(* = Phenology relates to recurring, seasonal events on land and in the heavens, many of which are often predictable based on weather, climate, temperature, latitude, time, and animal/plant physiology.)

(# = terrestrial events correspond to northern California where I reside as a Certified Wildlife Biologist Asc. and Avian Biologist.)

by Daniel Edelstein

WarblerWatch.com (Features a “Birding Tours” section that describes my 25+ years as a Birding Guide, with my guided bird watching trips for individuals and groups pursuing common and rare bird species throughout California — the majority of which occur in central and northern California (where I live in the eight-county San Francisco Bay Area.)

WarblerWatch.blogspot.com

(My 18-year-old wood-warbler blog that features articles and photo quizzes.)

danielsmerrittclasses.blogspot.com

(my above blog # highlights adult bird-related classes I began teaching periodically in 2003 at Merritt College in Oakland, California)

January, 2025

Sky Watch: (Courtest of earthsky.org)

Moon & Planet Rise & Set Times (Pacific Time)

(courtesy of https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/)

At the above link, type in your town/city to learn your area’s Moon & Planet Rise & Set Times.

Visible planets and night sky guide for January (Courtesy of earthsky.org)

January 1 and 2 evenings: Moon and Venus

Chart showing a crescent shape on two evenings for the moon on January 1 and 2 with a starred white dot near them for Venus. — After sunset today and tomorrow, the thin waxing crescent moon will hang low in the western evening twilight about an hour after sunset. Venus will shine brilliantly above the moon on both evenings. Chart via EarthSky.org.

January moon phases video

EarthSky’s Marcy Curran created this 1-minute video preview of the moon phases for the month of January 2025. This month is the Full Wolf Moon and it passes in front of Mars from some locations. Plus the moon visits several other bright planets. Check it out!

January 3: Quadrantid meteor showers before dawn

The best time to watch the Quadrantid meteor shower in 2025 is in the hours before dawn on January 3, when you’ll have a moon-free sky. This shower has a narrow peak, lasting only hours. The predawn hours are usually the most favorable. The Quadrantids can produce more than 100 meteors an hour.

January 3 and 4 evenings: Moon, Venus and Saturn

Star chart showing a starred white dot for Venus with a crescent shape for the moon on January 3 and 4. There are two smaller white dots for Saturn and Fomalhaut. — The waxing crescent moon will lie between brilliant Venus and Saturn about 2 hours after sunset on January 3. The moon moves closer to Saturn on January 4. Observers in parts of Africa, Europe and Greenland will see the moon occult – or pass in front of Saturn – at 17 UTC on January 4. The bright – and often called the loneliest star – Fomalhaut is nearby. Look for earthshine – that’s light reflected from Earth – on the unlit portion of the moon. They’ll set mid-to-late evening. Chart via EarthSky.

January 4: Earth greatest distance from sun

Earth’s orbit around the sun isn’t a circle. Instead, it’s an ellipse, like a circle someone sat down on. So, it makes sense that Earth has closest and farthest points from the sun each year. For 2025, our closest point to the sun comes at 13 UTC (7 a.m. CST) on January 4. At that time, Earth will be 91,405,993 miles (147,103,686 km) from the sun. Read more about Earth at perihelion.

January 5 evening: Moon, Venus and Saturn

Star chart showing a starred white dot for Venus near the bottom and a dot above that for Saturn. A thick crescent shape for the moon lies above them. — On January 5, the growing waxing crescent moon will lie above Venus and Saturn in the western evening sky. They’ll set late in the evening. Keep an eye on Venus and Saturn; they’ll move closer together until January 17 and 18, then drift apart again. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Every evening now: Venus, Jupiter, Saturn … then Mars

Evening sky chart showing Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus. — Between now and the end of 2024, you’ll find these 4 planets in the evening sky. Look along the path the sun travels in daytime (the green line on our chart). Venus, Jupiter and Saturn are up at sunset. Mars is now rising around the time the sky turns fully dark. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

January 6: 1st quarter moon

The moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 23:56 UTC on January 6, 2026. That’s 5:56 p.m. CST. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown. Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

January 7-8: Moon reaches perigee

The moon will reach perigee – its closest point in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 0 UTC on January 8, 2025, (6 p.m. CST on January 7) when it’s 230,013 miles (370,171 km) away.

January 9 evening: Moon, Jupiter, Aldebaran and Pleiades

Chart showing a fat hemisphere for the moon covering a number of small dots for the Pleiades. A larger dot for Jupiter and a small red dot for Aldebaran is nearby. — On January 9, the waxing gibbous moon will be near bright Jupiter and the orange giant star Aldebaran. Aldebaran is the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull. Also, the moon will pass in front of the Pleiades star cluster, blocking some of its stars from view. The moon will already be above the horizon at sunset and will set several hours before sunrise. Chart via EarthSky.

January 9-10: Venus greatest distance from sun

Venus will reach greatest elongation – its greatest distance from the sun – at 5 UTCon January 10, 2025. That’s 11 p.m. CST on January 9. Venus will appear in our evening sky, in the west after sunset. At this elongation, the distance of Venus from the sun on the sky’s dome is 47.2 degrees. After greatest elongation, Venus will quickly sink toward the sunset as it races toward its sweep between Earth and the sun around mid-March 2025.

