For years, our team has brought readers this curated calendar of the most captivating spaceflight and astronomical events, ensuring you’re always in the loop with what’s happening beyond Earth.
This guide will be continuously updated throughout the year with the latest dates and details for all events. We’ll add new discoveries and remove concluded or postponed happenings, so you always have the most current cosmic schedule at your fingertips.
The best way to stay current is to bookmark this page in your web browser and check back frequently. Below, you’ll find simple instructions for popular browsers, along with answers to common questions about using this celestial planner.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Calendar
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We’ve temporarily paused the direct feed that previously synced these events to your personal digital calendar. We understand this is a popular feature.
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If you’ve previously subscribed, you can find instructions for unsubscribing by referring to last year’s calendar edition.
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Late October/Early November: Blue Origin’s Mars Mission on New Glenn
ESCAPADE, a small but ambitious NASA-funded mission, features two orbiters, Blue and Gold, managed by the Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory. Their journey to Mars will allow them to meticulously study the Red Planet’s magnetic environment.
Despite their compact size, these satellites are slated to launch aboard Blue Origin’s impressive New Glenn rocket, founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. This marks the second flight for New Glenn, following its initial launch in January. We anticipate a more precise launch window to be announced by NASA or Blue Origin soon.
October 21-22: The Dazzling Orionids Meteor Shower Peaks
Active from October 2 to November 7. Peak night: October 21 to 22.
Beloved by stargazers, the Orionids are famous for their brilliant, swift streaks of light, appearing near the constellation Orion’s Belt. Like the Eta Aquarids shower in May, the Orionids are caused by Earth passing through the cosmic dust left behind by Halley’s Comet.
This spectacular shower is visible from both hemispheres. This year promises excellent viewing conditions, as the moon will be a mere 0 percent full, ensuring minimal light interference.
November 16-17: Witness the Speedy Leonids Meteor Shower
Active from November 3 to December 2. Peak night: November 16 to 17.
The Leonids are renowned for producing some of the fastest meteors annually, streaking across the sky at an incredible 44 miles per second, often leaving behind long, luminous tails.
Visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, these meteors originate from the constellation Leo. With the moon only 9 percent full this year, conditions are ideal for spotting these rapid celestial travelers.
December 12-13: The Mighty Geminids Meteor Shower Peaks
Active from December 1 to December 21. Peak night: December 12 to 13.
Stemming from debris left by an asteroid, the Geminids are consistently one of the most powerful and popular meteor showers each year. While best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, observers south of the Equator can also enjoy this impressive display.
The Geminids will reach their peak when the moon is approximately 40 percent full.
December 21: Winter Solstice Arrives
This date marks the official start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, as our half of the world is tilted furthest away from the sun. Discover more about the significance of the solstice.
December 21-22: The Ursids Meteor Shower Lights Up the Winter Sky
Active from December 16 to December 26. Peak night: December 21 to 22.
Coinciding with the winter solstice, the Ursids meteor shower offers a festive display. These meteors appear to originate near the Little Dipper, part of the Ursa Minor constellation.
This shower is exclusively visible to skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere. With the moon only 3 percent full, conditions will be favorable for observing.
Your Guide to Watching a Meteor Shower
Our universe is brimming with wonders, but only a few astronomical phenomena can be truly appreciated with the naked eye. Meteor showers, those natural celestial fireworks streaking across the night sky, are a prime example.
Where Do Meteor Showers Come From?
While you might catch a solitary meteor on any given night, you’re most likely to witness multiple during a designated shower. These events occur as Earth journeys through trails of cosmic debris left by comets or asteroids orbiting the sun. Even as small as a grain of sand, this debris ignites upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, creating a luminous streak of light.
Meteor showers are predictable, happening around the same time each year and often lasting for days or weeks. However, there’s a narrow window—the “peak”—when Earth passes through the densest part of this cosmic rubble, offering the best viewing opportunities. From our perspective, meteors during a shower seem to radiate from a single point in the sky.
