Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

❤️️ Night of January 1-2: Moon meets Uranus

In the night of January 1 to 2, the waxing gibbous moon will be passing by the faraway planet Uranus. The first planet to be officially discovered in modern times, Uranus is just at the very limit of naked eye visibility from the darkest skies. For this reason, it was probably seen by ancient peoples but not recognized as being a planet, like the five nearest and brightest planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. On a regular night, it’s quite difficult to find, but in the night of January 1 to 2, the moon can be used as a marker to find it with binoculars.

Find a place as far from light pollution as you can and wait for complete darkness, usually about an hour and a half after sunset. Any pair of low-powered binoculars (maximum 10x) will be sufficient but the wider the lens, the better. My best recommendation would be the Skymaster 8x56, as they have wide enough lenses to gather lots of light but are low-powered enough to get everything nicely in one field of view. Point them at the moon, and to its right, in the same field of view, you should see Uranus!

The moon in this phase is very bright, which will make it more challenging to see Uranus. There will be a few stars of similar brightness in the vicinity, so you can use the above chart to make sure you’re looking at the distant gas planet. Keep in mind that the chart is for 6pm Pacific Time, so if you’re viewing it at a different time or from a different location, the moon will not be in the exact same place. The chart represents the approximate field of view of 8x binoculars.

💙 January 2-3, evening: Moon meets Mars, Pleiades, Hyades

On the evenings of Monday and Tuesday January 2 and 3, the waxing gibbous moon will cross the sky alongside the bright red planet Mars and two of the best star clusters in the sky: the Pleiades and the Hyades. The Hyades mark the head of the bull in the constellation of Taurus, with its brightest red star, Aldebaran, representing its eye. The Pleiades are often thought of as the heart of Taurus. Mars is much brighter than any stars in the vicinity so it’ll be unmistakeable.

Find yourself a spot far from city lights and wait for complete darkness, usually about an hour and a half after sunset. Look high in the sky towards the east to find the moon, Mars, and the two star clusters. The moon will be just below the Pleiades on the 2nd and closer to Mars on the 3rd. The whole scene can be observed with your naked eye and you can use binoculars to scan the different elements and get the full breathtaking effect of the clusters. In fact, the moon is quite bright at this phase, which could make it challenging to see the Pleiades without optical aid.

💙 Nights of January 5-6 and 6-7, all night: Full Wolf Moon

January’s full moon is at its fullest at around 6pm Eastern Time on January 6. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be almost equally full on the evenings of January 5 and 6. It gives us two chances to see a full moon this month! For the rest of the world, it’ll be fullest on the evening of the 6th.

Named after the wolves that are often heard howling at this time of year in the northern hemisphere, the Full Wolf Moon will rise towards the northeast over an hour before sunset on January 5 and shortly before sunset on the 6th.

💙 January 21-23, evening: Venus meets Saturn

For three nights, the supremely bright planet Venus will pass extremely close to Saturn, the ringed planet! Their absolute closest approach will be on the evening of January 22, when they’ll be closer to each other than the width of the full moon.

They will be quite close to the sun, so you’ll need the lowest possible horizon towards the southwest. After you’ve enjoyed the sunset, Venus is so bright that you’ll soon start seeing it appearing through the sunset light near the horizon. Over the next hour, you should start seeing the much less bright Saturn starting to fade into view right beside Venus. They will set less than 2 hours after the sun and the sky near the horizon is usually much more opaque, so I would say the best time to see them will be about an hour after sunset. It’ll greatly depend on the weather conditions where you are.

You can enjoy this view with your naked eye, but if you have binoculars or a telescope of any size, use them! This is a very close encounter and will be magnificent up close. In this case, the more magnification the better, so you could use these Skymaster 15x70 binoculars or this Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ telescope.

💙 January 25, evening: Moon meets Jupiter

On the evening of Wednesday January 25, the thick 5-day-old crescent moon is set to visit the bright planet Jupiter! Start looking between the south and southwest directions about half an hour after sunset and you should see the crescent moon starting to appear brighter. Over the next half hour, Jupiter will start to become more visible above the moon and they will remain together until they set about 4 hours later.

This sight can be enjoyed simply with your naked eye, or you can use any binoculars (like the Cometron 7x50) to get a closer and brighter view! Binoculars may reveal a bit of earthshine (the faint glow on the dark portion of the moon that is caused by sunlight reflected on the Earth) and craters on the moon’s surface, and if they are powerful enough (ideally 9x magnification like the Skymaster 9x63 to 15x magnification like the Skymaster 15x70), they may reveal some of Jupiter’s brightest moons!

💛 January 28, evening: Moon meets Uranus

On the evening of January 28, the first quarter moon (often called ‘half moon’) will be passing very close to the faraway planet Uranus. The first planet to be officially discovered in modern times, Uranus is just at the very limit of naked eye visibility from the darkest skies. For this reason, it was probably seen by ancient peoples but not recognized as being a planet, like the five nearest and brightest planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. On a regular night, it’s quite difficult to find, but on the evening of January 28, the moon can be used as a marker to find it with binoculars or a small telescope.

Find a place as far from light pollution as you can and wait for complete darkness, usually about an hour and a half after sunset. Any pair of binoculars should be sufficient but the wider the lens, the better. My best recommendations would be the Skymaster 9x63 or the Skymaster 15x70 as they both have wide enough lenses to gather lots of light and are high-powered enough to get as much detail as possible. Point them at the moon, and in the same field of view, you should see Uranus!

The two celestial jewels will be closest to each other around 8:30pm Pacific Time, but any time between nightfall and about midnight local time will be good. If you’re able to look within a couple of hours of their closest approach, they’ll be close enough that you can even use a telescope to see them together! A great telescope for this would be the Celestron Starsense Explorer LT 114AZ. It’s got just the right amount of power to be used with a 25mm eyepiece for this viewing and has good aperture to let in lots of light and help you see the faint Uranus.

The moon in this phase is already quite bright, which could make it challenging to see Uranus. There will be a few stars of similar brightness in the vicinity, so you can use the above charts to make sure you’re looking at the distant gas planet. Keep in mind that the charts are for 8:30pm Pacific Time, so if you’re viewing it at a different time or from a different location, the moon will not be in the exact same place. The charts represents the approximate field of view through 9x binoculars and a telescope at 40x magnification.

💙 January 29-30, evening: Moon meets Mars, Pleiades, Hyades

The bright Red Planet, Mars, has been spending some time in the constellation of Taurus in the vicinity of two of the best open star cluster in the sky for a while, the Pleiades and Hyades. On January 29 and 30, the waxing gibbous moon also pays them a visit, for a beautiful celestial gathering! On the evening of the 29th, the moon will be closer to the Pleiades cluster, and by the evening of the 30th, she’ll have made her way right beside Mars, passing to within less than half a degree of it. In fact, folks in southern United States, Mexico, and Central America will be able to witness an occultation on January 30th. From those locations, Mars will appear to hide behind the moon for a while!

Look high in the sky towards the southeast starting an hour and a half after sunset. There, you’ll easily spot the moon. The brightest red hued “star” in the area is Mars. The two star clusters are harder to see, especially with the bright light of the moon, but the image above should help you spot them. You should be able to see all this with the naked eye but a pair of binoculars will give you a much better view of the star clusters and a nice close up of the meeting between Mars and the moon on the 30th. The Cometron 7x50 would be sufficient for getting a good view of the clusters and scanning the area, while the Skymaster 15x70 would be the best option for checking out the close encounter of Mars and the moon.

Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!

Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

💙 Nights of February 4-5 and 5-6, all night: Full Snow Moon

February’s full moon is at its fullest at around 1:30pm Eastern Time on February 5. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be about equally full on the evenings of February 4 and 5. It gives us two chances to see a full moon this month! For anyone on other continents, the moon will be at its fullest on the evening of February 5.

Named after the northern hemisphere’s cold season, the Full Snow Moon will rise between the east and northeast about an hour before sunset on February 4 and right around the time of sunset on the 5th.

❤️️ February 14-15, evening: Venus meets Neptune

On February 15, Venus will pass extremely close to the distant planet Neptune. In fact, for about half an hour, they’ll be less than one arcsecond apart - that’s 1/30 the width of the full moon, which is ridiculously close! The best place to see this super close encounter would be Thailand and the surrounding area. The rest of the world will still be able to see a close approach but it won’t be quite as dramatic. That’s because, from Thailand, it will be nighttime and the planets will be well above the horizon during the short time of their closest approach.

Observers in North and South America will have two chances to see this planetary encounter, shortly before and shortly after the closest approach - on the evenings of February 14 and 15. Neptune is so far away that it’s very dim - much too dim to see with the naked eye and very difficult even with binoculars - but thankfully, Venus is about 60,000 times brighter and can serve as a marker to help you find Neptune with the help of a telescope as they pass by each other.

Go as far from city lights as you can and find a spot with a low horizon towards the west and southwest. Set up your telescope while there’s still some light in the sky after sunset. Venus, and Jupiter above it, are so bright that they will become visible shortly after sunset, but you’ll have to wait for full darkness to see Neptune. Once the sky is completely dark, usually about an hour and a half after sunset, point your telescope at Venus - the brighter and lower of the two bright “stars” towards the west. Start with a low-powered eyepiece (longest focal length) and get it nicely focused. You should be able to see a faint little “star” in the same field of view that may display a slight blue colour … and just like that, you’re looking at the furthest planet in the solar system, 4.6 billion kilometres away! Use the above images to help you know where to look and to help you tell Neptune apart from faint stars nearby. Depending on your telescope and the weather conditions, you may be able to put in a higher-powered (shorter focal length) eyepiece to get in closer.

Any telescope with good quality optics will work, but I would recommend the widest aperture you can get, in order to capture the faint light of Neptune. I would recommend at least 100mm of aperture, like the Celestron Starsense Explorer DX 102AZ, which will give you 26x magnification with the 25mm eyepiece.

💙 February 21, evening: Moon meets Venus and Jupiter

On the evening of February 21, the young and delicate crescent moon will do a line dance with the bright planets Venus and Jupiter! Find yourself a spot with a nice view to the western horizon. Once you’ve enjoyed sunset, wait about half an hour and you’ll see the thin crescent moon beginning to fade into view near the west to southwest horizon, making a line with what looks like two very bright stars above it. Those two “stars” are actually Venus (the lower and brighter of the two) and Jupiter above it! Watch the three celestial jewels appear to get brighter as the light of dusk fades, and watch them set in the following couple of hours. This is best seen with the naked eye - no equipment needed!

💙 February 22, evening: Moon meets Jupiter

As a sequel to the previous night’s planetary line-up, on February 22, the growing but still quite thin crescent moon will be right beside Jupiter. Find yourself a spot with a nice view to the western horizon. Once you’ve enjoyed sunset, you should begin to see the crescent moon appear above the west to southwest horizon. As the light continues to fade, you’ll first see the bright Venus below the moon, and a little later, Jupiter will appear right beside the moon! You can look at all this with the naked eye but they’ll be close enough that you can use binoculars to get a closer view of Jupiter and the moon together. Any binoculars should work, and a good entry-level pair is the Celestron Cometron 7x50.

💙 February 27, evening: Moon meets Mars

Having just passed the first quarter (half-moon), the moon meets with Mars, the Red Planet, on the evening of February 27. Look high up in the sky, almost directly overhead for folks in the northern hemisphere, about an hour after sunset and you’ll see the slightly rounded half-moon with Mars right beside it. Mars will be unmistakeable as a bright red-hued star very close to the moon. You can see these with the naked eye but binoculars or a small telescope would give you a really nice close-up of the planetary meet-up. You can use any binoculars, but Mars and the moon will be close enough to each other to fit within the same field of view of powerful binoculars like the Celestron Skymaster 15x70. Any small telescope, like the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ would work beautifully for this celestial event.

💙 February 28-March 2, evening: Venus meets Jupiter

For three nights, the two brightest planets in the sky, Venus and Jupiter, have a close encounter you won’t want to miss! Jupiter is making its way toward the sun while Venus is heading out away from the sun, as seen from down here on Earth. They will pass each other on March 1st, coming closer together than the width of the full moon, and they’ll be fairly close to each other one day before and after! You’ll see the two planets slowly getting closer every night throughout February. Find yourself a spot with a nice view to the western horizon. In the half hour following sunset, you should begin to see the bright Venus appear above the western horizon. As the light continues to fade, you’ll see Jupiter appear right beside Venus! Jupiter will be above Venus on February 28, immediately beside it on March 1st, and below it on March 2nd. If the weather’s not good on these dates, try looking a few days before or after; it’ll still be a lovely sight.

You can see these with the naked eye but binoculars or a small telescope would give you a really nice close-up of the planetary meet-up. You can use any binoculars, but the planets will be close enough to each other to fit within the same field of view of powerful binoculars like the Celestron Skymaster 15x70. Any small telescope, like the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ would work beautifully for this celestial event.

Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!

Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

💙 February 28-March 2, evening: Venus meets Jupiter

For three nights, the two brightest planets in the sky, Venus and Jupiter, have a close encounter you won’t want to miss! Jupiter is making its way toward the sun while Venus is heading out away from the sun, as seen from down here on Earth. They will pass each other on March 1st, coming closer together than the width of the full moon, and they’ll be fairly close to each other one day before and after! You’ll see the two planets slowly getting closer every night throughout February. Find yourself a spot with a nice view to the western horizon. In the half hour following sunset, you should begin to see the bright Venus appear above the western horizon. As the light continues to fade, you’ll see Jupiter appear right beside Venus! Jupiter will be above Venus on February 28, immediately beside it on March 1st, and below it on March 2nd. If the weather’s not good on these dates, try looking a few days before or after; it’ll still be a lovely sight.

You can see these with the naked eye but binoculars or a small telescope would give you a really nice close-up of the planetary meet-up. You can use any binoculars, but the planets will be close enough to each other to fit within the same field of view of powerful binoculars like the Celestron Skymaster 15x70. Any small telescope, like the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ would work beautifully for this celestial event.

💙 Nights of March 6-7 and 7-8, all night: Full Sap Moon

The full moon of March is at its fullest at around 7:40am Eastern Time on March 7. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be about equally full on the evenings of March 6 and 7. It gives us two chances to see a full moon this month! For anyone on other continents, the moon will be at its fullest on the evening of March 7.

Named after the sap that runs down maple trees in northeastern North America to make delicious maple syrup, the Full Sap Moon will rise towards the east shortly before sunset on March 6 and shortly after sunset on the 7th. This moon is also called the Worm Moon, because the thawing ground reveals worms that birds are happy to eat!