January 10 evening: Moon, Jupiter and stars

Chart showing a fat hemisphere for the moon on January 10 and 11. Two big show Jupiter and Capella near the moon with an orange dot for Aldebaran and small white dots for the Pleiades. — The waxing gibbous moon will line up with Jupiter, Capella and Aldebaran on the evening of January 10. Capella is the brightest star in the constellation of Auriga the Charioteer. Aldebaran is the fiery eye of Taurusthe Bull. The delicate Pleiades star cluster is nearby. The following evening, January 11, the moon will still be near the bright planet and stars. They’ll be visible until almost dawn the next morning. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

January 12: Mars closest to Earth

Mars will be closest to Earth at 14 UTC on January 12, 2025. It’ll be 5.3 light-minutesaway at a distance of 0.642 astronomical units (59,703,891 miles or 96,084,099 kilometers). Mars will be at opposition – when Earth flies between it and the sun – on January 15-16. It’ll be at its brightest for the year 2025.

January 12 evening: Moon, Mars and twin stars

Chart showing the moon as an almost round disk. Two dots lie to its left, Castor and Pollux. A red dot, Mars, lies below the two dots, almost in a line with them. — On the evening of January 12, 2025, the bright waxing gibbous moon will move close to Mars and the twin stars of Gemini: Castor and Pollux. They’ll rise around sunset and set around sunrise. Mars will be closest to Earth today (January 12) and will be at opposition – when Earth flies between it and the sun – on January 16. Mars will be at its brightest for 2025 this month. Chart via EarthSky.

January 13: Full Wolf Moon passes in front of Mars

Chart showing a white disk as the full moon. It lies next to a red dot representing Mars and below the white dots of the stars Castor and Pollux. — The Full Wolf Moon will fall at 22:27 UTC (4:27 p.m. CST) on January 13, 2025, and will lie close to the red planet Mars. Observers in parts of North America, northwest Africa, Azores and Cape Verde Islands will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Mars at 4 UTC on January 14 (10 p.m. CST on January 13). Also nearby are the twin stars of Gemini: Castor and Pollux. The moon, Mars and twin stars will almost be in a straight line and they’ll be visible all night. Mars was closest to Earth on January 12 and will lie at opposition – when Earth flies between it and the sun – on January 15-16. Chart via EarthSky.

A white arrow pointing towards the lower left of a white disk and a small red dot. — Here’s a binocular view of the full moon approaching Mars, eventually passing in front of it, on the evening of January 13. Mars should be bright enough to spot in the glare of the moon. Chart via EarthSky.

Read more: January’s Full Wolf Moon January 13

January 15-16: Mars biggest and brightest for 2025

Mars can appear bright or faint in our sky. 2024 was mostly a faint year, but Mars has been steadily brightening for a few months. It’ll reach opposition – when Earth will pass between it and the sun, bringing Mars closest and brightest – on January 15-16. It’ll be at its brightest for 2025. The next time it’ll be at its brightest is February 2027. Catch it soon!

January 15 and 16 evenings: Moon, Regulus and Sickle

Chart showing a fat hemisphere for the moon on January 15 and 16 with a white dot with a few small dots for Regulus and the star pattern the Sickle. — The waning gibbous moon will lie near Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion, on the evenings of January 15 and 16. Regulus is the punctuation mark at the bottom of a pattern of stars that looks like a backward question mark. It’s an asterism – a distinct group of stars – known as the Sickle. They’ll rise late evening and be visible through dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

January 17 and 18 evenings: Venus and Saturn pair up

Chart showing the white dot of Saturn next to the white starred dot of Venus. — Dazzling Venus will lie close to the steady golden light of Saturn after sunset on January 17 and 18, 2025. Saturn has been closing in on Venus all month and will soon become difficult to see in the evening twilight in February. Chart via EarthSky.

White starred dot moves along an arrow to the upper left. A small dot lies left. — *Here’s a binocular view of Venus and Saturn on the evenings January 17 and 18, 2025. Chart via EarthSky.*

January 20 and 21 mornings: Moon and Spica

Chart showing a half-disk for the moon on January 20 and 21 with a dot for the star Spica. — The moon, close to its 3rd quarter phase, will lie near the bright star Spica on the mornings of January 20 and 21. Observers in Cape Verde Islands, parts of west and south Africa, and south Madagascar will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Spica at 5 UTC on January 21. Others will see the moon close to Spica. Spica is the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. They’ll rise around midnight and be visible through dawn. And it’s a good time to look for the moon in the morning daylight sky. Chart via EarthSky.

Meet Spica: The bright beacon of Virgo

January 21: Last quarter moon

The moment of last quarter moon will fall at 20:31 UTC (2:31 p.m. CST) on January 21, 2025. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

January 21: Moon reaches apogee

The moon will reach apogee – its farthest distance from Earth in its elliptical orbit – at 5 UTC on January 21, 2025, when it’s 251,219 miles (404,298 km) away.

