Saturn appears near Neptune in late June 2025, the two separated by around 1°.
Saturn shines at magnitude +0.7 mid-month but the pre-sunrise twilight is bright, making spotting the planet that bit harder.
Neptune is much dimmer at mag. +7.9 and could be a struggle even for binoculars. A small telescope at low magnification should be able to grab both.
Remember when observing the sky this close to sunrise, not to catch a glimpse of the Sun itself, as doing so could damage your eyesight.
On the morning of 18 June, using binoculars, centre the view on Saturn in the east-southeast.
Neptune should be visible at the 10 o’clock position from Saturn, slightly less than halfway from Saturn to the edge of the field of view using typical binoculars.
Be aware that the combination of bright sky, low altitude and potentially hazy weather may hide Neptune from view.
If this is the case, this is the perfect time to break out a telescope if you have one.
Looking at the Moon first, you’ll need a low-power eyepiece that can ideally fit 2+ Moons across the field of view.
If not, don’t worry; estimate how large the Moon looks through the eyepiece (this being 0.5°) and use this information to locate Neptune.
On the morning of 19 June, the Moon will be 47%-lit or just less than last quarter phase.
On this morning, it sits 2° north-northwest of Saturn, with Neptune located slightly east (left) of the mid-point between both the Moon and Saturn.
Don’t get confused by the mag. +6.3 star located 0.8° south-southeast of the Moon’s centre!
If you managed to see Saturn, Neptune and the Moon together, or capture an image of it, let us know by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