💙 March 22, evening: Moon meets Jupiter

On the evening of March 22, the superbly thin crescent moon will be right beside Jupiter. Find yourself a spot with a nice view to the western horizon. In the half hour or so following sunset, you should begin to see the thin crescent moon appear above the western horizon, along with Jupiter below it. They will set together about an hour and a half after the sun. You can look at all this with the naked eye but they’ll be close enough that you can use binoculars to get a closer view of Jupiter and the moon together. Any binoculars should work, and a good entry-level pair is the Celestron Cometron 7x50.

💙 March 23, evening: Moon meets Venus

Following the previous night’s meet-up with Jupiter, the now slightly thicker crescent moon will meet with the extremely bright Venus! Both of them should become easily visible a little ways above the western horizon shortly after sunset. They will slowly get closer to each other as they make their way down towards the horizon in the 3 hours following sunset. You can see this all with the naked eye but they’ll be close enough that you can use binoculars to get a closer view of Venus and the moon together. Any low-powered binoculars should work, and a good entry-level pair is the Celestron Cometron 7x50.

💛 March 24, evening: Moon meets Uranus

On the evening of March 24, the waxing crescent moon will be passing very close to the faraway planet Uranus. The first planet to be officially discovered in modern times, Uranus is just at the very limit of naked eye visibility from the darkest skies. For this reason, it was probably seen by ancient peoples but not recognized as being a planet, like the five nearest and brightest planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. On a regular night, it’s quite difficult to find, but on the evening of March 24, the moon can be used as a marker to find it with binoculars or a small telescope.

Find a place as far from light pollution as you can and wait for complete darkness, usually about an hour and a half after sunset. Any pair of binoculars should be sufficient but the wider the lenses, the better. My best recommendations would be the Skymaster 9x63 or the Skymaster 15x70 as they both have wide enough lenses to gather lots of light and are high-powered enough to get as much detail as possible. Point them at the moon, and in the same field of view, you should see Uranus!

The two celestial jewels will be closest to each other around 8pm Eastern Time, but any time between nightfall and about 11pm local time will be good. If you’re able to look within a couple of hours of their closest approach, they’ll be close enough that you can even use a telescope to see them together! A great telescope for this would be the Celestron Starsense Explorer DX 130AZ. It’s got just the right amount of power to be used with a 25mm eyepiece for this viewing and has good aperture to let in lots of light and help you see the faint Uranus.

There will be a few stars of similar brightness in the vicinity, so you can use the above chart to make sure you’re looking at the distant gas planet. Keep in mind that the chart is for 9pm Pacific Time, so if you’re viewing it at a different time or from a different location, the moon will not be in the exact same place. The chart represents the approximate field of view through 9x binoculars.

💙 March 25, evening: Moon meets Pleiades

On the evening of March 25, the thick crescent moon will be visiting one of the sky’s best star cluster, the Pleiades. Also known as the Seven Sisters from Greek Mythology, Subaru in Japan, and bearing many different names in cultures around the world, the Pleiades are one of the most beautiful open star clusters in the sky. To the naked eye, they look like a compact group of little stars that flies high in the sky in winter months in the northern hemisphere. Binoculars and small telescopes reveal their true dazzling nature, looking like a sparkly jewel box.

Once it gets fully dark on March 25, about an hour and a half after sunset, look west and you should see the thick crescent moon above the bright Venus. The Pleiades will be just beside the moon. You should be able to see this all with the naked eye, but you can look at them together with binoculars to get an even better view! Any binoculars should do, like the entry-level Cometron 7x50.

❤️️ March 26-28, evening: Jupiter meets Mercury

For three nights at the end of March, the big and bright Jupiter will snuggle up close to Mercury. But this will be a rather challenging planetary meet-up to witness, the reason being that they will set less than an hour after the sun. This means it’ll only be dark enough to see them both just before they set, when they’re low in the sky with lots of moisture and atmosphere in the way. If you have a good pair of binoculars or a small telescope, it can be a fun challenge to attempt this observation!

Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen the bright Jupiter slowly get closer and closer to the setting sun. Meanwhile, Mercury is emerging from behind the sun. They will pass each other on the evening of March 27, when they’ll be close enough to each other to be seen together through a small telescope. If you have binoculars, you could see them fairly close to each other on the 26th and 28th as well.

On any of those nights, find yourself a place with the lowest possible horizon towards the west. After admiring the sunset, wait about 10 minutes for the light of the sun to start fading, and then start looking near the western horizon with your binoculars. The planets will be almost directly towards the west, not far from the horizon. Jupiter is brighter and will be visible first, but don’t confuse it with the much brighter Venus, well above the horizon. Once you’ve spotted Jupiter, keep looking at it through your binoculars until you see the smaller Mercury. Any binoculars, like the Cometron 7x50 should work for this.

💙 Night of March 27-28: Moon meets Mars

During the night of March 27 to 28, while approaching the first quarter phase, the moon will meet with Mars, the Red Planet. You should be able to see them together high in the sky towards the southwest starting about half an hour after sunset on the 27th. Mars will look like a bright star to the left of the moon. The two celestial bodies will get progressively closer to each other as the night wears on, until they set together in the northwest around 3am. You can observe this throughout the night with the naked eye, and as they get closer together later in the night, you can catch them with binoculars.

💛 March 30, evening: Venus meets Uranus

What: The brightest planet in our sky, Venus, meets with the distant blue-green planet Uranus

When: Wednesday March 29 to Friday March 31, darkness (approx. 1.5h after sunset) to approx. 3 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63) or short focal length telescope for March 30 only (recommendations: Celestron Starsense Explorer DX 102AZ or Celestron Starsense Explorer DX 130AZ)

How: Get a clear view of the horizon from west to northwest. Find Venus (the brightest “star” in that direction). Point your binoculars or telescope at Venus and you should see Uranus in the same field of view. The planets will only be close enough to each other to view in a short focal length telescope on March 30. Binoculars should be used on March 29 and 31. The two planets will set approximately 3 hours after sunset.

Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!

Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

💙 Night of April 5-6, all night: Full Pink Moon

The full moon of April is at its fullest at 12:35am Eastern Time on April 6. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be fullest on the evening of April 5. For anyone on other continents, the moon will be about equally full on the evenings of April 5 and 6.

Named after the moss pink, a flower that grows in the northern hemisphere at this time of year, the Full Pink Moon will rise towards the east right around the time of sunset on April 5. This is one of the fullest full moons of the year, as the alignment of the Earth, sun, and Moon are approaching perfection ahead of the total solar eclipse later in April.

💙 April 9-11, evening: Venus meets Pleiades

What: The brightest planet in our sky, Venus, meets with the bright Pleiades star cluster

When: Sunday April 9 to Tuesday April 11, darkness (approx. 1.5 hours after sunset) to approx. 3.5 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: Get a clear view of the horizon from west to northwest. Find Venus (the brightest “star” in that direction). You should see a compact group of much smaller stars very close to Venus, which is the Pleiades. If you have binoculars, point them at Venus and you should see the Pleiades star cluster in the same field of view. They will set approximately 3.5 hours after sunset.