January 24 morning: Moon and Antares

Chart showing a crescent shape for the moon on January 24 and 25 near a red dot for Antares. — The waning crescent moon will lie close to red Antares on the morning of January 24, 2025. Antares is the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion. Observers in parts of Madagascar, south Australia, south Polynesia, and New Zealand will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Antares at 0 UTC on January 25. Others will see the moon close to Antares. Then it will lie between Antares and the horizon on the next morning. Look for them about an hour before sunrise. Do you see a glow on the unlit portion of the moon? That’s earthshine. It’s light reflected from Earth. Chart via EarthSky.

January 26 and 27 mornings: Moon and Antares

A slender crescent shape for the moon on January 26 and 27 with a red dot for Antares. — The thin waning crescent moon will move away from Antares and will hang closer to the eastern horizon before sunrise on January 26 and 27. Look for them about 40 minutes before sunrise. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

January 29: New moon

The moment of new moon will fall at 12:36 UTC (6:36 a.m. CST) on January 29, 2025. New moons rise and set with the sun. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze.

January 30 and 31 evenings: Moon, Venus and Saturn

Two slender crescents for the moon on January 30 and 31. A white multi-point star for Venus and a white dot for Saturn are near the moons. — The thin waxing crescent moon will hang in the bright twilight low on western horizon shortly after sunset on January 30, 2025. Brilliant Venus will shine much higher in the sky with the steady golden light of Saturn nearby. On the last evening of January, the crescent moon full with earthshine will float near Venus and will lie close to Saturn. Chart via EarthSky.

January stars

If you’re out stargazing on any January evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the sky.

Star chart of constellation Orion with stars labeled. — First, look for one of the most recognizable constellations in the sky,Orion the Hunter. It’s visible in both hemispheres. It rises in the east on January evenings. The 3 bright stars in a row – Orion’s Belt – are sure to catch you eye. Chart via EarthSky.

Star chart of the constellation Cassiopeia. — Next, look for the 5-star W or M shape of Cassiopeia the Queen. Not only is it easy to spot, it is useful to find other stars, constellations and deep-sky objects. Look for it high overhead as darkness falls in early January. Chart via EarthSky.

Circle constellations, planets, the moon, the Milky Way and celestial lines. — Next, look for the 5-star W or M shape of Cassiopeia the Queen. Not only is it easy to spot, it is useful to find other stars, constellations and deep-sky objects. Look for it high overhead as darkness falls in early January. Chart via EarthSky.

Other features of this month’s sky:

Full Moon (The “Wolf Moon”: Friday, January 13, at 2:26 PST)

Season Beginning Times For 2025:

Spring: Begins on Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 5:01 AM with the Vernal Equinox
Summer: Begins on Friday, June 20, 2025 at 10:42 PM with the Summer Solstice
Fall: Begins on Monday, September 22, 2025 at 2:19 PM with the Autumnal Equinox
Winter: Begins on Sunday, December 21, 2025 at 10:03 AM with the Winter Solstice

2025 Eclipses:

Mar 13–14

Lunar Eclipse (Total)Europe, Much of Asia, Much of Australia, Much of Africa, North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, Antarctica

Mar 29

Solar Eclipse (Partial)Europe, North in Asia, North/West Africa, Much of North America, North in South America, Atlantic, Arctic

Sep 7–8

Lunar Eclipse (Total)Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, West in North America, East in South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic, Antarctica

Sep 21

Solar Eclipse (Partial)South in Australia, Pacific, Atlantic, Antarctica

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/2025

January 2025 Phenology:

Gray Whale Migration: Frequent Flyer Journeys

Giant mammals are now gliding past our coast on their journey south from feeding grounds in the Bering Sea to calving grounds near Baja California. Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) migrate more than 12,000 miles each year. Given they migrate close to shore, you may be able to see them from land along the Sonoma coast, at Pt. Reyes, and in Big Sur. Watch for the low, puffy (some call them heart-shaped) spouts produced when the whales exhale — with Point Reyes National Seashore’s lighthouse one of the best venues to view this phenomenon.

By Sea & Shore: Elephant Seals Are Currently “Must See” Viewing

Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris) spend most of their life in the open ocean, diving up to 5,000 feet to feed on pelagic fish and squid. They come ashore only to mate, give birth, and molt their old skin and hair. By January, female Northern Elephant Seals have returned to breeding beaches to give birth. The one 75-pound pup she produces each year gains 10 pounds a day as it nurses on her extra-rich (50% fat!) milk. Pups typically nurse for 28 days. After the pups are weaned, females mate with one or more of the dominant males before leaving the beaches. By mid-March all the adults are gone, leaving the pups to fend for themselves. In the ultimate Survivor test, the pups (now called weaners) must learn to swim and catch fish on their own. Once they’ve mastered these basic skills, the pups take to the sea, heading north to feed off the coast of Washington and British Columbia. They won’t return to land until the fall. In the Bay Area, you can see elephant seals pups at Chimney Rock in Pt. Reyes, or on a naturalist-led tour (reservations required) at Año Nuevo State Reserve.

