What the Planets are doing this month
January 202-
Mercury.
Venus.
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
Moon Phase for January 2026
3rd 
10th 
18th 
26th
February 202-
Mercury.
Venus.
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
Moon Phase for February 2026
1st 9th 17th
24th
March 202-
Mercury.
Venus.
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
Moon Phase for March 2026
3rd 11th 19th 25th
April 202-
Mercury.
Venus.
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
2nd 10th 17th 24th
May 202-
Mercury.
Venus.
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
Moon Phase for May 2026
1st
9th 16th 23rd
June 202-
Mercury.
Venus.
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
Moon Phase for June 2026
8th
15th 21st 29th
July 2025
Mercury. The smallest of the planets begins and ends the
month in the constellation of Cancer-The Crab. It will have a close
encounter with M44, the Beehive star cluster on the 3rd before reaching
its greatest eastern elongation from the Sun on the 4th. This cluster is
visible to the naked eye as a misty patch of around 75 stars best seen
in binoculars. It covers around three times the apparent diameter of the
Moon and is 520 light years away. The star sitting less than half a
degree from Mercury on the 5th is Magnitude 3.9 Delta Cancris, a yellow
giant 220 light years away. Mercury returns to inferior conjunction with
the Sun on the first day of August.
The
"Morning Star" spends most of the month in Taurus only crossing Orion’s
northern border on the 30th. On the 5th it will be just over two degrees
to the south of Uranus and on the 13th takes up a position to usurp
Magnitude 3.5 epsilon Tauri as the second eye of the bull. Aldebaran,
marking the angry red eye of the bull at magnitude 0.9 is markedly
outshone by -4.06 magnitude Venus and the colour contrast between the
two is quite striking. The waning crescent Moon enters the scene on the
22nd of the month.Venus
Mars. High in the north-western sky after
sunset, Mars spends most of the month in Leo only crossing into Virgo on
the 28th. Because of its highly elliptical orbit compared to the Earth's
Mars is a long way from the Earth at the moment and presents a small
image in the telescope. The red planet will be joined by a waxing
crescent Moon on the 28th and 29th of the month.
Jupiter. Having just come from conjunction with the
Sun last month Jupiter has now entered the early morning twilight. It
will however be hidden in the Sun's glare until toward the end of the
month when it will rise almost two hours before the Sun. Still located
in the constellation of Gemini it will be joined by a waning crescent
Moon on July 23rd.
Saturn. The ringed planet rises around 11:30pm at the
beginning of July but by the end of the month will rise two hours
earlier. Saturn spends almost the entire month within one degree on the
ice giant Neptune with the closest approach being on the 6th and 7th
when only 28 minutes and 25 arcseconds separate the pair. This will be a
great opportunity to view the two planets in the same wide field
eyepiece with Saturn’s rings presenting almost edge on and the
contrasting blue globe of Neptune. The two planets spend the month in
Pisces where they are joined by a waning gibbous Moon on the 16th and
17th of the month.
Moon Phase for July 2025
3rd 11th 18th
25th
August 2025
Mercury. August is not a good month for the observation of
Mercury. The smallest plant begins the month at inferior conjunction
with the Sun but rises slightly earlier than the Sun as the month
progresses. It will reach its greatest elongation west of the Sun on the
19th when it will rise in Cancer only one hour before the Sun but a
little hard to spot in the eastern twilight sky.
Venus
and
Jupiter. The "Morning Star" rises over two hours before the Sun at
the beginning of August in Gemini. During its travels across Gemini it
has a close encounter with Jupiter on the 12th and 13th when one degree
will separate the pair. There will be no mistaking which is which as
brilliant Venus shines at magnitude -3.98 and Jupiter much fainter at
-1.96. On these two dates the pair will rise together two hours before
the Sun. On its journey back toward the Sun Venus will cross the border
into Cancer on the 25th where it ends the month two degrees west of the
Beehive star cluster. The waning crescent Moon sits six degrees below
the two planets on the 20th of the month.
Mars. The red planet spends the entire month traveling slowly
across Virgo high in the north-western evening sky after sunset. At the
onset of August it will set three and a half hours later than the Sun
but by the end of the month will be setting three hours later than the
Sun. The three day old waxing crescent Moon joins Mars on the 26th of
the month.
Saturn. The magnificent ringed planet rises around
9:30pm at the beginning of the month but by month's end will rise almost
two hours earlier. Following the Earth's crossing of the plane of
Saturn's rings on March 23rd this year the rings are still at an
inclination of three degrees as viewed from the Earth but still a
spectacular sight in any telescope. The start of the month sees the
planet Neptune just over one degree to the north of Saturn but by the
end of the month Saturn will have moved a further half degree to the
west of the fainter Neptune. On the 12th the bright waning gibbous Moon
will be almost four degrees to the north of Saturn.
Moon Phase for August 2025
1st 9th 16th
23rd
31st
September 2025
Mercury. The inner planet rises less than thirty minutes before
the Sun at the start of the month and reaches superior conjunction with
the Sun on the 13th. It will then enter the western evening twilight sky
and by the end of the month will set one hour later than the Sun hidden
in the twilight sky glow. Probably best to leave it until next month
when it will be better placed for observation.
Venus. The
"Morning Star" begins the month in Cancer in the early morning sky and
rising ninety minutes before the Sun. It will cross into Leo on the 11th
for a close encounter with Leo's brightest star Regulus on the 20th of
the month when the pair will be only half a degree apart. Venus at
magnitude -3.9 far outshines the magnitude 1.4 Regulus. The waning
crescent Moon pays Venus a visit on the 19th and 20th of September.