💛 April 11, evening: Mercury’s best evening visibility

What: Mercury, the planet nearest the sun, is at its best evening visibility of the year

When: Tuesday April 11, approx. 45 minutes after sunset to approx. 2 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: Mercury is notoriously difficult to see because it always stays close to the sun, moving back and forth between the evening sky and the morning sky. On April 11, its apparent distance from the sun, along with the springtime angle of the ecliptic will make it easier to see. April 11 will be the best, but it should be fairly good for 2-3 days before and after as well. Get a clear view of the horizon from west to northwest. Start looking near that horizon about 45 minutes after sunset. Venus will be visible much earlier because it’s a lot brighter and higher in the sky. Mercury will appear after Venus, looking like a fairly bright star in the glow of sunset near the horizon. It will set about 2 hours after the sun. This will be visible to the naked eye but binoculars would make it easier to find.

💛 April 20: Total solar eclipse

Where: Southeast Asia and Australia

What: The moon will pass in front of the sun, creating a total solar eclipse for a narrow path on the surface of the Earth

When: Thursday April 20, times vary depending on location

Equipment needed: Solar eclipse glasses, solar binoculars, or solar telescope (View recommendations here) Never look directly at the sun without certified solar viewing filters, even during the partial phase of an eclipse.

How: Observers in Southeast Asia and Australia will be able to view a total or partial solar eclipse, depending on exact location. The total eclipse path will cut through the very western tip of Australia, East Timor, and West Papua. The rest of Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea, as well as many Pacific islands, will get to see a partial solar eclipse. See this Time and Date page for more info on this eclipse.

💙 April 22, evening: Moon meets Venus and Hyades

What: The young crescent moon meets with the brightest planet in our sky, Venus, and the Hyades star cluster

When: Saturday April 22, darkness (approx. 1.5 hours after sunset) to approx. 3 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Naked eye

How: Get a clear view of the horizon from west to northwest. The young crescent moon and Venus (the brightest “star” in that direction) will be close together and visible first, before the light of sunset has completely faded. The Hyades star cluster should appear below Venus by the time it gets completely dark. This celestial gathering would be a great photographic composition with a medium zoom lens!

💙 April 25, evening: Moon meets Mars

What: The thick crescent moon meets with Mars, the Red Planet

When: Tuesday April 25, darkness (approx. 1.5 hours after sunset) to approx. 6 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: Any time after dark, look high in the sky towards the west and you should see a thick crescent moon. Below it will be what looks like a bright star, possibly showing a bit of a red hue, which is Mars. These days, Mars is making a triangle with two similarly bright stars in the vicinity, Castor and Pollux, the heads of the Gemini twins. The moon will be in that triangle of stars on April 25.

Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!

Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

💙 Nights of May 4-5 and 5-6, all night: Full Flower Moon

The full moon of May is at its fullest at 1:35pm Eastern Time on May 5. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be about equally full on the evenings of May 4 and 5. For anyone on other continents, the moon will be fullest on the evening of May 5.

Named after the flowers that grow in the northern hemisphere at this time of year, the Full Flower Moon will rise between the east and southeast about half an hour before sunset on May 4 and about half an hour after sunset on May 5.

❤️️ Night of May 5-6: Penumbral lunar eclipse

Where: Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Antarctica

What: The moon will pass inside the penumbra (outer shadow) of the Earth, causing the moon to dim slightly

When: Night of May 5-6, time depends on location

Equipment needed: Naked eye, binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63), or telescope (recommendations: Starsense Explorer LT 80AZ or Starsense Explorer LT 114AZ)

How: Unlike total or partial lunar eclipses, a penumbral lunar eclipse is a bit difficult to observe. The Earth’s shadow is in two parts - the umbra is the part of the shadow where no direct sunlight reaches, while the penumbra is the outer part of the shadow, where some direct sunlight reaches but some is blocked by the Earth. During a total lunar eclipse, the moon goes entirely within the umbra and no direct sunlight reaches it. During a partial lunar eclipse, the moon goes partly within the umbra, so it looks like a bite is taken out of the moon. During a penumbral lunar eclipse, the moon only goes into the Earth’s penumbra, meaning it doesn’t get significantly darker or appear to have a bite taken out. One edge of the moon will just look slightly dimmer than it would during a regular full moon.

The dimming is so subtle that it may be hard to notice with the naked eye, but it may be a little easier with binoculars or a telescope. I find the best way to observe a penumbral eclipse is photographically. Try taking a photo before the penumbral eclipse starts and another photo around the maximum of the eclipse to compare. You can find out more about the specifics and timing on the Time and Date website.

💙 May 13, morning: Moon meets Saturn

What: The thick waning crescent moon meets with Saturn, the ringed Planet

When: Saturday May 13, approx. 2 hours before sunrise to dawn (approx. one hour before sunrise)

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50)

How: Find a low east to southeast horizon and start looking about 2 hours before sunrise. The thick waning crescent moon, just past third quarter, will rise with Saturn above it. The moon will continue to be visible after dawn but Saturn will fade out of view once the light of the sky is too bright.

💙 May 17, morning: Moon occults Jupiter

Where: The west coast of North America

What: The thin waning crescent moon passes in front of Jupiter in the dawn sky

When: Wednesday May 17, dawn (exact time depends on location)

Equipment needed: Naked eye, binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63), or telescope (recommendations: Starsense Explorer LT 80AZ or Starsense Explorer LT 114AZ)

How: Check an astronomy app like SkySafari to see if the occultation is visible from your location. This event is mostly visible from the west coast of North America, but if you’re too far east, the occultation will happen in daytime, meaning Jupiter and the moon will be nearly impossible to see. If you’re too far west, the occultation will happen when the moon and Jupiter are still below the horizon.

Once you’ve determined that it’ll be visible from your location, find the lowest possible horizon toward the east. The moon and Jupiter will rise about an hour before the sun (give or take a few minutes depending on your latitude). To find the exact timing of the occultation, use an app like SkySafari. Centre on the moon, go to May 17 in the morning, and move forward and backward in time by minutes to see when Jupiter appears to move behind the moon and reappear. Note that the disappearance or reappearance will only be visible if the objects are above the horizon but the sun is still below the horizon. If the sun is not far below the horizon, it may be possible to see but difficult because of the bright dawn light.

If the occultation is not visible from your location, it will be a close conjunction of the moon and Jupiter. Look near the eastern horizon between an hour and half an hour before sunrise to see the close pair.

💙 May 22-23, evening: Moon meets Venus and Mars

What: The young crescent moon meets with Venus and Mars

When: Monday and Tuesday May 22 and 23, approx. 1 hour after sunset to approx. 3 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Naked eye

How: After sunset, look west to see the crescent moon in line with Venus (the brightest “star” in the sky) and Mars. The moon will be to the right of Venus on May 22 and between Venus and Mars on May 23. Mars will appear like an average star. The two stars above Venus that are of similar brightness to Mars are Castor and Pollux, the Gemini twins.

Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!

Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

💛 June 1-3, evening: Mars meets Beehive Cluster

What: Mars, the red planet, passes through the Beehive star cluster in the constellation of Cancer

When: Thursday June 1 to Saturday June 3, darkness (approx. 1.5 hours after sunset) to approx. 3 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Binoculars (recommendations: Skymaster 9x63 or Skymaster 15x70), or telescope (recommendations: Starsense Explorer LT 80AZ or Starsense Explorer LT 114AZ)

How: The Beehive star cluster is just visible with the naked eye from very dark skies, so you will likely need binoculars or a telescope to see this encounter. Also, the moon will be close to full, which will make it more challenging to see the delicate star cluster. Thankfully, Mars is bright enough that you can use it as a guide to find the cluster. Over three nights, Mars will pass directly through the cluster, as seen from our perspective.