Stinky Blooms Delight Senses

While its name sounds like an unpleasant affliction, Fetid Adder’s Tongue (Scoliopus bigelovii) is actually a lovely wildflower. January is a good time to start searching for this diminutive lily relative along trails in redwood forests. Three small, cream and maroon-striped sepals surround three delicate upturned petals and three stamens. The odorous blooms fade quickly but the dramatic mottled leaves persist for several months.

After tiny fungus gnats pollinate the flowers, the seed capsules’ weight pulls the stems to the ground, giving the plant its other common name, “Slink Pod.” Slugs and ants may help spread seeds. In Marin County, look for Fetid Adder’s Tongue in Muir Woods National Monument, Mount Tamalpais (Blithedale Canyon, Cataract Gulch, Fish Grade), Bolinas Ridge, San Geronimo Ridge, and San Rafael Hills. On the Peninsula, it may be found in early January along Crystal Springs Trail in Huddart County Park (Woodside) and later in the month along the Hazelnut Trail in San Pedro County Park (Pacifica).

Early Wildflower Bloom: 2023 Forbs/Ephemerals

Given our ample rainfall in 2022 and in early January, 2023, it will soon be time to enjoy blooming wildflowers. Where are excellent spots to enjoy their beauty and dozens of other colorful wildflowers? Check out:

Annadel State Park, Santa Rosa, CA, Sonoma County

Chimney Rock (near the Lighthouse, Outer Point, Point Reyes National Seashore), Inverness, CA, Marin Co.

Edgewood County Park (south of SF), off I-280 and adjacent to it, San Mateo County

Black Diamond Mines Regional Park (ebparks.org), near Antioch and, especially, on Somersville Road (that exits off of Highway 4), East Bay of SF Bay

Are Herring Here Yet?

Please note…..For herring infusion updates into the SF Bay, see: https://cdfwherring.wordpress.com/

Watch for frenetic collections of gulls, scoters, cormorants, and sea lions within shallow spots of the Bay. Their presence is an indication that Pacific Herring have made their annual arrival. As early as November, yet sometimes waiting until this time of year, adult males and females seek spawning (i.e., egg laying) locations in shallow intertidal and subtidal waters. A single female may lay as many as 20,000 eggs in one spawn following ventral contact with submerged substrates such as eel grass. Why spawning begins is not understood, but some researchers believe the male initiates the process by release of milt (the seminal fluid of herring) that contains a pheromone that stimulates a female to begin egg laying. Egg laying appears to be collective so that an entire school may spawn in the period of a few hours, producing an egg density of up to 6,000,000 eggs per square meter.

Pop Quiz:

Which bird species is probably the earliest breeder in Marin County?

Answer: Early nesting Anna’s hummingbirds may lay eggs this month or, in some cases, last month. More information about hummingbirds in California appears in the next account.

Note that some Anna’s Hummingbirds exhibit nesting/courtship behavior by October. I noticed this phenomenon in my backyard’s forested/open woods area this past autumn. The loud “pop” of diving males was heard regularly in our autumn landscape.

Of course, a second (and third brood) of Anna’s may result from the most prolific breeders of this species. Not that any male Anna’s would know about their brethren. That’s because the male Anna’s never bonds with his female partners. All males merely provide the “seed” by which newcomers develop in females, but they are left to fend for themselves on the nest. Males opt for quickly exiting Stage Left after impregnating their suitors. For this reason, you might say Anna’s males take “Speed Dating” to a new avian level and meaning.

Hummingbirds In California: Early Breeders

Anna’s Hummingbirds, year-round residents in northern California (and throughout much of the state), may already be laying eggs — perhaps initiating courtship and/or nesting as early as December (!). Some early-nesting females will play hostess to two broods during the breeding season, with second clutches hatching as late as mid-August. Peak breeding and greatest nest abundance occurs in May. Amazing but true, this year’s initial breeding cycle began in October in Marin County where I live. That’s when I began seeing courtship dances by male Anna’s on my land. Whether the females were receptive then is another question that remains unproven.

Research studies have indicated this hummer species memorizes and learns a song in its first year of life, similar to the behavior of most songbirds. Allen’s Hummingbirds, which breeds from s. California to s. Oregon, begin to arrive annually in the SF Bay Area early as mid-January after spending the winter in Baja California and Chihuahua in Mexico. Some of the arrivals may remain to breed in the area.

Other populations of this species are year-round residents in southern California.

Their preferred habitat is canyon woodlands, brush and highland meadows. This species breeds in the Bay Area, but by the end of July many have dispersed and/or left the Bay Area, and in mid- to late-August most of the species’ population has migrated south.

