July 2025 Guide to the Bright Planets and Stars
Get ready to look up! July brings a celestial show full of planet sightings, moon magic, and a meteor shower to wish on. From Saturn’s grand entrance to Venus’ early glow and the dazzling Delta Aquarids, there’s something happening almost every night. So grab your binoculars, set those alarms, and let’s explore what the July 2025 night sky has in store!
July 2025 Sky Watch
July 1: Today begins Saturn’s reign on the night sky. The ringed planet appears around 11:00 P.M. and will arrive earlier and earlier as the month progresses, around 9:00 P.M. by month’s end. For the first time in 15 years, you can see the southern side of the planet. For an extra treat, grab your binoculars to see the thin line of the rings!
July 2: The First Quarter Moon peaks tonight at 3:30 P.M.
July 9: Be sure to set your alarm clocks! After 4:00 A.M., Venus can be seen low in the eastern sky.
Read Next
July 10: It’s a beautiful sight! The Full Buck Moon will be on display at 4:37 P.M. Does the Full Moon make you crazy? We explore Moon Madness.
July 17: The Last Quarter Moon will be back in view on July 17 at 8:38 P.M. Be sure to check out why we call it a quarter Moon and not a half Moon.
July 22: Today is another day to wake up early! In the predawn hours, the Moon will form a triangle with Jupiter and Venus.
July 24: At 3:11 P.M., the New Moon makes an appearance… or rather, a disappearance? According to the age-old practice of planting the Moon, the ground is the most fertile and wet during the new Moon and the days after. Perhaps it is time to venture into the garden and plant a few mid-summer crops.
July 28: In the evening sky, Mars (now located in the constellation of Virgo) will hover to the right of the Moon.
July 30: Tonight, the crescent Moon dangles below Spica, the sky’s bluest star.
Summer Meteors
This year, the beautiful Delta Aquarid meteor shower peaks on July 29 through 30. Their hourly rate at the peak is 10 meteors per hour. Always look towards the darkest part of the sky, typically away from the moon, to see a shooting star. See tips for viewing meteor showers.
Credit: NASA
Stargazing in July
July’s best constellation is the Summer Triangle, shining bright and high in the evening sky! See our free star chart and have fun spotting the Summer triangle this month!
Bob Berman
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I have a telescope I haven't used yet~the sky is so pretty as it is !!! I use the Big Dipper as my location~
in other words; are u saying the Planets appear in a different Constellation at different times of year? r u saying the Astrological signs are actually Constellations; I guess the night sky is like a map with different constellations; and the planets might be in one constellation or another; interesting!!
Interestingly, the word “planet” comes from the Greek word for “wanderer.” They do indeed “wander” across the sky, however, it’s in a limited way. They move from west to east most of the time and sometimes seem to stop and move westward (retrograde motion). However, they do always stay amongst the twelve constellations of the zodiac.
Thanks to Bob Bergman & FA I've really taken an interest in Star-Planet Watching; appreciate the info: The planets move from west to east most of the time. : )
Dear Bob,
These are excellent columns, but I always get them well into the month they are talking about. Would it be possible to publish each month on the first of the month or the day before? Thank you.
We will plan to publish each month’s sky watch on the first of the month.
Thank you for the sky watch .. I love it !
Thank you for this wonderful information! I look forward to it every month!