Once the sky is completely dark, look to the west and you’ll see the brightest “star”, which is actually the planet Venus. The next brightest “star” to the left of Venus is the planet Mars. Use your binoculars or telescope to get a close view and you should see that Mars is surrounded by a little cluster of sparkly stars! You can use a fair bit of magnification for this since the Beehive cluster is quite small.

💙 Night of June 3-4, all night: Full Strawberry Moon

The full moon of June is at its fullest at 11:42pm Eastern Time on June 3. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be fullest on the evening of June 3. For anyone on other continents, the moon will be about equally full on the evenings of June 3 and 4.

Named after the strawberries that are ripe in the northern hemisphere at this time of year, the Full Strawberry Moon will rise towards the southeast shortly after sunset on June 3. This is one of the lowest full moons of the year for observers in the northern hemisphere because it lies close to where the sun is at the winter solstice.

💛 June 12-14, evening: Venus meets Beehive Cluster

What: Venus passes right beside the Beehive star cluster in the constellation of Cancer

When: Monday June 12 to Wednesday June 14, darkness (approx. 1.5 hours after sunset) to approx. 2 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Binoculars (recommendations: Skymaster 9x63 or Skymaster 15x70), or telescope (recommendations: Starsense Explorer LT 80AZ or Starsense Explorer LT 114AZ)

How: The Beehive star cluster is just visible with the naked eye from very dark skies, so you will likely need binoculars or a telescope to see this encounter. Thankfully, Venus is bright enough that you can use it as a guide to find the cluster. Over three nights, Venus will pass right beside the cluster, as seen from our perspective.

Once the sky is completely dark, look to the west and you’ll see the brightest “star”, which is actually the planet Venus. Use your binoculars or telescope to get a close view and you should see a little cluster of sparkly stars right beside Venus! You can use a fair bit of magnification for this since the Beehive cluster is quite small.

💙 June 14, morning: Moon meets Jupiter

What: The waning crescent moon meets with Jupiter, the king of the planets

When: Wednesday June 14, approx. 2 hours before sunrise to dawn (approx. one hour before sunrise)

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50)

How: Find a low east to northeast horizon and start looking about 2 hours before sunrise. The waning crescent moon will rise with Jupiter to its right. The moon will continue to be visible after dawn but Jupiter will fade out of view once the light of the sky is too bright.

💙 June 21, evening: Moon meets Venus and Mars

What: The young crescent moon meets with Venus and Mars

When: Wednesday June 21, approx. 1 hour after sunset to approx. 2 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50)

How: After sunset, look west to see the crescent moon in line with Venus (the brightest “star” in the sky) and Mars. The moon will form a triangle with the other two celestial bodies - Venus being much brighter than Mars. You can look at it just with your eyes or you can use low-powered binoculars to see the celestial triangle up close.

Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!

Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

💙 Night of July 2-3, all night: Full Buck Moon

The full moon of July is at its fullest at 7:38am Eastern Time on July 3. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be fullest on the evening of July 2. For anyone on other continents, the moon will be about equally full on the evenings of July 2 and 3.

Named after the male deer that grow new antlers in the northern hemisphere at this time of year, the Full Buck Moon will rise towards the southeast shortly after sunset on July 2. This is one of the lowest full moons of the year for observers in the northern hemisphere because it lies close to where the sun is at the winter solstice.

💙 Night of July 6-7: Moon meets Saturn

What: The waning gibbous moon meets with Saturn, the ringed Planet

When: Night of Thursday July 6 to Friday July 7, around midnight to dawn (approx. one hour before sunrise)

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50)

How: Find a low east to southeast horizon and start looking around midnight. The waning gibbous moon will rise with Saturn above it. They will rise higher in the sky over the next few hours and be almost directly south at sunrise. The moon will continue to be visible after dawn but Saturn will fade out of view once the light of the sky is too bright.

💛 July 8-11, evening: Mars meets Regulus

What: Mars, the red planet, passes right beside Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo

When: Saturday July 8 to Tuesday July 11, approx. 1 hour after sunset to approx. 1.5 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Naked eye, binoculars (recommendations: Skymaster 9x63 or Skymaster 15x70), or telescope (recommendations: Starsense Explorer LT 80AZ or Starsense Explorer LT 114AZ)

How: Find a spot with a low horizon toward the west and start looking near that horizon after sunset. The first “star” to appear will be the super bright planet Venus. As the light in the sky fades, Mars and Regulus will begin to appear not too far to the left and up from Venus, or directly above it if you live south of the US. Both Venus and Mars will be making their way east (left in this image) relative to Regulus over the course of July 8 to 11.

💙 July 11, morning: Moon meets Jupiter

What: The waning crescent moon meets with Jupiter, the king of the planets

When: Tuesday July 11, approx. 4 hours before sunrise to dawn (approx. one hour before sunrise)

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50)

How: Look to the east anytime between 4 hours before sunrise and dawn. You will see the thick waning crescent moon with Jupiter to its left. They will get closer together later in the morning. The moon will continue to be visible after dawn but Jupiter will fade out of view once the light of the sky is too bright.

❤️️ July 12, morning: Moon meets Uranus

What: The waning crescent moon meets with the distant blue-green planet Uranus

When: Wednesday July 12, approx. 3 hours before sunrise to approx. 1.5 hours before sunrise

Equipment needed: Binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: Get a clear view of the horizon from east to northeast. The moon will rise a little more than 3 hours before the sun, but the visibility will be better later in the morning, as long as it’s still completely dark. Point your binoculars at the moon and you should see Uranus in the same field of view. The moon will continue to be visible when the light of dawn fades in, but Uranus will quickly disappear as the sky gets too bright. You will see bright Jupiter to the right of the moon, easily visible to the naked eye. The simulation above shows what you might see through 7x binoculars, with the moon, Uranus, and a few surrounding stars.

💙 July 13, morning: Moon meets Pleiades

What: The waning crescent moon meets with the bright Pleiades star cluster

When: Thursday July 13, approx. 3 hours before sunrise to approx. 1.5 hours before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50)

How: Get a clear view of the horizon from east to northeast. The moon will rise in that direction about 3 hours before the sun. Once it has risen a little higher in the sky, you should see a compact group stars right above the moon, which is the Pleiades. If you have binoculars, point them at the moon and you should see the Pleiades star cluster in the same field of view. The Pleiades will fade out of sight when the light of dawn starts to appear.

💛 July 20, evening: Moon meets Mars

What: The thin crescent moon meets with Mars, the Red Planet

When: Thursday July 20, approx. 1 hour after sunset to approx. 1.5 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: You should begin to see the crescent moon near the western horizon in the half hour following sunset. Mars is not very bright these days, so you will have to wait until it gets darker to see Mars below and left of the moon. If you have binoculars, they will help you find Mars in the same field of view as the moon. This is a somewhat challenging observation because Mars will become easier to see as the sky gets darker, but it will get closer to the horizon at the same time, which will make it harder to see.

💙 Nights of July 31-August 1 and August 1-2, all night: Full Sturgeon Moon

The first full moon of August is at its fullest at 2:31pm Eastern Time on August 1. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be about equally full on the evenings of July 31 and August 1. For anyone on other continents, the moon will be fullest on the evening of August 1.