Rufous Hummingbirds are seen only during migration in California, except for the extreme northern part of the state where their breeding area begins (and stretches north throughout much of Oregon, all of Washington, and into parts of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, as well as into British Columbia, Alberta and southeast Alaska). In Marin County, expect to begin seeing this transient species as early as mid-February, with a peak presence from mid-March through mid-April. By the end of May, Rufous are typically absent in Marin Co. The autumn migration spectrum is from mid-June through September in Marin Co., especially outside the County amid the Inner Coast Ranges, but sometimes along the coast, too.
Other hummingbirds occur in California, of course, but the aforementioned three species are usually the most common ones to see in the Bay Area/Marin County. Calliope, and Costa’s Hummingbird, and Black-Chinned Hummingbird are sometimes observed in the Bay Area, though the initial two of these three species is considered a “casual visitor” to Marin County (and Black-Chinned the most rare, yet still considered a “casual visitor”) — with all three occasional to common casual visitors in more eastward Bay Area counties.

See above for more information about the breeding dynamics of Anna’s Hummingbird in N. CA/the Bay Area.

Swallows During Winter In Northern California?

They are never a common sight, but it’s possible to see the following swallow species in Marin County (and the Bay Area) during the winter in the following order, from most common to rare: Tree (now annual during the non-breeding season in Marin County), Barn (not always annual, but typically seen during most “winters” in the Bay Area), and Violet-green (likewise, not always annual during the non-breeding season, yet often reported from November-February before migrants return to breed in the Bay Area). Our other northern California summer residents — Northern Rough-Winged, Cliff, and Bank — are considered rare to absent in January, though they may return on migration by no later than the end February during some to most years.

Purple Martin are also typically absent from our area in January and February. As for swift species, White-Throated are by far the most typical one to see, if any, from January-March, and they are considered year-round residents in the SF Bay Area. Vaux’s return on migration in April, while the more uncommon to “casual visitor” swift species — Chimney and Black — are usually spotted (if at all) from May through mid-October in northern California.

Checklists specific to a Bay Area region sometimes miss indicating the aforementioned swallows are potential winter sightings. I’ve noticed, for example, more reports by excellent birders in recent years of over-wintering Tree and Barn in the Bay Area. To wit, in the past, many of the same birders in the Bay Area used to believe that Tree Swallow completely left the Bay Area as an autumn migrant. Now, that dynamic has changed. Instead, Tree Swallow (and, increasingly, Barn Swallow) are considered a regular non-breeding season inhabitant (in small numbers) throughout the Bay Area (e.g., Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds, San Rafael, Marin Co.).

Hibernating Birds in Our Area?

Not exactly. But our Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii californicus) (also called the Dusky Common Poorwill as the nominate race among five subspecies in the species) does exhibit winter torpor. According to Wikipedia, the Common Poorwill is the only bird known to go into torpor for extended periods (weeks to months). Such an extended period of torpor is close to a state of hibernation, a condition not known among most other birds. It was described definitively by Dr. Edmund Jaeger in 1948 based on a Poorwill he discovered hibernating in the Chuckwalla Mountains of California in 1946.

By the way, don’t let this bird’s name fool you. It’s never “common” where we live in northern California. In Marin County, one of the best spots to see Common Poorwill is along open areas, hillsides and talus slopes on Mount Tamalpais. More typical, I hear this bird’s vocalizations only and, if I’m lucky, then find it. Tilden Park in Berkeley periodically hosts this species, too. My BEST success for finding this species is in Lake County’s higher altitude spots as they flee from perches on the road at dawn while I’m riding on backroads.

February, 2025

Sky Watch:

1) Moon & Planet Rise & Set Times

Go to: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

Then type in your location to see planet highlights for each day of the month.

For my area in February, 2024, here’s planet viewing information:

	Planetrise/Planetset, Tue, Feb 1, 2022
Planet	Rise	Set	Meridian	Comment
Mercury	Wed 6:00 am	Wed 4:03 pm	Wed 11:01 am	Difficult to see
Venus	Wed 4:56 am	Wed 3:15 pm	Wed 10:06 am	Great visibility
Mars	Wed 5:05 am	Wed 2:30 pm	Wed 9:47 am	Average visibility
Jupiter	Tue 8:28 am	Tue 7:31 pm	Tue 1:59 pm	Average visibility
Saturn	Tue 7:28 am	Tue 5:42 pm	Tue 12:35 pm	Extremely difficult to see
Uranus	Tue 11:06 am	Wed 12:45 am	Tue 5:55 pm	Difficult to see
Neptune	Tue 9:04 am	Tue 8:40 pm	Tue 2:52 pm	Very difficult to see

All times are Pacific Standard Time at sea level.

Tonight’s Sky in Novato, Feb 1 – Feb 2, 2022 (7 planets visible)



Mercury rise and set in Novato

Fairly close to the Sun. Visible around sunrise and sunset only.

Wed, Feb 2↑6:00 am



Venus rise and set in Novato

View before sunrise.

Wed, Feb 2↑4:56 am



Mars rise and set in Novato

View before sunrise.

Wed, Feb 2↑5:05 am



Jupiter rise and set in Novato

View just after sunset.

Tue, Feb 1↓7:31 pm



Saturn rise and set in Novato

Very close to Sun, hard or impossible to see.

Tue, Feb 1↓5:42 pm



Uranus rise and set in Novato

View after sunset. Bring binoculars.

