Category: Uncategorized

Mercury (mag -0.1 to 0.2): will be visible very low in the western sky and hard to see during the evening early in the month. Best chance to see Mercury will be in the morning sky after inferior conjunction with the sun on November 20. The period from Nov 28-30 is a good opportunity to spot it before it reaches its greatest elongation west on Dec 7. Look for it in the southeastern sky just before sunrise

Venus (mag -3.9 ): is visible but it will be low in the eastern sky before sunrise and will be fading from view as the month progresses. A very thin waning crescent moon will be nearby on the morning of Nov 18.

Jupiter (mag -2.3 to -2.5.): will be appearing in the eastern sky before sunrise and becoming visible in the evening sky around midnight as the month progresses. It will rise earlier and earlier each night, setting just before the sun on the last day of November. Jupiter will enter retrograde motion around Nov 11, a sign that opposition is approaching. Jupiter remains in the constellation Gemini with the moon passing nearby on the morning of Nov 10.

Saturn (mag 0.7 to 0.9): will be visible high up in the south after sunset through most of month. However, it rings will appear to vanish due to a ring plane crossing, They will be aligned perfectly with Earth. This is an illusion, not a loss of the rings. The rings will start to reappear and become visible again through telescopes later this month. On November 1, the waxing Gibbous moon will pass nearby. Saturn will be located in the constellation Pisces.

Mars (mag 1.5): you may be able to see Mars in the western sky during the first half of November shortly after sunset. It will appear as a fain orange dot and will become increasingly difficult to spot as the month progresses. By late November, Mars will be lost in the sun’s glare and no longer visible.

Uranus (mag 5.6 ): will be visible throughout the month while its best viewing opportunity will be on Nov 21 when it reaches its yearly opposition. At that time Uranus will be at its peak visibility for the entire year. During the month Uranus will rise in the east at sunset and be at its highest in the sky around midnight. It will be located in the constellation Taurus the Bull and very near the Pleiades.

Neptune (mag 7.9): will be visible in the night sky throughout the month but you need optical aid to see it. Having been at opposition on Sept 23, Neptune will be visible in the evening sky through the end of the year and into February 2026. It still in the same vicinity as Saturn however not as close as past months. The waxing gibbous moon will be close by on Nov 29.

Pluto (14.4): as always will be very difficult to observe, requiring a large telescope and excellent viewing conditions. It will be in the evening sky through the end of 2025, it will be low on the southern horizon. On Nov 24-25, a waxing crescent moon will be nearby.

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31): will continue to be highly visible this month. In the Northern Hemisphere, autumn is considered the best time of year to view. It is high in the northeastern sky after sunset and will be overhead around 10pm, by midnight its high in the west and sets by dawn. Though at mag 3.3 and a naked eye object it is easier to seen with a pair a binoculars. You can find it by using the upper part of the “W” shape of the constellation Cassiopeia as a pointer to Andromeda. Under clear, dark skies Andromeda is visible to the naked eye as a fain, fuzzy patch of light.

Orion Nebula (M42): will be visible throughout November and best time will be after midnight. As the month progresses the constellation Orion will become visible earlier in the evening. Orion the Hunter is one of the easiest constellations to identify, it is marked by a distinctive belt of three stars in a short, straight row. Below the belt you will see a fainter line of stars hanging down. This is the sword and the Orion Nebula is located within it. At magnitude 4.0, the nebula itself appears as a small, blurry smudge of light in the middle of the sword. A pair a binoculars will provide a much better view, revealing more of the nebula’s structure. A small telescope will show even more including the Trapezium, a cluster of four bright stars at the nebula’s core.

Mercury (mag -0.5 to -0.1): will be visible this month especially at the end of the month. On October 29, it will reach its greatest elongation. Look for it in the western evening sky after sunset where it will be at its highest point for the month. However, it will only be about 7 degrees above the horizon, so you may need binoculars to spot it.

Venus (mag -3.9 ): is visible very early in the morning sky right before sunrise. You can expect to see it in the eastern sky all month until late November. It will be particularly bright around October 19 when it will be closely by the waning crescent Moon.

Jupiter (mag -2.1 to -2.3): visible as a bright star in the morning sky in the constellation Gemini. It will be in the eastern sky rising around midnight. Jupiter will be a very brilliant object, easy to spot even with the naked eye. However a small telescope will show Jupiter’s cloud bands and possible the Great Red spot. The last quarter Moon will pass closes between Oct 13-14 forming a pretty gathering with Pollux and Castor.