Mars. Low in the western evening sky in the Virgo constellation, at the
beginning of the month Mars will set three ours later than the Sun. It
will be situated two degrees to the north of Virgo's brightest star
Spica on the 13th and 14th of the month and by the end of the month will
set just over two hours later than the Sun. A two day old waxing
crescent Moon resides just under Mars on the 24th.
Jupiter. Still in Gemini, Jupiter rises
around 3:30am at the beginning of September but by the end of the month
will rise ninety minutes earlier. On the 7th it will be 0.2 degrees from
magnitude 3.5 delta Geminorum and on the 16th and 17th will be joined by
the waning crescent Moon.
Saturn. Now in an ideal position
for evening observation, Saturn rises around 7:00pm at the onset of
September and comes to opposition on the 21st when it will be visible
all night long. Now in Pisces and just skirting the border of Aquarius
at magnitude 0.79 Saturn stands out in this patch of sky devoid of
bright stars. The full Moon pays the ringed wonder a visit on the 8th.
Moon Phase for September 2025
8th 14th 22nd 30th
October 2025
Mercury and
Mars. The smallest of the planets, Mercury begins the month low in the
western twilight and setting just one hour later than the Sun. As the
month progresses however it climbs higher into the western evening sky
and by the end of October when it reaches its greatest elongation east
of the Sun will set two hours later than the Sun. It begins the month in
Virgo crossing into Libra on the 13th where in encounters Mars and on
the 19th and 20th less than two degrees separate the pair. At magnitude
-0.16 Mercury outshines the magnitude 1.5 Mars but the ruddy tinge of
mars will still be obvious. The bright star in the scene is Libra's
second brightest star Zubenelgenubi shining at magnitude 2.8 and at a
distance of 75 light years. This month will be the last chance to
glimpse Mars as next month it will be hidden in the western evening
twilight. On the 23rd the two day old waxing crescent Moon will be just
below and slightly north of the two planets.
Venus.
The brightest of the planets rises one hour before the Sun at the
beginning of the month but by month's end will rise only thirty minutes
before the Sun and lost in the early morning twilight glow.
Jupiter. The mighty Jupiter rises around 2:00am at the beginning of
October but by the end of the month will rise a little over one hour
earlier. The waxing last quarter Moon joins Jupiter in the twins on the
14th.
Saturn. Because of its retrograde motion against the background stars
Saturn slips back from Pisces into Aquarius at the start of the month.
As the sun sets the planet will be high in the eastern evening sky and
in an ideal spot for observation. Saturn’s rings continue to narrow and
by the 15th their inclination to the Earth will be just one degree but
still a magnificent sight in any telescope. On the 5th and 6th the
almost full Moon will be nearby.
Moon Phase for October 2025
7th 14th 21st 30th
November 2025
Mercury and
Mars. Low in the western evening sky at the beginning of the month
and setting two hours later than the Sun, Mercury will gradually sink
lower in the west as the month progresses towards inferior conjunction
with the Sun on the 20th. It begins the month near the head of the
Scorpion where it has a brief encounter with Mars on the 13th when the
pair will set just one hour later than the Sun and hard to spot in the
late evening twilight.
Venus. Low in the eastern morning sky, Venus
rises only forty minutes before the Sun at the beginning of the month
and slowly gets lost in the morning twilight as the month progresses.
Jupiter. Still hanging about in Gemini, Jupiter rises around
1:00am at the start of November but by the end of the month will rise a
full two hours earlier. It will be located a few degrees to the south of
Gemini's brightest stars Caster and Pollux but will be a couple of
magnitudes brighter. The waning gibbous Moon passes by Jupiter on the
10th and 11th of the month.
Saturn. High in the north-western sky
after sunset, Saturn is located in Aquarius just near the border of
Pisces. The planet's ring system continues to narrow and by the middle
of the month will be inclined just 0.4 degrees from the Earth's
perspective. The waxing gibbous Moon visits Saturn on the 2nd and the
29th of the month. The magnitude 7.8 planet Neptune remains just over
four degrees to the north-east of the ringed wonder for the entire
month.
Moon Phase for November 2025
5th 12th 20th
28th
December 2025
Mercury, Venus,
Mars.
These three planets are not in a good position for observation this
month. Mercury starts the month in Libra in the early morning twilight
and even at its greatest western elongation from the Sun on the 8th will
rise one hour before the Sun and be hidden in the morning twilight.
Venus is also hidden in the early morning twilight rising only thirty
minutes before the Sun at the start of the month. Mars on its journey
back toward the Sun will be hidden in the late western evening twilight
and even at its best will set forty five minutes later than the Sun.
Jupiter. High in the north western sky after the Sun has
set, Saturn can be found in Aquarius near the border of Pisces. Visible
in the west until around 2:30am at the beginning of the month but by the
end of the month will set just after midnight. The planet's rings will
widen slightly to about one degree this month. They will continue widen
now until 2032 when they will begin to close down again. The waxing
crescent Moon sits to the north of Saturn on the 26th and 27th of
December.
Saturn. At the beginning of December this jolly giant of a planet rises
around 11.00pm in Gemini where it will spend the entire month
retrograding against the background stars. At magnitude -2.57 it
outshine all of the other Stella objects in the vicinity until joined by
the full Moon later in the month. By New Years Eve Jupiter will rise
just prior to 9:00pm. On the 17th Jupiter will be situated only eight
arcminutes from magnitude 8.3 open cluster NGC 2420 and the waning
gibbous Moon sits just over four degrees to the north of Jupiter on the
8th of the month.
Moon Phase for Dec 2025
5th 12th
20th 28th