Despite the shorter nights in the summertime, August has some perennial skygazing favorites going for it. The Perseid meteor shower (more on that later, but spoiler – bad Moon timing this year) is typically great, and August is typically the best time to see the Milky Way, arcing up from the center of the galaxy in Sagittarius and arcing high overhead.

This year, the early morning hours will also be graced with a stunning alignment of our two brightest planets – Jupiter and Venus.

In the pre-dawn hours right now, Venus is playing the role of very obvious, bright “Morning Star”, hanging high in the east well before sunrise. As the morning draws near, Jupiter rises ahead of the Sun, also shining brightly (though not nearly as brightly as Venus).

Over the next couple weeks, Venus will be getting lower and lower every morning, as it zips around and behind the Sun. Meanwhile, Jupiter rises slightly earlier each day, effectively getting higher every day.

On the morning of August 12, 2025, they’ll pass right by each other, less than a finger-width apart. Likely, they’ll be visible in the same field of view in a small telescope, and certainly in binoculars. With very little magnification, you’ll be able to see Jupiter, Venus, AND all four of Jupiter’s Galilean moons (Io, Callisto, Europa, Ganymede) all in one view.

This HAPPENS to be the same morning that the Perseids peak, so if you want to limit your early mornings, you can get up and try to catch both!

A week later, the planets will have drifted apart again, Venus lower now – but the pair will be joined by a very thin crescent moon on the morning of the 19th and 20th. Get up early to catch this alignment!

Get Out There!