Saturn (mag 0.7 to 0.9): will be visible to the southeast after sunset, although its rings still appear nearly edge-on. As it was on its brightest and closest last month it still a good viewing target throughout October. Easily observe with the naked eye but even better with binoculars and a telescope. On Oct 5 the full Moon will pass close by. Also late night on the 5/6 will be the last chance to see Titan shadow transit Saturn.

Mars (mag 1.6): will be visible extremely low right after sunset in the west southwest sky. It will drift lower and lower as the month goes on and only be out for a short window. It will be very hard to see with the naked eye since it will be pretty close to the horizon and in the twilight sky. On the evening of the 19, it will be close to Mercury located in the constellation Libra.

Uranus (mag 5.6 ): will be visible in the morning sky between the Hyades and Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus. On Oct 10, the waning gibbous moon will join the pair. Uranus will be very faint, but it may be possible to glimpse it with the naked eye under really dark sky conditions. It will be its brightest around opposition in November which will extend into December. Binoculars and or telescope are recommended for the best view, even under dark skies.

Neptune (mag 7.8): will be visible in the evening sky in the southeast throughout the month of October. It will remain out for almost the entire night. Having just past opposition last month it still remains at its brightest the entire month. However, Neptune is a faint and will require binoculars or a telescope to see it. It will be located this month in the constellation Pisces. On the night of Oct 5, a nearly full Moon will be just to the north of Neptune.

Pluto (14.4): will be situated low in the south in the evening sky. It is located in the constellation Capricornus however it almost impossible to see. Pluto is a dwarf planet and needs special equipment such as a powerful telescope and knowledge of its location to see it. The waxing gibbous Moon will be nearby to the left on the 1st.

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31): will continue to be highly visible this month. In the Northern Hemisphere, autumn is considered the best time of year to view. It is high in the eastern sky at nightfall in early October, swings overhead around midnight, and is high in the western sky by dawn. Though at mag 3.3 a naked eye object it is better to seen with a pair a binoculars. You can find it by using the upper part of the “W” shape of the constellation Cassiopeia as a pointer to Andromeda. Under clear, dark skies Andromeda is visible to the naked eye as a fain, fuzzy patch of light.

Mercury (mag -1.3 to -0.5): will have a short morning visibility from September 1 to about 9. You’ll will need to look for it shortly before sunrise in the east northeast sky. On September 2, watch Mercury pass very close to the star Regulus in the constellation Leo. By September 10, Mercury will be lost in the sun glare.

Venus (mag -4.0 ): still visible in the morning as a bright prominent star in the eastern sky before sunrise. On September 19, there will be a close pairing with the Moon and Regulus. The Moon, Venus, and Regulus should all be visible within the same field of view of binoculars.

Jupiter (mag -2.0 to -2.1): continues to climb higher in the morning sky as it pull away from Venus after it close pass on August 12. It will be visible pretty high up in the eastern sky before sunset in the constellation Gemini. Jupiter rises around 2am early in September to just after midnight by the end of the month. On Sept 16, there will be a close pairing between the Moon, Jupiter, and the twin stars of Castor and Pollux.

Saturn (mag 0.7): will be visible at night as it reaches its brightest and closest point to Earth on Sept 20. It will be visible most of the night being its highest in the sky at midnight. During this opposition Saturn will be at it brightest of the year shining at 0.6. This will be the best time to view its rings through a telescope. It remains near the planet Neptune in the constellation Pisces. A bright full moon will pass by it between Sept 8 and 9.

Mars (mag 1.6): visible very low in the west southwest sky after sunset. There only a short window to view Mars as it will set by 8:30pm and earlier and earlier as the month goes though the sun will also be setting earlier. Mars will be situated in the constellation Virgo and near the bright star Spica passing close by on the 13.

Uranus (mag 5.7): will be visible high up in the east southeast sky before sunrise. Its currently located in the constellation Taurus and will be situated between the Pleiades and the Hyades. The moon will pass near it on Sept 12-13. Uranus will be faint so you’ll need binoculars or a small telescope to see it.

Neptune (mag 7.8): will be visible all night alongside Saturn. It rises in the east just before 8pm and will be high up in the southeast around midnight. On around Sept 23 it will be at opposition when it will be closest to Earth and at its brightest. However, it will still be faint requiring binoculars and a telescope to see it. Even after opposition, Neptune will remain visible in the evening until February 2026.

