A stunning celestial lineup is visible in the night sky from August 18 to 24, 2025, for mid-northern latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Look east an hour before sunrise to witness a “planet parade” featuring Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter, with the crescent moon making its presence known.
The week’s highlights include:
– Monday, August 18: A “planet parade” with a 26%-lit waning crescent moon, along with Venus and Jupiter.
– Tuesday, August 19: Another early start will reveal a 16%-lit crescent moon perched above Jupiter and Venus, making it the best morning to spot Mercury.
– Wednesday, August 20: A delicate 9%-lit crescent moon snuggles up to dazzling Venus in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
– Thursday, August 21: The “planet parade” continues with a slender 4%-lit crescent moon shining above Mercury, offering views of the Beehive Cluster with binoculars.
– Saturday, August 23: A new moon, known as a seasonal black moon, brings pristine dark skies for late summer observation.
With the moon out of the evening night sky, this week’s conditions are ideal to observe the Milky Way immediately after dark. The galactic core is low on the southern horizon and can be seen stretching from the southeastern sky up and over to the southwest.
The constellation Cygnus, “The Swan,” offers a great opportunity to spot its brightest star, Deneb, which glides along the plane of the Milky Way in an area rich with star fields and nebulae.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2025/08/18/see-the-planet-parade-peak-as-black-moon-arrives-the-night-sky-this-week