In Chicago, the skyline can light up the night — but look a little higher and the stars will put on a show, too. If you’re worried about missing these events because of all the city lights, Joe Guzman, the Chicago Astronomer, said there’s still plenty to see.

He joined “Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices” to break down what’s coming soon to Chicago.

Parade of Planets

Throughout January, sky watchers will be able to see four planets in the sky all at once — Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus. With a telescope, Uranus and Neptune can also be spotted. An event like this takes place in various forms, typically seeing only a few planets at once.

“It’s just a natural progression of the orbit,” Guzman said.

So while it’s not extremely rare, seeing four at once is a more unique sight that doesn’t happen every year.

Moon Occultation

The moon is on track to slide right into the Earth’s view of Mars on Jan. 13. Guzman said Chicagoans watching the red planet that night will see it “blink out of existence.”

Like the parade of planets, the occultation will be visible with the naked eye. Binoculars or a telescope can also be used.

Total Lunar Eclipse

From midnight to 5 a.m. on March 14, the Earth will completely block the sun’s rays to the moon. The peak of the eclipse will be around 2 a.m., then fade away in the hours following.

According to NASA, the more dust or clouds in Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the moon appears.

“It promises to be a deep crimson red this time around,” Guzman said. “Let’s hope for clear skies.”

Meteor Showers

There will also be a few meteor showers to check out in Chicago in 2025. August will bring the peak of the Perseids, a shower of space rubble colliding with the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of more than 100,000 miles per hour.

Peaking in December, the Geminids expect to bring some of the brightest views of the year.

Guzman said beginning in March, there will be plenty of events around Chicago to see all that the sky has to offer. Learn more at chicagoastronomer.com.

---