Named after the sturgeons that are most easily caught at this time of year in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, the Full Sturgeon Moon will rise in the southeast shortly after sunset on July 31 and about an hour after sunset on August 1. This Sturgeon Moon is also a Super Moon, meaning it will appear about 5% bigger than average in our sky.

Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!

Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

💙 Nights of July 31-August 1 and August 1-2, all night: Full Sturgeon Moon

The first full moon of August is at its fullest at 2:31pm Eastern Time on August 1. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be about equally full on the evenings of July 31 and August 1. For anyone on other continents, the moon will be fullest on the evening of August 1.

Named after the sturgeons that are most easily caught at this time of year in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, the Full Sturgeon Moon will rise in the southeast shortly after sunset on July 31 and about an hour after sunset on August 1. This Sturgeon Moon is also a Super Moon, meaning it will appear about 5% bigger than average in our sky.

💙 August 1-20: Perseid meteor shower peaks August 13

Arguably the best meteor shower of the year, the Perseids certainly put on a show of shooting stars annually. On its orbit around the sun, the Earth slams into debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle once a year and those little bits of comet are what we observe as shooting stars!

The meteor shower technically starts around July 17th, but I’ve always found that the beginning of August is when it starts to become obvious. They gradually increase in intensity until the peak around the night of August 13, after which point they decrease more quickly. If you really want a good show, it’s best to go as close to August 13th, but a day or two before or after should still give a great view.

Go as far away from city lights as you can and find a spot where you can lie down with lots of blankets and pillows, with a wide open view of the sky. Look up and wait. You can try to see them in the evening, but they tend to get better between midnight and dawn. They can be seen in any part of the sky, but will all appear to emanate from the constellation of Perseus.

2023 is an ideal year for the Perseids because the new moon is on August 16, so the bright light of the moon will not be in the way of the smaller meteors. On August 13, the moon will be a thin waning crescent and won’t rise until later in the night, which is perfect for viewing the meteor shower.

💙 Night of August 7-8: Moon meets Jupiter

What: The third quarter moon meets with Jupiter, the king of the planets

When: Night of Monday August 7 to Tuesday August 8, approx. 3 hours after sunset to dawn (approx. one hour before sunrise)

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: The moon (with Jupiter below it) will rise between the east and northeast about 3 hours after sunset. They will rise higher in the sky and get closer together in the early morning hours. The moon will continue to be visible after dawn but Jupiter will fade out of view once the light of the sky is too bright.

💙 Night of August 8-9: Moon meets Pleiades

What: The third quarter moon meets with the bright Pleiades star cluster

When: Night of Tuesday August 8 to Wednesday August 9, approx. midnight to approx. 1.5 hours before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50)

How: The moon will rise between the east and northeast around midnight. Once it has risen a little higher in the sky, you should see a compact group stars right above the moon, which is the Pleiades. For the first couple of hours after they’ve risen, enjoy the view with your naked eye. The moon will slowly get closer to the Pleiades later in the morning, so if you have binoculars, point them at the moon before dawn and you should see the Pleiades star cluster in the same field of view. The Pleiades will fade out of sight when the light of dawn starts to appear.

💛 August 24, evening: Moon occults Antares

Where: East coast and middle of North America

What: The first quarter moon passes in front of Antares, the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius

When: Thursday August 24, evening (exact time depends on location)

Equipment needed: Naked eye, binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63), or telescope (recommendations: Starsense Explorer LT 80AZ or Starsense Explorer LT 114AZ)

How: This event is visible from the east coast and middle of North America. The occultation happens during daylight for the west coast, meaning it will not be visible from there. Check an astronomy app like SkySafari to see if the occultation is visible from your location. Centre on the moon and navigate to the evening of August 24, while making sure the location in the app is set to your location. Move forward or backward in time (by hours and minutes) until you see Antares move behind the moon. If it doesn’t appear to move behind the moon, or it happens when they are below the horizon, or when there’s still daylight in the sky, the occultation will not be visible from your location.

If you’re in a good location to see it, you can observe it with the naked eye, binoculars, or even a telescope. Note the exact times the star is set to disappear behind the moon and reappear, and make sure you catch those two events!

If the occultation is not visible from your location, it will be a close conjunction of the moon and Antares. Look at the moon anytime the evening of August 24 and you will see a star near it.

💙 Night of August 30-31, all night: Blue Moon

The second full moon of August is at its fullest at 9:35pm Eastern Time on August 30. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be fullest on the evening of August 30. For anyone on other continents, the moon will be about equally full on the evenings of August 30 and 31.

Because the lunar cycle is about 29.5 days long, most months have only one full moon. About once every 2 years, there are two full moons in one month, and the term “blue moon” refers to the second full moon in a calendar month and has nothing to do with the actual colour of the moon. The Blue Moon will rise between the east and southeast shortly after sunset on August 30. This Blue Moon is also a Super Moon, meaning it will appear about 5% bigger than average in our sky. What looks like a bright star above the moon on August 30 is Saturn, the ringed planet.

Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!

Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

💙 Night of September 3-4: Moon meets Jupiter

What: The waning gibbous moon meets with Jupiter, the king of the planets

When: Night of Sunday September 3 to Monday September 4, approx. 2 hours after sunset to dawn (approx. one hour before sunrise)

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: The moon (with Jupiter to its left) will rise between the east and northeast about 2 hours after sunset. They will rise higher in the sky and get closer together in the early morning hours. The moon will continue to be visible after dawn but Jupiter will fade out of view once the light of the sky is too bright.

❤️️ Night of September 4-5: Moon meets Uranus

What: The waning gibbous moon meets with the distant blue-green planet Uranus

When: Night of Monday September 4 to Tuesday September 5, approx. 3 hours after sunset to approx. 1.5 hours before sunrise

Equipment needed: Binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: Get a clear view of the horizon from east to northeast. The moon will rise a little less than 3 hours after sunset, but the visibility will be better later in the morning, as long as it’s still completely dark. Point your binoculars at the moon and you should see Uranus in the same field of view. The moon will continue to be visible when the light of dawn fades in, but Uranus will quickly disappear as the sky gets too bright. You will see bright Jupiter to the right of the moon, easily visible to the naked eye. The simulation above shows what you might see through 7x binoculars, with the moon, Uranus, and a few surrounding stars.

💛 September 22, morning: Mercury’s best morning visibility

What: Mercury, the smallest and fastest-moving planet, is at its best morning visibility of the year

When: Friday September 22, approx. 1.5 hours before sunrise to approx. 45 minutes before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: Mercury is notoriously difficult to see because it always stays close to the sun, moving back and forth between the evening sky and the morning sky. On September 22, its apparent distance from the sun, along with the autumn angle of the ecliptic will make it easier to see. September 22 will be the best, but it should be fairly good for 2-3 days before and after as well. Get a clear view of the eastern horizon. Start looking for the rise of Mercury near that horizon about 1.5 hours before sunrise. The much brighter Venus will have already risen well before Mercury. Mercury will rise about 2 hours after Venus, looking like a fairly bright star in the glow of sunrise near the horizon. It will rise higher as the morning progresses, but the sky will get brighter, eventually making Mercury impossible to see. This will be visible to the naked eye but binoculars would make it easier to find.