Pluto (14.4): will unnoticeable be position relatively high in the south during the evening and late night . On Sept 3, the moon will be near by the almost invisible planet.

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31): best time to view this month. Look towards the eastern sky in mid-evening to see it already well place in the northeast sky. Though at mag 3.3 a naked eye object it is better to seen with a pair a binoculars. You can find it by using the upper part of the “W” shape of the constellation Cassiopeia as a pointer to Andromeda.

Hercules Cluster (M13): this globular cluster at mag 5.8 is one of the brightest star clusters visible here in the Northern Hemisphere and is easily spotted through binoculars or a telescope. It will be high up in the sky at sunset and doesn’t set until after midnight especially early in the month. As the month goes on it will set earlier and earlier.

Mercury (mag 3.0 to -1.2): will be visible in the morning sky especially between August 15 -29. The best time to see it will be on August 19, when it reaches its greatest elongation from the sun in the sky. On the morning of August 10, a rare planetary alignment will be seen low in the eastern sky an hour before sunrise, It will feature Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. It will also include Uranus and Neptune though they wouldn’t be visible by the naked eye.

Venus (mag -4.0 ): continues to be the bright morning star in the east but it is starting to rise later and later each morning. It is part of the 6 planetary alignment on August 10. On August 12 Venus will be close to Jupiter forming a bright pair in the eastern dawn sky. The moon will be nearby on August 15.

Jupiter (mag -1.9 to -2.0): will be visible in the morning sky low in the east about an hour before sunrise. Starting from Aug 6-18, Jupiter and Venus will be very close together, appearing within the same binocular field of view with the closest being on Aug 12.

Saturn (mag 0.8 to 0. 7): will be visible in the late night sky in August, rising in the east at midnight and remaining visible all the way til sunrise. It will also be part of the 6 planetary alignment on the morning of Aug 10. The waning gibbous moon will be near on the 12.

Mars (mag 1.5 to 1.6): will still be visible low in the west in the evening sky early in the month from about an hour after sunset to around 9:30pm. By late August Mars will be moving further away from Earth and will be lost in the glare of the Sun. It currently situated in the constellation Virgo.

Uranus (mag 5.8). It will be visible in the morning sky particularly around August 10 planetary alignment of six planets. Look low on the eastern horizon and about an hour before sunrise. Uranus will be faint so you’ll need binoculars or a small telescope to see it.

Neptune (mag 7.9): will be part of the 6 planet alignment on August 10. It is still pretty close to Saturn which will help you find it with binoculars or telescope.

Pluto (14.4): rises around sunset and is technically well place in the south by 11pm . But its pretty much invisible to see for most amateur astronomers.

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31): rises just after sunset and is up all night high in the east. Though at mag 3.3 a naked eye object it is better to seen with a pair a binoculars. You can find it by using the upper part of the “W” shape of the constellation Cassiopeia as a pointer to Andromeda.

Hercules Cluster (M13): this globular cluster at mag 5.8 is one of the brightest star clusters visible here in the Northern Hemisphere and is easily spotted through binoculars or a telescope. It is almost straight up in the sky at sunset and doesn’t set until around 4am. As the month goes on it will set earlier and earlier.

Mercury (mag 0.4 to 4.8): will be visible in the early evening in the western sky. On July 4, it will reach its greatest elongation about 26 degrees out from the sun. Look west in the direction of sunset just after sunset. By mid month Mercury will head back down toward the horizon and get lost in the sun glare. Mercury will spent most of the month in the constellation Cancer.

Venus (mag -4.1 to 4.0 ): visible still in the early morning sky rising about 2 hours before sunrise. Venus reaches its greatest morning visibility by mid July after that it will begin a slow decline and rising later each morning. On July 7-11 Venus will glide between the Pleiades and the Hyades. On July 21 and 22 the waning crescent moon will be close by.

Jupiter (mag -1.9 ): after disappearing from the evening sky in early June it emerges in the morning sky by mid July. It will appear in the east northeast sky before sunrise. On July 23 a very thin waning crescent will be close by. Jupiter will be located in the constellation Gemini.

Saturn (mag 1.0 to 0.8 ): early in July rises in the east after midnight and will become more prominent as the month progresses. It will be close to Neptune all summer long in the constellation Pisces. On July 16 a waning gibbous moon will be very close to the two planets.

Mars (mag 1.5 to 1.6): remains visible after sunset in the west setting just before 11pm. On July 28 a waxing crescent will be close to the left of Mars. Mars will slowly move from the constellation Leo to Virgo as the month progressive.

