Monthly Night Sky Report: August 2025

             Introduction

   The heatwave continued throughout July. A few evenings and early morning hours were not as bad and were actually quite pleasant. I was able to attempt only one astrophoto with my phone, which did not turn out due to light pollution. I will have more opportunities in August. I was able to capture a few images of the active Sun again during July and will also capture more images of the Sun, Moon, and DSOs during August. 

    The Summer is busy for me, as well as most other people, I'm sure, so I have yet to take out my telescope for an observing session. I am hesitant to say this, as every time I plan an outing with my gear, the weather or some other circumstance alters my plans, but I am planning a nice observing session from my home soon. Due to light pollution and uneven ground, my location is not ideal, but it will suffice for the time being. August is a perfect month for stargazing. It's the last chance before school begins and the temperatures begin to cool. Observers can enjoy the Perseid Meteor Shower this month. Saturn will be paired with Neptune and will return to the evening sky by the end of the month, with Jupiter rising a few hours before sunrise.      

                      

Mercury

    Mercury reached inferior conjunction with the Sun on 31 July and has transitioned to the morning sky. This tiny world can be best viewed during the second half of August, as it rises earlier and is visible higher in the sky. Brilliant Venus and Jupiter can be used to help find this less bright planet in the hour before sunrise. The planets follow a path, the ecliptic, in the sky. Jupiter and Venus can be used to draw this path in the sky, with Mercury being closer to the horizon along this line. A very thin and elusive crescent Moon will join Mercury on the 21st.   

  

Venus

   Venus will be easy to spot in the predawn sky above the eastern horizon. The Earth's twin sister can be found in Gemini rising alongside the familiar constellation, Orion, for the first three-quarters of the month. The two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, will drift towards each other, with Venus making the most movement. On the 12th, less than a degree will separate these bright planets. After this planetary conjunction, Venus will continue its eastward trek, sliding into Cancer the Crab for the last quarter of August. Jupiter will remain with the background stars of Gemini. A thin crescent Moon will be close by on the 20th.     

    

Mars

    

    Mars will continue to grace the evening sky with its presence. It is well past its prime for telescope observation from our Earthly vantage point, but the red glow is a nice contrast against the other stars in the sky. Mars will reside in Virgo throughout August, with a crescent Moon joining it on the 25th. 

       

Jupiter

Saturn

    Jupiter will rise about 90 minutes before the Sun as August begins. By the end of the month, this world will rise approximately three and a half hours before sunrise, allowing observers to view Jupiter for an extended period. Venus can be found moving towards Jupiter during the first 12 days of August, leading up to a planetary conjunction between these two planets on the 12th. Venus will continue moving eastward and into Cancer the Crab as Jupiter is content to stay with the Gemini twins. The Moon will pass close by on the 19th. 

    Saturn will rise above the Wasatch Front shortly before midnight on the first night of the month. By the end of the month, the Ringed World will reveal itself about two hours earlier. Saturn will reach opposition in September. The rings are beginning to tilt from our perspective, allowing observers to see them again. Neptune will rise with Saturn and will be just 1° away on the 6th, the second conjunction between the pair this year! The Moon will join this pair on the 12th.         

       

Neptune

Uranus

    

    Uranus will be close to the Pleiades during August, making this planet a bit easier to find in the night sky. The Moon will pass close by on the 16th. Uranus will be found in Taurus the Bull all month.  

  Neptune rises with Saturn during August, with a conjunction occurring on the 6th. This is the second planetary conjunction between these two planets, the first occurring on the last day of June. These two planets will have another conjunction early in 2026. The Moon will join Neptune and Saturn on the 12th.

Perseid Meteor Shower

   The long-awaited and much-anticipated Perseid Meteor Shower returns in August. This shower peaks on the 12th and offers around 100 meteors per hour....under Moon-free skies. Unfortunately, this year, a Full Moon occurs just three days before the peak, meaning the Moon will wash out all but the brightest meteors. Observers should expect to see about 10% of the maximum rate. The Perseids are known for producing bright meteors which are visible even in bright Moonlight. Observers should get away from city lights to increase the number of meteors that can be seen. Viewing the Perseids a week before or after the peak date this year can also increase the number of meteors that can be seen. This shower appears to radiate from the constellation of Perseus, which rises above the north-eastern horizon shortly after sunset.   