Wed, Feb 2↓12:45 am



Neptune rise and set in Novato

View after sunset. Use binoculars.

Tue, Feb 1↓8:40 pm

2) Planet Highlights (courtesy http://www.almanac.com):

Early this month, Saturn materializes as a low morning star just before sunrise, joining higher-up Jupiter and Mars, all in Sagittarius. These three superior planets bunch closer together as the month progresses. It’s probably easiest to spot bright Jupiter; then look for Mars above and Saturn below.
Venus: After sunset, Venus pops out at you as the brightest thing in the western sky. This shining beacon will continue to dazzle through the entire month as dusk falls. In the second half of the month, Venus is really the only bright object that appears in the west after sunset. It’s impossible to miss.
Mercury: Look far to the lower right of Venus. Any “star” you see down there is Mercury! Look near the sunset point on the horizon shortly after sunset. During this month’s first 12 days, Mercury has its best showing of 2020 at a very bright magnitude 0, far below the more dazzling Venus, which stands 10 degrees high 40 minutes after local sunset. You no longer need telescope or binocoluars to find Mercury (though binoculars will help).

February Moon and Planet Pairings

On February 18, the waning crescent Moon offers a strikingly close conjunction with Mars before dawn. Then on the 19th, the Moon passes to the right of Jupiter to be just below Saturn on the 20th, providing easy identification of these two gas giants that will astonish the world in December.
On February 27 and 28, the waxing crescent moon pairs with bright Venus.

February 16-18, 2024:

Backyard Birdwatchers Unite As Citizen Scientists — The Annual Great Backyard Birds Count

Each February, backyard birdwatchers help scientists and bird enthusiasts learn more about bird populations across the United States by participating in The Great Backyard Bird Count, a joint project of the Cornell Lab or Ornithology and the Audubon Society. So, if you want to count your backyard birds and report your observations online, go learn more at: birdcount.org

Bird Classification Changes For 2024?

We’ll know as birders by this June or July, 2024 whether one or more of the following proposals are approved, per this link, if you wish to review them:

Insects Awakening:

Ladybird Beetles Becoming Active After Winter Slumber (Dormancy)

(Source: http://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/articles/2002/winterbugs.shtml)

Did you know that insects migrate? In May and June, one of our most familiar six-legged residents, the Convergent Ladybird Beetle (Hippodamia convergens), moves from the hot, dry valleys to the cooler climes of the High Sierra and Coast Ranges. Once in the mountains, the adult beetles bulk up in preparation for hibernation by eating pollen and nectar. When temperatures dip in the fall, the beetles follow river valleys to lower elevations (2,000-5,000 ft.), where they gather in huge numbers and take shelter for the winter under leaf litter, inside tree hollows, and in any other protected location. When the weather begins to warm up in late February and early March, tens of thousands of ladybird beetles emerge from hibernation and head back to the valleys.

Why so much movement? Aphids are the answer. Larval ladybirds are voracious carnivores, gobbling up to 50 aphids a day. Before home gardeners and farmers started artificially introducing water to the landscape, aphids were only present during the rainy season. So ladybird beetles evolved to exploit this seasonal abundance, timing their arrival in the valley and subsequent egg-laying to coincide with the early spring’s aphid population explosion.

Each ladybird beetle lives for only one year. After mating and laying eggs (usually by May), the adults die, making way for the next generation.

Heads Down: Looking for Newts On The Loose

(Source: http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi-bin/amphib_query?where-genus=Taricha&where-species=torosa)

In the San Francisco Bay Area, mature California Newt (Taricha torosa) individuals begin their annual migration to breeding ponds and streams in December and continue migrating until the end of this month. Look for these intrepid amphibians on land during wet weather near deep, slow pools. The East Bay’s Tilden Park and Sunol Regional Wilderness are two local Hot Spots.

In fact, Tilden’s South Park Drive is such a superhighway of amphibian traffic (as they cross the road while oblivious to the approaching death march of vehicle tires) that park officials close it from November-March in order to protect newts.

The California newt embraces its amphibian activity in a fast-forward lifestyle. Seeing them amble about the landscape now is rare because for the vast majority of the year, they’re underground or in burrows/logs/leaf litter, etc. Peak viewing times correspond to rainy nights, as they seek mates and lay their eggs in ponds or streams (such as Tilden’s habitats).

Mission accomplished above ground, adults retreat from the water quickly after breeding, and spend the dry summer months hunkered down while aestivating (“hibernating”) away from our view. Likewise, young (larval) newts develop in water. As water supplies dwindle, larvae begin to change into adults (metamorphosis). Young newts leave the water in later summer or fall, spend the next few years on land, and return to the water to breed after reaching maturity.,

When do young mature and become adults? We don’ know. Researchers who study newts in the field have not identified the age of sexual maturity: datasets vary from three to eight years.

California Newts can live for more than 20 years. This longevity is no doubt aided by their extreme toxicity. Adults, embryos and eggs contain tetrodotoxin (TTX), a strong and potentially deadly neurotoxin. Larvae, however, do not posses TTX, making them an important food source for animals such as garter snakes. To be on the safe side, say hello to these colorful newts if you find them crossing the road, but don’t give them a kiss for good luck.

