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.
✨🌌 MESSIER 2 — GLOBULAR GLORY TONIGHT!
🗓 15 August 2025
📍 Visible from New Delhi: 20:03 – 04:37 IST
🔭 Messier 2 (NGC 7089)
A majestic globular cluster in Aquarius, glowing faintly at magnitude 6.6
🕓 Viewing Highlights:
🔸 Rises at 20:03 — 21° in the east
🔸 Peaks at 00:20, climbing 60° high in the southern sky
🔸 Sets around 04:37, 21° in the west
🌍 Visible between 69°N and 70°S —
a near-global treat from equatorial skies!
🔎 Needs binoculars or a small telescope to see
—but reveals a dazzling swarm of ancient stars ✨
Catch this cosmic fossil glowing
from 37,500 light-years away!
Local Time(IST): 23:29
Distance in km: 369,288 km at perigee
Distance in miles: 229,465
🌕 THE MOON AT PERIGEE
🌍 Closest to Earth – appearing slightly larger & brighter
✨ The Moon reaches its nearest point in orbit —
a mere 356,500 km away!
That’s about 50,000 km closer than at its farthest.
🌀 Why? The Moon’s orbit is an ellipse, not a perfect circle.
💫 Its distance varies monthly by 14%
📏 Angular size: Up to 33.5 arcminutes
🔦 Slight increase in brightness (though subtle to the eye)
🕓 This cycle from perigee to apogee and back takes
27.555 days — an anomalistic month
Look up — the Moon is closer than usual,
and the night sky is putting on a show!
“Activity Date: Jul 17-Aug 24
Maximum Date: Aug 12
Radiant Position: 48° +58°
Velocity: 59 km/s
ZHR: 100
Moon Phase Illumination: 84%
Parent Object: 109P/Swift-Tuttle
The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights as seen from the northern hemisphere. The Perseids are active from July 14 to September 1. They reach a strong maximum on August 12 or 13, depending on the year. Normal rates seen from rural locations range from 50-75 shower members per hour at maximum. The Perseids are particles released from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle during its numerous returns to the inner solar system. They are called Perseids since the radiant (the area of the sky where the meteors seem to originate) is located near the prominent constellation of Perseus the hero when at maximum activity. In 2025, the waning gibbous moon will severely compromise this shower at the time of maximum activity. Such conditions will reduce activity by at least 75 percent as only the brighter meteors will be visible.”
Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter – A Brilliant Dawn Encounter
On August 12, 2025, catch a breathtaking sight as Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets, come into close conjunction—just 51 arcminutes apart—sharing the same right ascension in the constellation Gemini. Visible from New Delhi from 3:01 AM, the pair will rise high to 30° above the eastern horizon before fading into dawn around 5:30 AM. With Venus at magnitude –4.0 and Jupiter at –1.9, this radiant duo will light up the pre-dawn sky—perfect for viewing with the naked eye or binoculars.
Look up this 10th Aug
Asteroid 2 Pallas hits opposition in Delphinus, shining at its brightest of 2025!
📍 From New Delhi:
⏰ 8:04 PM – rises in the east
🌌 11:35 PM – highest in the south
🌅 4:24 AM – sets in the west
🔭 Mag 9.4 – binoculars/telescope needed.
Don’t miss this rare chance to spot our solar system’s second-largest asteroid!
