Service. We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain: User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in: So, how can you be a power user? Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's Terms of Service.