Wildflowers Rising To The Occasion

Watch now for more than a dozen early wildflowers opening their blossoms in a variety of habitats. Within coast live oak/California bay forests, you’re likely to see ground iris, Douglas iris, milkmaids, hounds tongue, mission bells, and California buttercup.

An excellent Web site to track the bloom of spring wildflowers is compiled and maintained by writer/photographer Carol Leigh. To see reports of the latest sightings or to announce your own discoveries, visit:

http://calphoto.com/wflower.htm or see the Marin Native Plant Society’s home page where wildflower enthusiasts post their “first of season” sightings.

Loud Waterfalls Announce The Season

Prime time viewing of the Bay Area’s and northern California’s ample waterfalls are a delight to the senses. What could be more invigorating and awe-inspiring than to feel the powerful force of liquid Earth bombarding the placid landscape? Looking up at the roaring display of frenetic molecules in motion within a waterfall, it’s easy to lose track of time. You’re simply “there,” and life is good. Your hypnotized gaze is proof that the best things in life are free. Some of the best locations for viewing waterfalls in our area appear in a Web site: http://www.norcalhostels.org//news/springtime-hikes-waterfalls-marin-county

A different angle is to think how loud, rushing water along your trail walk may challenge your ability to successfully converse with a trailside partner. After a few switchbacks of dialogue that include “what” and “sorry,” you decide there’s a better solution than yelling and screaming. You decide to surrender. A hike with the mute button “on” is not all bad. You let the anarchic accompaniment of water be your solace, a step-by-step meditation.

Loud Waterfalls, Cacophonous Creeks, And Bird Song

As an extension from the previous entry above, consider the following ecologic mystery while you’re walking beside a creek that emits an incessant refrain of rushing water: Does the loud sound affect singing birds and their ability to hear each other while establishing territories and attempting to attract mates along bottomland areas? The answer is only partially understood. In early winter, the question is invalid when no singing bird species in our area have yet begun to use their voices to attract mates or defend territories.

But conditions soon change when February arrives. In particular, now’s the time to ponder whether Orange-Crowned Warbler males (that may begin arriving in late February in our area) are negatively impacted by the cacophonous presence of water? Does the noisy environs affect their ability to successfully complete their appointed season’s life cycle? And what about Oak Titmouse, Bewick’s Wren, and Hutton’s Vireo — all of which are often singing in February and beyond within or nearby in upland areas within earshot of noisy bottomlands? Do all of these bird species have to wait until March and April and beyond to attract a mate that can finally better hear them? Or do they simply abandon a percussive bottomland area for more quiet nesting areas elsewhere that offer similar habitat conditions? The answer is a qualified “yes.” At least one streamside study has shown birds upland and more removed from loud streams have an easier time hearing the companion birds with which they share the same habitat. The article suggests upland birds more successfully find mates and complete their breeding cycle with newborns fledgling from nests.

Sea Urchins: Low Tide Lookout

This month and next, watch for red sea urchins (a four-inch echinoderm) during low tides along rocky stretches of the northern California coast. Spawning occurs now through March, and their populations appear to be flourishing due in part to the increasing absence of predators (such as sea otters) in parts of the ranges where both these critters live.

Returning Migrants: Premiering Now

Early returning birds that you may now begin seeing include several swallow species (beyond populations that did not leave the Marin County area/Bay Area for the winter and are periodically spotted during the non-breeding season), such as Tree Swallow, followed by Violet-Green (mid-February), Cliff (mid-February), and Barn and Northern Rough-Winged (late February). Purple Martin will also arrive by April and nest in the area. Bank Swallow is rare to locally extinct in much of the Bay Area.

Ruby-crowned Kinglets: Small Is Beautiful

One of the most common birds you can see in the winter landscape now is the diminutive and frenetic Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. Enjoy them while they’re here. They’ll soon be gone. By the end of April, most have left for breeding grounds in the foothills/Sierras and latitudes farther north, and all vacate the Bay Area during the breeding season.

Meanwhile, populations of the look-alike Golden-Crowned Kinglet are also present in the Bay Area during this time, but it only breeds in the western portion of Marin County. One major telltale field mark clue is the absence of feather coloring in the crown of most Ruby-Crowneds, while all Golden-Crowned, both male and female, exhibit yellow in the crown (with the male also wearing a golden central median stripe on the crown).

Their feeding behavior is also often an easy way to tell them apart from a distance. One study suggests Ruby-Crowneds forage within the upper thirds of trees more frequently and that individuals typically hover while they feed in a tree’s interior portions. On the other hand, Golden-Crowned populations often use a gleaning behavior to find food resources at the tips of branches (Kathleen E. Franzreb, Foraging Habits of Ruby-Crowned and Golden-Crowned Kinglets in an Arizona Montane Forest,

Kathleen E. Franzreb. 139-145, 1984; A. Keast and S. Saunders, Ecomorphology of the North American Ruby-crowned (Regulus calendula) and Golden-crowned (R. satrapa) Kinglets. Auk 108: 880–888, 1991)

Owl All Around

Seeing an owl during the day in open country? If so, you may be observing the Short-Eared Owl, which wears a dark facial disk that emphasizes its yellow eyes. Short-eard Owl is rarely seen in Marin County, but individuals are sometimes spotted in isolated portions along Tomales Bay or in distant trails and raised embankments accessible from the Las Gallinas Ponds in San Rafael.

