Tag: Wanning Gibbous

🌙🔴 CONJUNCTION OF THE MOON & MARS
🗓 26 August 2025 | 22:11 IST
📍 Visible from New Delhi: 19:28 – 20:39 IST

✨ A beautiful cosmic pairing in Virgo —
The 3-day-old Moon (mag –10.2) passes just 2°47′ south of Mars (mag 1.6) 🌌

📉 Low on the western horizon — only 14° high
🕓 Short window to catch it: just under 2 hours after sunset
🔭 Best seen with binoculars or the naked eye
— too wide for a telescope view

🌗 This close approach, called an appulse,
is a lovely moment of alignment — the Moon and Mars in the evening twilight.

Look west after sunset —
a brief but brilliant planetary pairing awaits!

🪨✨ ASTEROID 6 HEBE AT OPPOSITION
📍 Constellation: Aquarius
🗓 Visible from New Delhi: 21:12 – 04:08 IST
🔭 Best viewing time: 00:40 IST | 44° high in southern sky

Tonight, Asteroid 6 Hebe shines at its brightest & closest,
perfectly positioned for stargazers across the globe! 🌌

🔹 Rises in the southeast at 21:12
🔹 Reaches its highest point near midnight
🔹 Sets in the southwest around 04:08

📍 A prominent main-belt asteroid, Hebe offers a rare glimpse
into the early building blocks of our solar system.

Aim your telescope or binoculars skyward —
Hebe is stealing the spotlight tonight!

🌑 NEW MOON
🗓 23 August 2025 | 11:37 IST

The sky’s darkest night is here 🌌
As the Moon aligns perfectly between Earth and Sun,
it becomes invisible, lost in the Sun’s brilliance.

🔄 This marks the start of a new lunar cycle —
from darkness to crescent, and onward to full.

🌍 At new moon:
— The Moon’s unlit side faces Earth
— Sun, Moon & Earth form a straight line
— No moonlight = prime stargazing conditions

🌙 The Moon travels 12° across the sky daily,
rising & setting nearly an hour later each night.

A fresh celestial beginning —
the perfect time to reset your night sky watch!

Separation: The Moon and Mercury will share the same right ascension, with the Moon passing 3°42′ to the north of Mercury.
Visiblibity from New Delhi: The pair will be visible in the dawn sky, rising at 04:29 (IST) – 1 hour and 21 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 13° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks around 05:35.

The Moon will be at mag -8.8, and Mercury at mag -0.5

In the early hours, the Moon and Jupiter come together in a striking conjunction, sharing the same right ascension with the Moon passing 4°46′ north of Jupiter. From New Delhi, they rise around 2:36 AM and climb to 36° above the eastern horizon before fading into dawn by 5:35 AM. With the Moon shining at magnitude –10.5 and Jupiter glowing at –2.0, this celestial pairing promises a brilliant view in the pre-dawn sky.

Separation: The Moon and Venus will share the same right ascension, with the Moon passing 4°52′ to the north of Venus.
Visibility from New Delhi: The pair will be visible in the dawn sky, rising at 03:15 (IST) – 2 hours and 35 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 28° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks around 05:35.

The Moon will be at mag -10.1, and Venus at mag -4.0.

☀️🪐 MERCURY AT GREATEST ELONGATION WEST
🗓 19 August 2025 | 17:55 IST
📍 Best view: 21 August at sunrise

The innermost planet shines brightly at mag –0.2,
reaching its maximum separation from the Sun
in this August–September morning apparition.

🌄 From New Delhi, this is a challenging but rewarding sight —
rising just 17° above the eastern horizon at dawn.

🔭 Tips to observe:
– Look low in the east just before sunrise
– Use binoculars in twilight (with caution)
– Clear, haze-free horizons help!

Catch the elusive planet before sunrise —
a fleeting gem in the morning sky!

🌠 Meteor Alert! ✨
The κ-Cygnid Meteor Shower peaks on 18th Aug 2025, with activity from 3–25 Aug. 🌌

📍 From New Delhi:
⏰ Best views around 10:00 PM when the radiant in Draco is high
🌙 Near New Moon – dark skies for spotting meteors
💫 Expect up to 2 meteors/hour at peak – slow, bright streaks across the summer sky!

Grab a blanket, find a dark spot, and enjoy nature’s celestial spark show! 🔭💫

🌙✨ THE MOON MEETS THE PLEIADES (M45)
🗓 16 August 2025 | 22:03 IST
📍 Visible from New Delhi: 23:30 – 05:10

A magical pairing in Taurus!
The 23-day-old Moon (mag –11.8) glides near the sparkling Pleiades (mag 1.3) —
coming as close as 55.3 arcminutes apart! 🌌

🔭 Though too wide for a telescope’s view,
they’ll be a stunning sight together through binoculars
—or even the naked eye under dark skies!

🕓 Rises at 23:30 IST, climbs up to 71° high in the eastern sky
before fading with the light of dawn around 05:10

Don’t miss this elegant celestial dance
between the Moon and the Seven Sisters!

🌗 MOON AT LAST QUARTER
🗓 16 August 2025 | 10:42 IST
📍 Visible from New Delhi: 23:03 – 12:57

✨ The Moon enters its last quarter phase,
appearing half-illuminated and rising after midnight.

🔭 Best seen in the pre-dawn sky,
gliding high above the horizon as morning approaches 🌄

🌓 The Moon’s 29.5-day cycle reaches its final turn —
as it journeys back toward new moon.

🌙 Watch it shine in the stillness before sunrise,
a quiet beacon of lunar rhythm.

Late nights. Clear skies. Half a Moon — full of wonder.