Uranus (mag 5.8). It will be visible in the east before sunrise and its visibility will improve throughout the month. In early July it will be close to Venus making it easy to spot with binoculars or a telescope. By the end of the month it will be more 30 degrees high in the east close to the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus.

Neptune (mag 7.9): will be visible alongside Saturn high in the southeast primarily in the morning before sunrise early in the month. Neptune will get higher and higher each night eventually becoming a evening object as we get to the month of August.

Pluto (14.4): reaches opposition on July 24 meaning it will be at its brightest and furthest from the sun in the sky. But its pretty much invisible to see for most amateur astronomers.

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31): rises just after 9pm and is up all night high in the east. Though at mag 3.3 a naked eye object it is better to seen with a pair a binoculars. You can find it by using the upper part of the “W” shape of the constellation Cassiopeia as a pointer to Andromeda.

Hercules Cluster (M13): this globular cluster at mag 5.8 is one of the brightest star clusters visible here in the Northern Hemisphere and is easily spotted through binoculars or a telescope. It is already high up at sunset in the east northeast sky in the constellation Hercules.

Beehive Cluster (M44): open cluster at mag 3.1 is located in the constellation Cancer. It is visible very low in the west after sunset early in the month, By mid month it sink too far below the horizon to see.

Messier 22: this globular cluster located in Sagittarius at mag 5.09. It will be well place in the south around midnight for most of the month.

Mercury (mag -0.8 to 0.4): will be visible in the evening sky toward the middle of the month. It will be located low in the western sky in the constellation Gemini not far from the star Pollux. It will only be out for an hour or so after sunset being visible before 8pm in twilight but setting by 9pm.

Venus (mag -4.3 to -4.1 ): continues to be visible in the morning sky and will reach its greatest distance from the sun on June 1. It rises in the east around 3:00am and is well place in the east southeast sky at sunrise. Venus will move from the first point of the constellation Pisces to close to Pleiades by the end of the month. Venus will look half illuminated in a telescope.

Jupiter (mag -1.9): will be visible during the first half of the month low in the west during dusk near the constellation Auriga. But by June 24 it will be at solar conjunction meaning it will be close to the sun and be to difficult to observe. After that it will reappear in the morning sky in July.

Saturn (mag 1.1 to 1.0): will continue to be visible in the morning sky rising around 2am early in the month to around midnight toward the end. It will be visible in the east and southeast before sunrise. Saturn will be in the vicinity of Neptune, and the two planets will only be one degree apart for all of June and the rest of the summer.

Mars (mag 1.3 to 1.5): will be visible all month in the east after sunset. It will be high in the southwest during dusk and set around midnight. The crescent moon will pass near it on June 1. On June 15, it will be close to Regulus located in the constellation Leo.

Uranus (mag 5.8) will emerge in the morning sky by mid month. It will be located in Taurus not to far away from the Pleiades low in the east. It will be better to see at the end of the month going into July as it climb higher and out of the morning twilight.

Neptune (mag 7.9): will be visible in the morning sky but will it will require binoculars and a telescope to see it. It will be near Saturn only a degree apart the entire month making it easier to find. It will be located in the constellation Pisces.

Pluto (14.5): is out in the morning sky high in the south but you need a powerful large computerizes telescope to see it as it is too faint and small. Even at it best in July it is still almost impossible to see especially for amateur astronomers.

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31): rises around midnight and is pretty high up in the north east before sunrise. Though at mag 3.3 a naked eye object it is better to seen with a pair a binoculars. You can find it by using the upper part of the “W” shape of the constellation Cassiopeia as a pointer to Andromeda.

Sunflower Galaxy (M63): this galaxy at mag 8.5 is best observed from the Northern Hemisphere and can be seen with at least a 6 inch telescope, revealing its structure. It will be located high overhead during the evening near the constellation Canes Venatici.

Hercules Cluster (M13): this globular cluster at mag 5.8 is one of the brightest star clusters visible here in the Northern Hemisphere and is easily spotted through binoculars or a telescope. It will be pretty high in the north east sky around 9pm located in the constellation Hercules.

Beehive Cluster (M44): open cluster at mag 3.1 is located in the constellation Cancer. It is visible low in the west after sunset and will gradually sink closer to the horizon as the month goes on.

Whirlpool Galaxy (M51): located in the constellation Canes Venatici, near the Big Dipper handle. For the month of June it will be pretty high up in the evening sky right after sunset. At mag 7.9 it can be observed with small telescopes.