Worked for Associated Press in Mississippi, Frontline at PBS in Washington, D.C., ABA Journal (American Bar Association's monthly magazine), Hearst in New York, Gannett in Louisiana and freelanced for The New York Times and Rolling Stone.
When it comes to celestial events, 2025 is getting off to a star-packed -- or mostly planet- and comet-studded -- start, including an upcoming welcome to a first-time visitor to our solar system.
But first, one of the year's most-memorable sights began Jan. 8 with six planets lining up in the night sky, NASA reports.
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye like a string of tiny jewels. Neptune and Uranus join the alignment, also known as a planet parade, but a telescope or other tech device will be needed to see them. Neptune will be between Saturn and Jupiter with Uranus between Jupiter and Mars.
Subsequent nights this week should be excellent viewing, if the weather cooperates. The parade could be visible for weeks in some locations.
As twilight slips into darkness, look at the southwest horizon. Venus will be easy to spot because it will be so bright. Look higher in the sky to the right to see Jupiter then scan the eastern horizon to see Mars burning so clearly that its red hue should be possible to detect. Those with telescopes or other technology can find Neptune in line near Venus and Uranus will be near Jupiter.
Comet Atlas G3, Mars and Antares in the moonglow
The Planetary Society calculations indicate Comet C/2024 G3, nicknamed Comet Atlas G3, could be the brightest comet of 2025, about the same magnitude as Venus this month. There are astronomers whose computer models indicate this comet may have made its way past Earth 160,000 years ago, but no one was around to know for sure.
It zoomed through outer space, likely through the mysterious Oort Cloud -- a bubble composed of icy boulders beyond the planets on the edge of our solar system -- on an orbit heading toward Earth.
The night of Jan. 13 will be the best time for South Carolinians to see Comet Atlas G3 with the naked eye -- if the sun doesn't burn it up first. Computer models show Atlas G3's orbit takes it extremely close to the sun. If Atlas G3 survives, it may be visible by day as a luminous streak near the sun. Staring at it, though, could damage eyes.
A better plan would be to wait until just after sunset, then look for it on the horizon. The Planetary Society advises that if the comet's tail is still long and hasn't been burnt away, it will be visible even if the comet's head is hidden by the horizon.
If the comet is a no-show, there's another reason for stargazing that night: the full moon will move between Earth and its view of Mars, making the two glow brightly together in the sky. It's a position astronomers call occultation. It will be possible for South Carolinians to see Mars glowing close to the moon. The Atlantic Coast should have the best view between 8:30 and 9 p.m.
Antares blazes in the heart of the Scorpius constellation. The star will be unusually close to the moon on Jan. 24-25. On the other side of the world in Madagascar and the Maldives, astronomy buffs will see the occultation. Here in South Carolina, it will simply look like a star glittering close to the moon.
Diehard "Star Trek" fans might remember Lieutenant Uhura singing "Beyond Antares," a 23rd-century love song about someone longing for a sweetheart who lives under green and glowing skies.