For instance, the Perseid meteor shower peaks in mid-August, appearing to originate from the constellation Perseus. Similarly, the Geminids, an annual December event, radiate from the constellation Gemini.
Tips for Optimal Meteor Shower Viewing
Michelle Nichols, Director of Public Observing at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, advises against using telescopes or binoculars for meteor showers.
“You just need your eyes and, ideally, a dark sky,” she explained.
This is because meteors often traverse wide areas of the sky, and observing equipment can restrict your field of vision.
Some showers are incredibly active, potentially producing up to 100 streaks per hour, though actual sightings might vary depending on conditions.
“Almost everybody is under a light-polluted sky,” Ms. Nichols noted. “You may think you’re under a dark sky, but in reality, even in a small town, you can have bright lights nearby.”
Local planetariums, astronomy clubs, or even online light pollution maps can help you locate ideal dark-sky sites. For the best experience, seek a clear sky free from moonlight or cloud cover, and aim to watch between midnight and sunrise. Allow your eyes at least 30 minutes to fully adapt to the dark.
Ms. Nichols also suggests dressing warmly, even in summer. “You’re going to be sitting there for quite a while, watching,” she advised. “It’s going to get chilly, even in August.”
Bring a thermos of hot cocoa or tea for extra comfort. Then, settle back, scan the vast sky, and immerse yourself in nature’s stunning light show.
Anticipating 2025: Major Milestones in Space and Astronomy
Our journey around the sun in 2024 was packed with extraordinary astronomical and spaceflight achievements.
North America witnessed a total solar eclipse. Two robotic landers successfully reached the lunar surface, largely intact. The most powerful rocket booster ever constructed was skillfully caught by “chopsticks” — a pair of mechanical arms. A new mission embarked toward Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, and private astronauts even performed a daring spacewalk.
As we orbit into “2025,” the question remains: can this year match the cosmic excitement? We invite you to judge the upcoming events on launchpads and in the night sky for yourself.
For ongoing updates on these and many other events, remember to visit this Space and Astronomy calendar regularly.
Jeff Bezos Enters the Space Race
While Elon Musk’s SpaceX has largely dominated recent spaceflight endeavors, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s extraterrestrial ambitions could soon pose a significant challenge.
Blue Origin, Mr. Bezos’s space company, boasts a powerful rocket called New Glenn, which is finally expected to launch in 2025. Similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, New Glenn’s booster stage is designed for full reusability, aiming to significantly reduce launch costs. This rocket is poised to carry national security satellites for the U.S. military and various NASA spacecraft, including Mars orbiters and lunar landers.
New Glenn will also deploy satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, a colossal constellation designed to beam internet service from space, directly competing with SpaceX’s Starlink. Interestingly, Amazon also plans to utilize rockets from other Blue Origin competitors, including United Launch Alliance, France’s Arianespace, and even SpaceX, for its Kuiper launches.
Rubin Observatory’s First Light
Astronomers in central Chile are nearing completion of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which is anticipated to capture its inaugural views of the night sky this year, potentially as early as July 4.
Renamed in 2020 to honor the late Vera Rubin, a pioneering astronomer whose work provided compelling evidence for dark matter, the observatory carries a fitting name. Dr. Rubin’s research profoundly influenced astronomy, even though the true nature of dark matter remains one of the universe’s greatest mysteries.
Equipped with the world’s largest digital camera, the Rubin Observatory will create a dynamic time-lapse movie of the Southern sky. These images will be instrumental in unraveling the secrets of dark matter and dark energy—the enigmatic force driving the universe’s expansion. The vast dataset generated will also illuminate our galaxy’s origins and meticulously catalog asteroids and comets within our solar system, including those that could eventually pose a threat to Earth.
Lunar Missions and Shifting Policies
During Donald J. Trump’s first presidential term, American space policy significantly re-centered on lunar exploration, a direction largely continued by President Biden’s administration. However, with Mr. Trump’s return to the White House in January, existing space plans could face considerable changes. This might include the potential cancellation of NASA’s expensive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, a project under development for over a decade. Alternatively, Mr. Trump could pivot NASA’s primary focus more radically towards sending humans to Mars, a key objective for Elon Musk, who has been advising the president-elect.
