01-07-2025
Perseids, A Full ‘Buck Moon' And A Small Sun: The Sky In July 2025
The Perseid meteor shower begins this month.
Each month, I pick out North America's celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere). Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.
The perfect month to get out and look up in the Northern Hemisphere, July 2025 has a lot to offer. From spectacular views of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn to a full 'buck moon' and from a rare and wonderful moon-Pleiades conjunction to no fewer than three meteor showers, here's everything else you need to know about stargazing and the night sky in July 2025:
Use eclipse glasses to safely look at the "aphelion sun." (Photo by MARCO DE SWART/ANP/AFP via Getty ... More Images)
1. Earth At Aphelion
When: Anytime on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
Where: the sun (you must use solar eclipse glasses).
Earth is today at aphelion — it's farthest from the sun in the year. It happens because Earth orbits the sun in a slightly elliptical orbit. At aphelion, Earth is 94.5 million miles (152 million kilometers) away from the sun, while in six months' time, it will be at perihelion, 91.4 million miles (147 million kilometers) from the sun. That's only about a three percent difference, but the sun today will look slightly smaller in the sky. If you have any leftover solar eclipse glasses, take a look.
2. Mars And Mercury
When: After sunset on Friday, July 4, 2025.
Where: west.
Look west 45 minutes after sunset, and you'll see Mars and Regulus above the western horizon. Mentally draw a line between them and carry on to the horizon, and you may see tiny Mercury — the "Swift Planet" — making a rare appearance.
Saturday, July 5: Venus And The Pleiades
3. Venus And The Pleiades
When: before sunrise on Saturday, July 5, 2025.
Where: northeast.
If you can rise before the sun, look to the northeast for the sumptuous sight of bright Venus beneath the Pleiades, an open star cluster that looks beautiful to the naked eye and through binoculars.
4. Venus Highest
When: before sunrise on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
Where: east-northeast.
Venus reaches its highest point in the morning sky today during its current apparition as the bright 'Morning Star." Look to the east-northeast about 30 minutes before sunrise, and there'll be no mistaking the bright planet about 25 degrees above the horizon.
5. Full 'Buck Moon' Rises
When: moonrise where you are on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
Where: eastern horizon.
The first full moon of summer, July's buck moon, rises on the evening of July 10. Though it technically reaches full phase at 4:38 p.m. EDT, catch it at moonrise for the best views as a huge, orange orb climbs the eastern sky. This full moon will stay low due to its proximity to the summer solstice.
6. Perseid Meteor Shower Begins
When: after midnight from July 17, 2025.
Where: northeast.
While the famed Perseids peak in August, their first streaks appear around July 17. That night also features a last-quarter moon, meaning darker skies to catch a few early Perseid fireballs .
Tuesday, July 15: The Moon Meets Saturn
7. Moon Meets Saturn
When: around midnight on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
Where: east.
Late tonight, a 70%-illuminated waning gibbous moon will rise in the east alongside Saturn. By midnight, look about halfway up the southeastern sky to see them paired just two degrees apart. Saturn will glow a steady yellowish light above the moon.
8. Moon Meets The Pleiades
When: 45 minutes before sunrise on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
Where: east-northeast.
A delicate 24%-lit crescent moon will glide alongside the dazzling Pleiades open cluster (also known as the Seven Sisters). Earthshine — sunlight reflected off Earth's oceans, ice caps and clouds — will give the moon's darkened portion a ghostly glow.
Sunday, July 20: Moon And The Pleiades
9. Crescent Moon And Mars
When: 45 minutes after sunset on Sunday, July 27, 2025.
Where: west.
With the crescent moon now 11% lit, it will be higher in the western sky after sunset than it was last night. Just to its upper left will shine Mars, past its best but still unmistakable. The mostly unlit face of the moon will be faintly illuminated by Earthshine, the ghostly glow on the moon's night side.
10. Meteor Showers Peak
When: early hours of Tuesday, July 29. 2025.
Where: all-sky.
Two overlapping meteor showers — the Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids — both reach their peak tonight. The Delta Aquariids may produce up to 20 meteors per hour, while the Alpha Capricornids can add another 5 to 10.
For exact timings, use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are, Stellarium Web for a sky chart and Night Sky Tonight: Visible Planets at Your Location for positions and rise/set times for planets.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
