Do not miss the half-lit disk of Earth’s pure satellite tv for pc gracing the night time sky this week because the moon hits its first quarter part whereas clutched within the grasp of a celestial scorpion.
The moon reaches first quarter at 2:25 a.m. (0625 GMT) on Aug. 31, when it will likely be positioned firmly under the horizon for viewers within the U.S. The perfect time to catch the half-lit moon can be at sundown on Aug. 30, when the half-lit moon will shine lower than 20 levels above the southwestern horizon. A helpful tip: the width of your fist held at arm’s size covers about 10 levels of sky.
At this stage, the appropriate aspect of the lunar disk can be lit by daylight, whereas the left stays veiled in shadow. The moon will seem near the appropriate of the purple supergiant star Antares on Aug. 30, with the celebrities of the constellation Libra — which as soon as represented the claws of the good scorpion represented in Scorpius — seen to the appropriate of the lunar disk.
Earth’s moon will set a bit of over three hours after the solar on Aug. 30, so be sure you discover a location with a transparent view of the southwestern horizon to get probably the most out of the cosmic pairing.
The following main lunar milestone would be the full moon part on Sept. 7, which is able to coincide with a complete lunar eclipse, whereby Earth’s shadow will move immediately over the satellite tv for pc’s historical floor, remodeling it into an ominous blood moon.
Learn extra: Complete lunar eclipse 2025: All the things you should know concerning the subsequent blood moon
Enthusiastic about exploring the moon for your self? Then why not try our roundups of the highest telescopes and binoculars for exploring the night time sky in 2025. These new to the interest might also wish to learn our roundup of one of the best smartphone astronomy apps obtainable in 2025, which make it easier to navigate the night time sky with assistance from augmented actuality expertise.
