Feb 2, 2025 • 11 min read
14.01.2025 - 20:53 / thepointsguy.com
If the total solar eclipse in April 2024 sparked a newfound enthusiasm for astrotourism, you can look forward to another banner year for celestial activity. In addition to annual occurrences like meteor showers and supermoons, in 2025, you can also look forward to rarer events like total lunar eclipses (aka blood moons) and a solar maximum leading to particularly striking northern lights.
These stellar events can also motivate you to visit destinations you haven't considered until now. In March, a total lunar eclipse will cast its otherworldly aura across the Western Hemisphere, making it a great time to head to Chile's Atacama Desert. This year's peak solar activity is a good excuse to go hunting for the northern lights in Finnish Lapland.
Michelle Thaller, an astronomer and communication scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, hopes more amateur astronomers will be born as the wonders of our solar system and beyond become increasingly entwined with sustainability, climate change and our place in the universe.
"We live in an environment full of solar flares and comets and asteroids coming around, and there are many ways to feel connected to our larger environment," Thaller said.
Here are 10 reasons to search for the stars in 2025 (and one bonus reason in 2026).
In October 2024, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the sun had reached solar maximum, the height of solar activity when the sun naturally switches its magnetic poles. Experts believe this active period, when the sun's atmosphere ejects trillions of tons of hot hydrogen gas, will continue throughout the year, making 2025 a great time to see nature's most dramatic light show.
"These big loops of hot gas that are many, many times the size of the earth can go any way in space, but some of them can come toward the earth," Thaller said.
Auroras form when solar winds made of sun particles upset atmospheric gases, and as the material flies into space and interacts with our atmosphere, it increases the chance of northern and southern lights.
While seeing the auroras is never guaranteed, there's a better chance than usual to view the northern lights this winter, spring or fall in destinations like Alaska, Finland and Iceland.
The northern lights are visible in Finnish Lapland roughly 200 nights a year. Luxe accommodations — from insulated domes to glass huts — have been built with prime viewing in mind. For example, the elevated accommodations at the Arctic Treehouse Hotel offer floor-to-ceiling glass windows with panoramic views. You can book it via Hyatt's Mr & Mrs Smith partnership starting at $278 or 20,000 World of Hyatt points per night.
Related: Best hotels to see the northern lights
Lunar eclipses
Feb 2, 2025 • 11 min read
Feb 2, 2025 • 11 min read
Feb 1, 2025 • 12 min read
Holland America will outdo itself again in 2026 with superlong itineraries, including twists on historic Alaska and Mediterranean sailings.
Adults-only cruise line Virgin Voyages has announced record-breaking revenue and a tidal wave of bookings in the first three weeks of 2025. Additionally, quarter one 2025 inventory is almost completely sold out.
Delta Air Lines is dropping nonstop service to two Central American destinations from a key West Coast hub — but launching two new routes for the summer months.
Finland is known for being the happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report, but there's a lot more to the Nordic nation than its residents' satisfaction.
I've always been drawn to nature's beauty, so for me, moving to Svalbard was the perfect decision. This remote archipelago, located in the Arctic Ocean between mainland Norway and the North Pole, is home to the world's northernmost town, Longyearbyen.
The U.S. is the fourth largest country by land mass, with over 3.5 million square miles to explore. It’s home to 63 national parks and some of the most well-loved cities in the world. We’ve got Alaska for those looking for extreme wilderness and Hawaii for those looking for an island beach vacation.
In 2025, travelers who are reluctant to abandon overcrowded hot spots likeBarcelona and Lisbon and take advantage of the near euro-dollar parity — which makes traveling to Europe more affordable for U.S. visitors — are instead striking a balance by booking quieter “detour destinations”: lesser-known places close enough to take a side-trip from a popular city.
If you’re looking to help the thousands of people affected by the fires in Southern California, your unused miles could help.
You can listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify each week. Follow this link if you're listening on Apple News.