Star Almanack
Alexander Ferrari Miller

ISO 2025-W35

Week begins: Monday, August 25, 2025

Notation:

Calendar

DateZodiac dayEvents
Mon, Aug 25, 2025♍ 4
M56 — Telescope 8 — Northern Summer
Tue, Aug 26, 2025♍ 5
Finest NGC 95 / NGC 6781 · PN G041.8-02.9 — Telescope 12 — Tropical Summer
Wed, Aug 27, 2025♍ 6
Arkab Prior (β1 Sgr) — Binoculars 4 — Southern Summer
Arkab Posterior (β2 Sgr) — Binoculars 4 — Southern Summer
Rukbat (α Sgr) — Binoculars 4 — Southern Summer
Thu, Aug 28, 2025♍ 7
RR Lyrae (RR Lyrae) — Binoculars — Northern Summer
Anser (α Vul) — Binoculars 4 — Northern Summer
Fri, Aug 29, 2025♍ 8
Finest NGC 105 / NGC 6802 · Collinder 400 — Telescope 12 — Tropical Summer
Albireo (β1 Cyg) — Naked eye 3 — Northern Summer
Albireo B (β2 Cyg) — Binoculars 5 — Northern Summer
Sat, Aug 30, 2025♍ 9
Sun, Aug 31, 2025♍ 10
🌓 First Quarter — 06:25:12 UTC

Weekly Solar-System Ephemeris

Snapshot: Week begins August 25, 2025, 00:00 UTC.

(-90° to +90°; defaults +45°, 21:00 LAT)

Notation:
Body☉︎☽︎☿︎♀︎♂︎♃︎♄︎
Ecliptic♍︎ 2°04′
β −0°00′		♍︎ 22°40′
β −0°24′		♌︎ 15°02′
β +0°28′		♋︎ 29°11′
β −0°14′		♎︎ 11°24′
β +0°20′		♋︎ 16°35′
β −0°03′		♈︎ 0°29′
β −2°28′
ObservingNightNaked eye -5.9☉︎Naked eye -4.0Naked eye 1.6Naked eye -2.0Naked eye 0.7
Rise05:1107:0203:4002:1908:3901:1419:55
Set18:4919:3018:0817:1920:1316:3707:44

Extended targets:

Body⚳︎♅︎♆︎♇︎
Ecliptic♈︎ 16°17′
β −14°15′		♊︎ 1°24′
β −0°13′		♈︎ 1°32′
β −1°22′		♒︎ 1°54′
β −3°47′
ObservingTelescope 8.2Binoculars 5.7Telescope 7.7TelescopeTelescope 14.5
Rise21:3022:1119:5217:43
Set08:4113:1107:5202:25

β = ecliptic latitude (+ north, − south).
Rise and set are Local Apparent Time for the selected latitude.
Naked-eye observing uses the Sun’s altitude at the selected Monday observer time: Daylight (Sun ≥ −0.833°), Civil twilight (−0.833° to −6°), Nautical twilight (−6° to −12°), Astronomical twilight (−12° to −18°), and Night (below −18°).
Solar Glare identifies a body too close to the Sun when the sky-state rule does not already supersede its naked-eye classification.
The Sun’s observing status uses this same five-state sky classification.

Notation:

Planet Finder

Planet Finder — Greek / Symbols
Greek / Symbols
Planet Finder — English
English
Planet Finder — Mixed Learner
Mixed Learner

Sky Notes

Kilroy: Sky Notes · generated 2026-10-23 14:43:18 UTC

View:

ISO 2025-W35 runs from August 25 through August 31. Saturn and Neptune are separated by about 1.1° in geocentric ecliptic longitude at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot.

Naked eye: 🌓 First Quarter — 06:25:12 UTC. Moderate moonlight makes timing and local sky position important for faint targets. Use Albireo as the week’s fixed-sky framework.

Albireo: The Jewel of Cygnus, A Stellar Contrast — An exploration of the captivating binary star that has fascinated observers for centuries.

Planets: Moon: Naked eye; magnitude -5.9; direct motion; 3.2% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Mars in ecliptic longitude Aug 26 14:25 UTC. Mercury: In solar glare; magnitude -0.8; direct motion; 64.5% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Venus: Naked eye; magnitude -4.0; direct motion; 82.4% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Mars: Naked eye; magnitude 1.6; direct motion; 95.7% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Aug 26 14:25 UTC. Ceres: Telescope; magnitude 8.2; retrograde motion; 98.5% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Jupiter: Naked eye; magnitude -2.0; direct motion; 99.5% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Saturn: Naked eye; magnitude 0.7; retrograde motion; 99.9% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Uranus: Binoculars; magnitude 5.7; direct motion; 99.9% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Neptune: Telescope; magnitude 7.7; retrograde motion; 100.0% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Pluto: Substantial telescope; magnitude 14.5; retrograde motion; 100.0% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot.