💙 September 26, evening: Moon meets Saturn

What: The waxing gibbous moon meets with Saturn, the ringed planet

When: Tuesday September 26, approx. 45 minutes after sunset to approx. 3 hour before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50)

How: Once the sunset light has faded, find the moon toward the southeast, with Saturn above it, looking like a bright star. The will make their way toward the west as the night progresses until they set a few hours before sunrise.

💙 Nights of September 28-29 and 29-30, all night: Full Harvest Moon

The full moon of September is at its fullest at 5:59am Eastern Time on September 29. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be about equally full on the evenings of September 28 and 29. For anyone on other continents, the moon will be fullest on the evening of September 29.

Named after the northern hemisphere’s harvest season, the Full Harvest Moon will rise in the east shortly after sunset on September 28 and about half an hour after sunset on September 29.

Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!

Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

💙 Night of October 1-2: Moon meets Jupiter

What: The waning gibbous moon meets with Jupiter, the king of the planets

When: Night of Sunday October 1 to Monday October 2, approx. 1 hour after sunset to dawn (approx. one hour before sunrise)

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: The moon (with Jupiter to its right) will rise between the east and northeast about 1 hour after sunset. They will rise higher in the sky and get further from each other in the early morning hours. The moon will continue to be visible after dawn but Jupiter will fade out of view once the light of the sky is too bright.

💙 Night of October 2-3: Moon meets Pleiades

What: The waning gibbous moon meets with the bright Pleiades star cluster

When: Night of Monday October 2 to Tuesday October 3, approx. 3 hours after sunset to approx. 1.5 hours before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: The moon will rise in the northeast about 1.5 hours after sunset. Once it has risen a little higher in the sky, you should see a compact group stars close to the moon, which is the Pleiades. You can enjoy this view with the naked eye, but if you have binoculars, point them at the moon and you should see the Pleiades star cluster in the same field of view especially in the early part of the night. The moon will move further from the star cluster in the early morning and the Pleiades will fade out of sight when the light of dawn starts to appear.

💙 October 10, morning: Moon meets Venus and Regulus

What: The waning crescent moon meets with Venus (the brightest planet) and Regulus (the brightest star in Leo)

When: Tuesday October 10, approx. 4 hours before sunrise to approx. 1 hour before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye

How: The moon will rise between the east and northeast about 4 hours before the sun. Once it has risen a little higher in the sky, you should see what looks like a very bright star, which is Venus, below and to the right of the moon. You should then be able to see a bright star (though not nearly as bright as Venus) between the two, which is Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo. Regulus will be the first to fade out as the light of dawn starts to show up. The moon and Venus will remain visible for a fair bit longer until they disappear shortly before sunrise.

💛 October 14: Annular solar eclipse

Where: North and South America

What: The moon will pass in front of the sun, creating an annular solar eclipse for a narrow path on the surface of the Earth

When: Saturday October 14, times vary depending on location

Equipment needed: Solar eclipse glasses, solar binoculars, or solar telescope (View recommendations here) Never look directly at the sun without certified solar viewing filters, even during the partial or annular phase of an eclipse.

How: Observers in North and South America will be able to view an annular or partial solar eclipse, depending on exact location. The annular eclipse path will cut through the United States from Oregon to Texas, through a good portion of Central America, and through Colombia and Brazil. Most of the rest of North and South America will get to see a partial solar eclipse. See this Time and Date page for more info on this eclipse.

An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon passes directly in front of the sun at a time when it is further from the Earth, and therefore not big enough to cover the entire disc of the sun. If you’re in the path of annularity, it will turn the sun into what is often called a “ring of fire” solar eclipse. Anyone who is not perfectly aligned with the narrow path of annularity will get a partial solar eclipse, which looks like the moon is taking a bite out of the sun.

💙 October 15-27: Orionid meteor shower peaks October 21

What: The Earth will pass through debris left by comet Halley, creating the Orionid meteor shower

When: October 15-27, all night (approx. 1.5 hours after sunset to 1.5 hours before sunrise)

Equipment needed: Naked eye

How: The meteor shower technically starts around October 2nd, but I find that mid-October is when it starts to become obvious. They gradually increase in intensity until the peak around the night of October 21, after which point they decrease over the next few days. If you really want a good show, it’s best to go as close to October 21, but a day or two before or after should still give a great view.

Go as far away from city lights as you can and find a spot where you can lie down with lots of blankets and pillows, with a wide open view of the sky. Look up and wait. You can try to see them in the evening, but they tend to get better between midnight and dawn. They can be seen in any part of the sky, but will all appear to emanate from the constellation of Orion.

2023 is a good year for the Orionids because the moon will be around first quarter on October 20, setting around 10pm, so the bright light of the moon will not be in the way of the smaller meteors. For this reason, it’s best to view the meteor shower on October 20 or before, since the moon will be getting brighter and setting later in the days after.

💙 Night of October 23-24: Moon meets Saturn

What: The waxing gibbous moon meets with Saturn, the ringed planet

When: Night of Monday October 23 to Tuesday October 24, approx. 45 minutes after sunset to approx. 1am

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50)

How: Once the sunset light has faded, find the moon toward the southeast, with Saturn near it, looking like a bright star. The will make their way toward the west and get closer to each other as the night progresses until they set around 1am depending on your location.

💙 Nights of October 27-28 and 28-29, all night: Full Hunter’s Moon

The full moon of October is at its fullest at 4:24pm Eastern Time on October 28. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be about equally full on the evenings of October 27 and 28. For anyone on other continents, the moon will be fullest on the evening of October 28.

Named after the northern hemisphere’s hunting season, the Full Hunter’s Moon will rise in the east shortly before sunset on October 27 and around the time of sunset on October 28.

💙 Night of October 28-29: Moon meets Jupiter

What: The full moon meets with Jupiter, the king of the planets

When: Night of Saturday October 28 to Sunday October 29, approx. 1 hour after sunset to dawn (approx. one hour before sunrise)

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: The full moon (with Jupiter below it) will rise between the east and northeast around the time of sunset, but Jupiter will only become visible once the sky has darkened a bit. They will rise higher in the sky until about 1am and keep making their way west until they set around the time of sunrise. Jupiter will fade out of view before they set, once the light of the sky is too bright.

💙 Night of October 28-29: Partial lunar eclipse

Where: Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia

What: The moon will pass partly inside the umbra (inner shadow) of the Earth, making it look like a bite was taken out of the moon

When: Night of Saturday to Sunday October 28 to 29, time depends on location

Equipment needed: Naked eye, binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63), or telescope (recommendations: Starsense Explorer LT 80AZ or Starsense Explorer LT 114AZ)

How: During a partial lunar eclipse, the moon passes partly inside the umbra of the Earth. This means that for a small area on the moon, the sun would disappear completely behind the Earth. The only sunlight that reaches that part of the moon during the eclipse has been filtered and refracted through the Earth’s atmosphere, giving it a deep red or orange colour. The rest of the moon remains illuminated much more brightly, which can make it challenging to see the red colour during a partial eclipse when only a small portion (in this case 6%) is eclipsed. It will look like a bite has been taken out of the moon, though! You can find out more about the specifics and timing on the Time and Date website.

