Do not anticipate the supermoon. Saturn creeps up on the Moon this Halloween, and the present begins tonight

We’re about to get the second of three supermoons that may shut out 2025, rounding off a fairly spectacular yr for stargazing that is given us lovely planets, eclipses and even a shiny comet or two.

The November supermoon rises on the fifth of the month, giving us a barely greater, barely brighter full Moon than traditional.

But the evenings approaching full Moon are simply as particular because the night time of full Moon itself, particularly when there’s an attractive naked-eye planet seen on the similar time.

That’s the case this week, when Saturn is shiny and simply seen with the bare eye all night time lengthy, and is about to have a tango with the Moon simply in time for Halloween.

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Saturn’s the star of the present

Saturn’s among the best planets to see within the sky in the intervening time.

It’s seen within the southeast simply after sundown, climbing increased within the sky and shining prominently within the south by 9pm.

By midnight, it is within the southwest and descending in the direction of the western horizon, which it dips beneath lengthy earlier than dawn.

Saturn is shiny in the intervening time as a result of it is simply previous opposition, which is when it is reverse the Sun in the sky.

Opposition refers to when a planet or different celestial physique is on the opposite aspect of Earth from the Sun.

From Earth that implies that, when the Sun is setting within the west, the planet at opposition is rising within the east, and visual all night time.

A planet at opposition can also be brighter than at different occasions, making this era among the best occasions to watch it.

If you have by no means taken time to hunt out Saturn with the bare eye earlier than, now’s the time to take action, as it’s going to appear as if a shiny ‘star’ within the sky. You might even have already got seen it, with out understanding it.

stargazing app will assist you to spot it, if you cannot find it your self. When you do discover it, seize a pair of binoculars or a telescope and take a more in-depth look.

Can you see Saturn’s rings? They’re tough to see in the intervening time, as a result of they’re at present angled edge-on from our perspective on Earth, in order that they’ll seem very skinny.

But maybe you could possibly spot a few of Saturn’s brightest moons, like its largest moon Titan.

For extra information, learn our guides on the best way to observe Saturn and the best way to observe Saturn’s moons.

If you do not have binoculars or a telescope, worry not, as a result of over the approaching evenings, the ringed planet is about to have a detailed encounter with the Moon.

This shut encounter happens as a result of, whereas the celebs and planets rise and fall in roughly the identical place every night time, the Moon seems to trace eastwards, night time after night time.

That means the Moon successfully hops throughout the sky, assembly totally different planets and shiny stars because it does so.

When the Moon is approaching full, as it’s at present, that may make for a really nice interval of naked-eye stargazing.

Here, we’ll present you the best way to take advantage of the Moon’s assembly with Saturn, from now and over the Halloween weekend.

29 October

Saturn rises within the east round 4pm, and by the point the sky will get correctly darkish round 6pm, Saturn is excessive within the south east.

If you do determine to get a more in-depth take a look at Saturn with a telescope, see in case you can spot Neptune too, to the left of Saturn.

Neptune is not seen with the bare eye, however must be seen by a telescope beneath darkish skies. Again, a very good stargazing app will help you find it.

By round 6pm, the Moon is within the south, and you will discover that the aspect dealing with us is just-under-half-lit.

It’s at present ‘waxing’, which implies the Earth-facing aspect of the Moon is changing into increasingly illuminated night time after night time.

The Moon is round its ‘first quarter’ part, which implies it is a quarter of the best way by its full cycle, which takes it from new Moon to full Moon and again to new Moon once more.

The Moon units within the southwest round 10pm, and Saturn units within the west within the very early hours of Thursday morning.

30 October

Tonight, Saturn rises in just about the identical location, however by 6pm, you will discover the Moon has moved additional east, in comparison with the earlier night.

As a end result, the Moon is nearer to Saturn tonight.

The Moon’s Earth-facing aspect can also be extra illuminated, and that lit portion is now simply barely bigger than the unlit portion. This is a gibbous Moon.

31 October

By 6pm, Saturn and the Moon are collectively on the southeastern horizon, simply in time for an attractive conjunction to mark Halloween night time.

The Moon is now previous first quarter and, in case you’ve been observing the Moon over the previous few nights, you will discover its lit portion is growing with every passing night.

