Did you watch the Sturgeon Moon rise over the weekend of 8–9 August?
The full Sturgeon Moon marked the beginning of the Moon's meeting with 6 Solar System planets, which kicks off this week.
Because the Moon tracks eastwards across the sky night after night, over the coming weeks it will encounter Saturn and Neptune, then Uranus, then Jupiter, Venus and Mercury.
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And the Moon, having reached full Moon on 8/9 August, is now waning, meaning it's becoming less illuminated night after night, moving back through its gibbous then crescent phases.
The coming evenings offer a good chance to see the waning Moon meet the planets of the Solar System in the night sky.
This will culminate in the Moon joining in the August 2025 planet parade, forming a beautiful alignment with Mercury, Venus and Jupiter.
The Moon's Solar System tour begins
The Moon's meeting with the planets begins on the nights of 11–13 August, when the Moon is close to Saturn and Neptune, which are currently close to one another in the night sky.
Saturn rises in the east around 22:30 BST (21:00 UTC) and is visible in the southeast shortly after midnight.
Neptune is just above Saturn, but not visible with the naked eye so you'll need binoculars or a telescope to see it.
On the night of 11 August and past midnight on 12 August, Saturn can be seen slightly below and to the left of the Moon.
Then on the evening of 12 August and past midnight on 13 August, the Moon is now to the left of Saturn.
The Moon will continue to track eastwards night after night, so the evenings following 13 August are a good time to get out your telescope and see if you can spot faint Neptune just above Saturn, as the bright Moon is moving out of the way.
On the evenings of 15–17 August, the Moon tracks past the beautiful blue open star cluster known as the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus.
Uranus is currently close to the Pleides, which means the Moon is also passing Uranus, too.
Get out your binoculars or telescope and see if you can observe the distant planet once the Moon moves out of the way.
For more info on how to do this, read our guide to observing Uranus in August 2025.
In the very early hours of 18 August, and the following morning on 19 August, if you can get a clear view of the eastern horizon before sunrise, you'll see the Moon forming a line with Mercury, Venus and Jupiter, stretching upwards.
Mercury will be very close to the horizon, followed by Venus, then Jupiter and the Moon at the top.
Take care when observing the sky this close to sunrise, as looking directly at the Sun without proper solar observing equipment can damage your eyesight.
You should only observe the planets well before the Sun begins to rise above the horizon.
On 20 August, the Moon will have tracked further east, now forming a beautiful triangle with Venus and Jupiter.
Then on 21 August, the Moon is just above Mercury in the very early hours before sunrise.
From this point onwards, Mercury is becoming much easier to see in the morning sky, having emerged from the glare of the rising Sun.
This makes the 21 August meeting between Mercury and the Moon a standout moment for observing Mercury.
From 22 August onwards, the Moon is approaching its 'new Moon' phase, when it's swallowed by the morning sunrise, and is no longer visible.
That marks the end of this meeting of the Moon and planets, but as August draws to a close, we'll notice the days becoming shorter and the nights becoming longer, meaning we're entering into a great time for stargazing.
If you observe the Sturgeon Moon or the Moon's meeting with the planets this month, share your observations and images with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