Despite this potential for policy shifts, a series of robotic lunar missions are scheduled for early in the year. The first two, landers from American company Firefly Aerospace and Japanese company Ispace, are set to launch together on a SpaceX rocket as early as mid-January. Firefly’s mission will be the debut flight of its Blue Ghost lander, carrying NASA-funded cargo. Ispace’s trip will be its second attempt, following its first lander’s crash onto the lunar surface in 2023.
Later in the first quarter, Intuitive Machines plans another robotic lunar landing. Their Odysseus lander successfully reached the moon in February but landed tilted. The company’s second lander, named Athena, will also carry NASA-financed instruments, including a drill to search for ice samples. Athena will launch alongside Lunar Trailblazer, a NASA orbiter dedicated to studying water on the moon, both aboard a SpaceX launcher.
Keeping Watch on Voyagers 1 and 2
Voyagers 1 and 2, the iconic twin spacecraft that sparked cosmic curiosity in a generation, embarked on their journey in 1977. After decades of exploring the outer solar system and venturing into the uncharted territory of interstellar space, both spacecraft are now showing their age.
Early in their incredible voyage, the duo made close flybys of Jupiter and Saturn, with Voyager 2 later continuing to visit Uranus and Neptune. Perhaps their most profound contribution was the famous “Pale Blue Dot” photograph of Earth, a tiny pixel suspended in the vastness of space, a term coined by the renowned astronomer Carl Sagan.
In recent years, these robotic explorers have experienced intermittent contact with NASA. Communication with Voyager 2 was intentionally halted for several months in 2020 for maintenance, then accidentally lost for a few weeks in 2023 before being successfully restored.
Voyager 1, however, caused a significant scare this year when it ceased transmitting data back to Earth, prompting concerns among mission specialists. To preserve their dwindling power, instruments on both spacecraft have been gradually shut down.
Yet, NASA remains committed to these venerable probes. As they eventually become silent relics drifting between the stars, their final resting place will be a fitting testament to their unprecedented journey into the unknown.
India’s Ambitious Orbital Goals
India’s burgeoning space program has already achieved significant milestones, including landing a robot on the moon and successfully placing a spacecraft in orbit around Mars. Now, the nation is setting its sights closer to home, with equally ambitious human spaceflight objectives.
Shubhanshu Shukla, a member of India’s astronaut corps, is scheduled to spend up to 14 days this spring aboard the International Space Station as part of a commercial mission with Axiom Space.
Mr. Shukla and his fellow Indian astronauts are also striving to be the first to launch into low Earth orbit on India’s own domestically developed rockets. In December, India announced preparations for a test launch of an orbital vehicle from its Gaganyaan program, without astronauts. A successful test flight could pave the way for a crewed Indian astronaut launch as early as 2026.
New Milestones and Cutting-Edge Spacecraft
SpaceX captivated the world in November with Flight 5 of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built. We expect the company to push the boundaries further, attempting to replicate the remarkable “chopsticks” catch of its Super Heavy booster. SpaceX may also strive to catch the upper-stage Starship vehicle for the first time after it completes an Earth orbit and returns to the South Texas launch site. The company aims for 25 Starship launches in 2025 as it advances preparations to land astronauts on the moon under its NASA contract.
Beyond Starship, 2025 is anticipated to see the maiden flights of other innovative rockets and spacecraft.
One such contender is Neutron, a reusable rocket under development by New Zealand-founded Rocket Lab. Known for routinely deploying satellites with its smaller Electron rocket, Rocket Lab could launch Neutron’s inaugural flight from its Virginia launch site this year.
Another exciting development is Dream Chaser, a space plane created by Sierra Space. After experiencing delays in 2024, the company is optimistic about its first mission to transport cargo to the International Space Station this year.