This waxing of the Moon will proceed till 5 November, when the Moon might be full.

The Moon units earlier than Saturn so, whereas they might seem like on the similar ‘peak’ within the sky throughout early night, in case you comply with them in the direction of midnight, you will see the Moon begin to get decrease within the sky, in comparison with Saturn.

1 November

Tonight’s an important night time to watch Saturn and the Moon collectively. If you solely get out to do some stargazing one night this week, make it this one.

By 6pm, Saturn and the Moon are very shut collectively within the southeast, they usually’ll observe throughout the sky collectively all through the course of this night.

Look once more at 9pm and Saturn and the Moon are within the south, the Moon now decrease within the sky than Saturn.

It being Saturday night time, you might have the chance to remain up a bit later than traditional.

If you might have a transparent western horizon, you could possibly comply with Saturn and the Moon till they sink beneath the horizon round 2am.

2 November

Notice something totally different? Tonight Saturn and the Moon are once more seen within the southeast after sundown. But now, the Moon is to the left of Saturn.

It appears like Saturn and the Moon have swapped locations, when in actual fact it is the Moon that is tracked eastwards, whereas Saturn has stayed in roughly the identical place.

If, like final night time, you’ll be able to stick with them till the early hours of Monday morning, you will discover that this time, Saturn dips beneath the horizon earlier than the Moon.

3 November

Tonight, the Moon is additional away from Saturn, and it’ll proceed to get farther from the planet over the approaching nights.

But stick with the Moon, as a result of by 4/5 November, it will likely be a full Moon.

This November full Moon is called the Beaver Moon, and it is also a supermoon, the second supermoon of three in a row that we’ll get earlier than the tip of the yr.

Does the Moon look greater and brighter than traditional? If it does, chances are you’ll be witnessing the Moon phantasm, which is nothing to do with it being a supermoon, however slightly an optical phantasm that happens when the Moon is near the horizon.

Also within the night time sky on Halloween weekend 2025

There’s lots to see within the night time sky in the intervening time, as we enter the depths of dark-sky season and have actually lengthy, darkish nights.

Here are a number of the finest issues to see

Pleiades and the Hyades

Two of one of the best, best naked-eye star clusters are seen in the intervening time.

The Pleiades is well seen with the bare eye, showing as a blue smudge towards the inky black darkness. Binoculars reveal an attractive assortment of blue stars, like a mini ‘Big Dipper’.

The Hyades, in the meantime, is an open star cluster that appears like a sideways ‘V’, punctuated by shiny crimson star Aldebaran.

You can see each the Pleiades and the Hyades within the japanese sky round 8pm. The Pleiades is above the Hyades.

Orion

Keep observing the japanese horizon and, by round 10.30pm, you will see the constellation Orion rising.

Orion is a real signal that winter is on the best way. Get out your binoculars and discover the attractive Orion Nebula, which hangs beneath the three stars of Orion’s Belt.

Jupiter

At the identical time Orion is seen, look additional east and you will see shiny planet Jupiter, showing as a shiny star.

Jupiter is at present among the best planets to see within the sky, but it surely’s finest seen between midnight and daybreak.

However, in case you have a transparent sufficient horizon japanese horizon, it’s best to be capable to catch it earlier than midnight.

Once you have discovered it, you will discover it is forming a triangle with Castor and Pollux, the dual stars of Gemini.

Summer Triangle

It could seem counter-intuitive, however the three-star sample generally known as the Summer Triangle is excessive and distinguished within the sky in the intervening time.

It’s product of stars Deneb, Vega and Altair, all of that are shiny and visual with the bare eye.

You can see the Summer Triangle excessive within the southwest round 7pm. Once you have discovered it, see in case you can find and observe a number of the Summer Triangle’s deep-sky objects along with your telescope.

Great Square of Pegasus

The Great Square of Pegasus is a four-star sample made up of stars Alpheratz, Markab, Scheat and Algenib.

It’s seen with the bare eye and you’ll see all of it month. Locate it in the southeast round 19:00 UT and watch it climb increased within the sky till midnight, when it begins descending in the direction of the western horizon.

Once you have discovered the sq., use it to find the Andromeda Galaxy, M31, seen within the chart above.

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