Skywatching in August 2025 begins with a spectacular sight as the two brightest planets in our night sky—Venus and Jupiter—appear very close to each other in the early morning hours.
Venus and Jupiter get close in a rare sky event
This is called a conjunction. On 11 and 12 August, the planets will be just one degree apart, which means they will look almost side by side when viewed from Earth.
This is rare and easy to spot with the naked eye.
Both planets rise in the east before sunrise. Venus will appear much brighter, while Jupiter, though dimmer, will still shine clearly.
On 19 and 20 August, a thin crescent Moon will join them, making the view even more special.
The Perseid meteor shower – not ideal this year
The Perseid meteor shower, which usually gives viewers a chance to see dozens of shooting stars per hour, will peak on the nights of 12 and 13 August. However, there’s a catch this year.
The Moon will be 84% full, meaning its light will be very bright and will wash out most of the meteors.
Even so, a few bright meteors may still be visible before dawn, especially in areas with little light pollution. Meteor showers happen when Earth passes through leftover dust and debris from comets, and the Perseids are one of the most popular annual displays.
See Saturn and Mars this month
- Mars can be seen in the west just after sunset, but it won’t be very bright. It’s only visible for about an hour after the sky gets dark.
- Saturn rises around 22:30. at the beginning of the month and around 20:30 by the end. Early risers can spot it high in the sky just before sunrise.
One of the easiest deep-sky objects to find this month is the Dumbbell Nebula (M27). It’s a glowing cloud of gas left behind by a dying star—much like what our Sun will become in a few billion years. You can see it using binoculars or a small telescope.
To find it, look for the Summer Triangle, a pattern of three bright stars—Altair, Deneb, and Vega—high above after dark. The nebula lies about a third of the way between Altair and Deneb.
August’s Moon phases
- New Moon: 4 August
- First Quarter: 11 August
- Full Moon: 19 August
- Last Quarter: 26 August
Whether you’re an experienced stargazer or just curious about the night sky, skywatching in August 2025 offers a mix of bright planets, meteor activity, and stunning celestial objects worth waking up early for.