💙 Night of October 29-30: Moon meets Pleiades

What: The nearly full moon meets with the bright Pleiades star cluster

When: Night of Sunday October 29 to Monday October 30, approx. 1.5 hours after sunset to approx. 1.5 hours before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: The moon will rise between the east and northeast about 30 minutes after sunset. Once it has risen a little higher in the sky and the sky has gotten darker, you should see a compact group stars to the left of to the moon, which is the Pleiades. For the first couple of hours after they’ve risen, enjoy the view with your naked eye. The moon will slowly get closer to the Pleiades later in the morning, so if you have binoculars, point them at the moon before dawn and you should see the Pleiades star cluster in the same field of view. The Pleiades will fade out of sight when the light of dawn starts to appear.

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Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

💙 November 9, morning: Moon meets Venus

What: The waning crescent moon meets with Venus (the brightest planet)

When: Tuesday November 9, approx. 4 hours before sunrise to approx. 30 minutes before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye, binoculars (recommendations: Skymaster 9x63 or Skymaster 15x70), or telescope (recommendations: Starsense Explorer LT 80AZ or Starsense Explorer LT 114AZ)

How: The moon and Venus, looking like a very bright star, will rise in the east about 4 hours before the sun. They will rise higher in the sky until they disappear in the daylight shortly before sunrise.

💙 Night of November 24-25: Moon meets Jupiter

What: The almost full moon meets with Jupiter, the king of the planets

When: Night of Friday to Saturday November 24 to 25, approx. 1 hour after sunset to approx. 3 hours before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: The nearly full moon (with Jupiter near it) will rise between the east and northeast before sunset, but Jupiter will only become visible once the sky has darkened a bit. They will rise higher in the sky until about 10pm and keep making their way west until they set about 3 hours before sunrise.

❤️️ Night of November 25-26: Moon meets Uranus

What: The nearly full moon meets with the distant blue-green planet Uranus

When: Night of Saturday to Sunday November 25 to 26, approx. 2 hours after sunset to approx. 2 hours before sunrise

Equipment needed: Binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: Get a clear view of the horizon from east to northeast. The moon will rise before sunset, but Uranus will not become visible until it’s completely dark. Once it’s dark, point your binoculars at the moon and you should see Uranus in the same field of view. The moon will continue to be visible when the light of dawn fades in, but Uranus will quickly disappear as the sky gets too bright. You will see bright Jupiter to the right of the moon, easily visible to the naked eye. The simulation above shows what you might see through 8x binoculars, with the moon, Uranus, and a few surrounding stars. This sighting is particularly challenging because the moon is very bright when it’s almost full, which makes Uranus even harder to see.

💛 November 26, evening: Full moon meets Pleiades

What: The full moon meets with the bright Pleiades star cluster

When: Sunday November 26, approx. 1.5 hours after sunset to approx. midnight

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: The moon will rise in the northeast around the time of sunset. Once it has risen a little higher in the sky and the sky has gotten darker, you should see a compact group of stars beside the moon, which is the Pleiades. They will be closest to each other for the first few hours of the night, at which time you can use binoculars to view them together. The light of the bright full moon may make it challenging to see the star cluster, but binoculars would make it easier. The Pleiades will fade out of sight when the light of dawn starts to appear.

💙 Nights of November 26-27 and 27-28, all night: Full Beaver Moon

The full moon of November is at its fullest at 4:15am Eastern Time on November 27. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be about equally full on the evenings of November 26 and 27. For anyone on other continents, the moon will be fullest on the evening of November 27.

Named because beavers begin to take shelter at this time of year in the northern hemisphere, the Full Beaver Moon will rise in the northeast about 30 minutes before sunset on November 26 and around the time of sunset on November 27.

Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!

Is it easy to see?

💙 = Easy

💛 = Medium

❤️️ = Challenging

💙 December 7-17: Geminid Meteor shower peaks December 14

Possibly the most active meteor shower of the year, the Geminids are sure to light up the sky every year. The main reason the Perseids are more popular is because they tend to be easier to see, thanks to the warmer weather in August. Unlike most meteor showers’ sources, which are icy comets, the body responsible for the Geminid meteor shower is a rocky comet called 3200 Phaethon. On its orbit around the sun, the Earth slams into debris left by 3200 Phaethon once a year and those little bits of comet are what we observe as shooting stars!

The meteor shower technically starts around December 7th and lasts until the 17th, but this shower is best observed as close to the peak as possible, on the night of December 13 to 14. They can be seen early in the evening all the way until dawn, but the best time to watch them is around 2am, when the constellation of Gemini is straight overhead.

Go as far away from city lights as you can and find a spot where you can lie down with lots of blankets and pillows, with a wide open view of the sky. Look up and wait. They can be seen in any part of the sky, but will all appear to emanate from the constellation of Gemini. This can be a cold time of year and when you’re not moving much, it feels even colder, so I recommend wearing lots of extra warm clothes and packing your favourite hot drink.

This is a perfect year for the Geminids because the moon will be a young crescent that will set in the early evening around the peak of the meteor shower. This means the bright light of the moon will not prevent us from seeing the smaller meteors.

💙 December 9, morning: Moon meets Venus

What: The waning crescent moon meets with Venus (the brightest planet)

When: Saturday December 9, approx. 3 hours before sunrise to approx. 30 minutes before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendation: Cometron 7x50)

How: The moon and Venus, looking like a very bright star, will rise in the east about 3 hours before the sun. They will rise higher in the sky until they disappear in the daylight shortly before sunrise.

💙 December 17, evening: Moon meets Saturn

What: The waxing crescent moon meets with Saturn, the ringed planet

When: Sunday December 17, approx. 45 minutes after sunset to approx. 5 hours after sunset

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: Once the sunset light has faded, find the moon toward the south, with Saturn near it, looking like a bright star. The will make their way toward the west as the night progresses until they set about 5 hours after the sun.

💙 Night of December 21-22: Moon meets Jupiter

What: The waxing gibbous moon meets with Jupiter, the king of the planets

When: Night of Thursday to Friday December 21 to 22, approx. 1 hour after sunset to approx. 5 hours before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63)

How: The waxing gibbous moon (with Jupiter near it) will become visible toward the southeast once the sky has darkened a bit after sunset. They will rise higher in the sky until about 8pm and keep making their way west until they set about 5 hours before sunrise. They will get closer to each other in the later part of the night, when it will become possible to view them both together with binoculars.

💙 Night of December 23-24: Moon meets Pleiades

What: The nearly full moon meets with the bright Pleiades star cluster

When: Night of Saturday to Sunday December 23 to 24, approx. 1.5 hours after sunset to approx. 3 hours before sunrise

Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Skymaster 9x63 or Skymaster 15x70)

How: The moon will rise in the northeast about 2 hour before sunset. Once the sky has gotten darker around 1.5 hours after sunset, you should see a compact group of stars beside the moon, which is the Pleiades. They will get closer to each other later in the night, at which time you can use binoculars to view them together. They’ll actually be close enough to each other during part of the night that you can use high-powered binoculars or a low powered telescope to view them. The light of the bright moon may make it challenging to see the star cluster, but binoculars would make it easier.

💙 Nights of December 25-26 and 26-27, all night: Full Cold Moon

The full moon of December is at its fullest at 7:33pm Eastern Time on December 26. This means that for most of North and South America, it will be about equally full on the evenings of December 25 and 26. For anyone on other continents, the moon will be fullest on the evening of December 26.

Named for the northern hemisphere’s cold weather, the Full Cold Moon will rise in the northeast about 1 hour before sunset on December 25 and about 30 minutes before sunset on December 26. Being the closest full moon to the winter solstice, this is the highest full moon of the year for the northern hemisphere.

Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!