Binoculars: Trace Sagittarius’s charted figure in the finder, then identify Arkab Prior at its charted position. Trace Sagittarius’s charted figure in the finder, then identify Arkab Posterior at its charted position. Trace Sagittarius’s charted figure in the finder, then identify Rukbat at its charted position. Trace Vulpecula’s charted figure in the finder, then identify Anser at its charted position. Trace Cygnus’s charted figure in the finder, then identify Albireo B at its charted position.

Arkab Prior: A Beacon in the Sagittarius Sky — Discover the celestial significance and characteristics of the star known as Arkab Prior in the Sagittarius constellation.

Arkab Posterior: A Cosmic Beacon in Sagittarius — Discover the celestial significance of this prominent star within the constellation Sagittarius, known for its captivating brightness and skyward position.

Rukbat: The Bright Foot of Sagittarius — A detailed look at the star guiding the celestial Archer.

Anser: The Bright Star in Vulpecula’s Sky — Discover the significance and characteristics of the star designated as Anser in the constellation Vulpecula.

Albireo B: A Stellar Companion in Cygnus — An overview of Albireo B, a noteworthy star within the Cygnus constellation, highlighting its significance and characteristics.

Small telescope: M56: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; PN G041.8-02.9: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; Collinder 400: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance

M56: A Distant Beacon in Lyra’s Sky — An overview of Messier 56, a globular cluster offering insights into the ancient structures of our galaxy.

PN G041.8-02.9: A Faint Gem in Aquila's Sky — Exploring the characteristics of a celestial planetary nebula in the constellation Aquila.

Exploring Collinder 400: A Gleaming Open Cluster in Vulpecula — An overview of this intriguing stellar gathering, highlighting its characteristics and significance.

Substantial telescope: No fixed-sky Calendar object is classified as requiring a substantial telescope this week.

Other objects listed this week: Albireo B

Mercury

Mercury: in solar glare at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Rises 03:40; sets 18:08 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -0.8. The disk is 64.5% illuminated (gibbous). It is 17.0° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 1.496° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Acubens, 5.6° away. Mercury: 5.6° from Acubens in the Pathfinder.

Venus

Venus: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 23.9° below the horizon. Rises 02:19; sets 17:19 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -4.0. The disk is 82.4% illuminated (gibbous). It is 32.9° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 1.192° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Pollux, 8.9° away. Venus: 8.9° from Pollux in the Pathfinder.

Moon

Moon: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 16.0° below the horizon. Rises 07:02; sets 19:30 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -5.9. The disk is 3.2% illuminated (waxing crescent). It is 20.6° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 12.532° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Zavijava, 5.0° away. Conjunction with Mars in ecliptic longitude Aug 26 14:25 UTC. Moon: 5.0° from Zavijava in the Pathfinder.

Mars

Mars: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 8.8° below the horizon. Rises 08:39; sets 20:13 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 1.6. The disk is 95.7% illuminated (gibbous). It is 39.3° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 0.642° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Spica, 13.0° away. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Aug 26 14:25 UTC. Mars: 13.0° from Spica in the Pathfinder.

Jupiter

Jupiter: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 22.6° below the horizon. Rises 01:14; sets 16:37 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -2.0. The disk is 99.5% illuminated (nearly full). It is 45.5° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 0.189° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Pollux, 9.7° away. Jupiter: 9.7° from Pollux in the Pathfinder.

Saturn

Saturn: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 10.8° above the horizon. Rises 19:55; sets 07:44 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 0.7. The disk is 99.9% illuminated (nearly full). It is 151.5° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is retrograde at 0.063° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Fumalsamakah, 16.3° away. Neptune is 1.5° away at the snapshot. Saturn: 16.3° from Fumalsamakah in the Pathfinder.

Uranus

Uranus: binoculars at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 10.7° below the horizon. Rises 22:11; sets 13:11 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 5.7. The disk is 99.9% illuminated (nearly full). It is 90.7° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 0.010° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Aldebaran, 10.2° away. Uranus: 10.2° from Aldebaran in the Pathfinder.

Neptune

Neptune: telescope at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 11.4° above the horizon. Rises 19:52; sets 07:52 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 7.7. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 150.5° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is retrograde at 0.023° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Fumalsamakah, 16.3° away. Saturn is 1.5° away at the snapshot. Neptune: 16.3° from Fumalsamakah in the Pathfinder.

Ceres

Ceres: telescope at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 5.9° below the horizon. Rises 21:30; sets 08:41 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 8.2. The disk is 98.5% illuminated (gibbous). It is 134.0° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is retrograde at 0.080° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Alrescha, 14.2° away. Ceres: 14.2° from Alrescha in the Pathfinder.

Pluto

Pluto: substantial telescope at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 20.0° above the horizon. Rises 17:43; sets 02:25 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 14.5. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 149.6° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is retrograde at 0.020° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Dabih, 8.7° away. Pluto: 8.7° from Dabih in the Pathfinder.