Monthly Breakdown

August 01: First Quarter Moon 🌓
August 06: Saturn and Neptune within 1°
August 09: Full Moon 🌕
August 12: Moon passes within 3° of Neptune

August 12: Moon passes within 4° of Saturn 

August 12: Venus and Jupiter within 1°

August 12: Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks 

August 16: Last Quarter Moon🌗 
August 16: Moon passes within 5° of Uranus
August 19: Mercury reaches greatest western elongation

August 19: Moon passes within 5° of Jupiter

August 20: Moon passes within 5° of Venus

August 21: Moon passes within 4° of Mercury 

August 23: New Moon 🌑
August 26: Moon passes within 3° of Mars

August 31: First Quarter Moon 🌓 

 

         

Now get outside and look up!

Planet images were taken by NASA.

Andrew vs. the Cosmos image was taken by Jeff Greenland.

The Milky Way and Trees image was taken by Andrew Greenland.

Orion, Taurus, and Pleiades image was taken by Andrew Greenland.

                

                

Midmonth Check-In: July 2025 and 3I/ATLAS

                 

  Introduction and Monthly Reminders   

    July has continued the weather pattern from June, with hot temperatures but mostly clear skies. I enjoyed the typical sights of the night sky, mostly watching the Moon as it changed phase. I had every intention of taking some astrophotography images while I was out of town, but unfortunately, it didn't happen. I have another short trip planned for the second half of the month with the prospect of another evening of astrophotography. 

    The second half of July has a lot to offer stargazers. The New Moon phase is approaching, which will give observers the chance to view some DSOs, especially if a telescope is used. The Moon will pass close by all of the planets during the second half of the month. However, the most anticipated event of July, the Southern Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower, will peak on the 31st. Observers can already spot meteor streaks from this shower, with the rate increasing until the 31st. Observers may also start to glimpse meteors from the Perseid Meteor Shower, which will peak in early August. The overlap of the Aquariids and Perseids presents a unique opportunity for stargazers, whether they are purely watching for meteors or trying to capture images of them.     

3I/ATLAS: The Interstellar Comet  

        A newly discovered object dubbed 3I/ATLAS has been detected moving through our solar system. It is so named because it is the third interstellar object (3I) ever detected and was discovered by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey telescope located in Chile. This object was officially discovered on 01 July 2025 but has been seen on archived data dating back to 14 June 2025. As I sit here and write this report, 3I/ATLAS was unknown a month ago. Today, little is known about this object, but new information is becoming available daily.

    This new object is known to come from outside our solar system due to its current trajectory. By running simulations, astronomers can see the path 3I/ATLAS is on and the direction from which it came, the constellation of Sagittarius. This object is also moving at an incredible speed, much faster than an object orbiting the Sun would achieve naturally. It is believed that 3I/ATLAS is made up of a large amount of water ice, but other physical properties, such as its size, are currently unknown. The water-ice makeup is similar to comets found in the Kuiper Belt, leading astronomers to classify 3I/ATLAS as an interstellar comet, the first of its kind! 

    

     Thought of being mostly comprised of water ice, 3I/ATLAS will begin to "thaw" as it approaches the Sun, growing a tail and having a nucleus and coma similar to those of a comet. Unlike comets that orbit the Sun, this interstellar object should not get close enough to the Sun to disintegrate. Based on its current trajectory, 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to the Sun in October, bringing it approximately 1.5 AU from our star. This places it between the orbits of Earth and Mars. No need to worry! As a reminder, the Earth is 1 AU from the Sun.

    When 3I/ATLAS was discovered, it was travelling at a speed of 137,000 miles per hour! That's approximately 38 miles per second! That's the distance from Salt Lake City to Ogden! The velocity of 3I//ATLAS will increase as it approaches the Sun.

    As 3I/ATLAS approaches the Sun and gets closer to Earth, more information about this first-of-a-kind interstellar comet will become available. This visitor is not expected to get very bright and will require a large telescope at a dark sky site to be seen. It should remain in view of Earthbound telescopes through September, at which point it will be too close to the Sun to view. Observations can resume in December when this interstellar comet is expected to emerge on the other side of the Sun. 

    It should be relatively simple to find updates on 3I/ATLAS as the information becomes available. I don't have a particular source that I know will keep their information current, but news feeds, however obtained, will provide this information. Enjoy the night sky through the rest of July and remember to keep looking up!       

    

Now get outside and look up!