Other day-flying, or diurnal, owl species to look for include the Burrowing, Long-Eared and Barn Owl. Which is the most common owl species in our area? The answer is the Great Horned Owl, a species that is more common in urban-suburban areas than people realize. Even the slightest sliver of natural surroundings may attract this species that has evidently adapted well to living within and near developed areas.

The Burrowing Owl is rare and usually only seen in open areas during the non-breeding season. Long-Eared are also rare and perhaps best found in dense growths of vegetation such as riparian corridors. Barn Owl nests throughout the area, both in human structures or in trees such as oaks. More common, though heard more often than seen, is the diminutive Western Screech-owl, a forest dweller. Nest boxes often attract them, including one in both my front and backyard woodland.

Mammal Watch

Winter-active mammals you can spot at higher altitudes this time of year include pikas, deer mice, pocket gophers and tree squirrels. Other active foraging mammals to search for are meadow mice, mountain beaver (or Aplodontia), shrew, and porcupine.

March, 2024

Sky Watch*:

Go to: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

Then type in your location to view the March night sky scenario for your area.

(* = Enchanting views of my night sky in Novato, CA location enhanced thanks to optic devices from Out of This World Optics, a Mendocino, CA binocular and spotting scope storefront and mail order company you may enjoying discovering at OutofThisWorldOptics.com)

1) Planet Rise & Set Times

For The 19th of This Month (at Latitude: 38:03:38 N, Longitude: 122:32:27 W, which is Novato, CA, 20 miles north of San Francisco, CA in Marin County):

(Courtesy of almanac.com)

Body	Rises	Crosses Meridian	Illum.	Sets
Mercury	7:22 A.M. E	1:44 P.M. 58°	6%	8:06 P.M. W
Venus	6:51 A.M. E	1:23 P.M. 61°	2%	7:55 P.M. W
Mars	1:20 P.M. NE	8:48 P.M. 76°	91%	4:18 A.M. NW
Jupiter	10:54 A.M. NE	6:11 P.M. 74°	99%	1:31 A.M. NW
Saturn	7:09 A.M. E	12:57 P.M. 47°	100%	6:45 P.M. W
Uranus	9:44 A.M. NE	4:47 P.M. 70°	100%	11:50 P.M. NW
Neptune	7:22 A.M. E	1:20 P.M. 50°	100%	7:18 P.M. W
Pluto	5:00 A.M. SE	9:46 A.M. 29°	100%	2:32 P.M. SW

2) Planet Highlights: (courtesy of earthsky.com)

Chart showing a half hemisphere moving past a 13 small dots representing the stars of Scorpius. — On the mornings of March 20 and 21, 2025, the waning gibbous moon will hang with the stars of Scorpius the Scorpion. The moon will pass near bright red Antares, the Scorpion’s Heart, on the morning of the March equinox, March 20. And on the morning of March 21, the moon will lie near the Scorpion’s Stinger. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

March equinox: March 20

The March equinox marks the sun’s crossing above Earth’s equator, moving from south to north bringing spring and summer to the Northern Hemisphere. At the same time, the March equinox marks the beginning of autumn – and a shift toward winter – in the Southern Hemisphere. The sun crosses the celestial equator – a line directly above Earth’s equator – at 9:01 UTC (4:01 a.m. CDT) on March 20, 2025. EarthSky’s Marcy Curran has more about the equinox in the video above. Or watch on YouTube.

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Star and planet forecast for equinox week

Experience exciting cosmic events this week. How? Look at the sky! Join EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd for a star and planet forecast for equinox week.

Venus at inferior conjunction March 22-23

We’ll have a fantastic crossing of Venus between the Earth and sun this weekend! Venus reaches inferior conjunction – passing between Earth and sun – at 1 UTC on March 23, 2025. Read about the inferior conjunction of Venus. Or join EarthSky’s founder Deborah Byrd for a discussion, videos and more, at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, March 21. Watch in the player above, or click here to watch on YouTube.

Can you spot Venus both morning and evening around March 22?

Two charts, one showing a starred dot, Venus, hanging immediately above the horizon line in the morning, and the other showing a starred dot, Venus again, above the horizon line in the evening. — On March 22 and 23, Venus – at inferior conjunction – will appear in the morning sky close to the eastern horizon about 15 minutes before sunrise, and in the evening sky very close to the western horizon about 10 minutes after sunset. It will be **difficult** to spot in the bright twilight on these occasions. Remember to wait until the sun sets or before the sun rises to look since Venus is close to the sun. Chart via EarthSky.

March 22 and 23 mornings: Moon and the Teapot

A thick cresent shape, the moon, moves past eight dots representing the Teapot asterism. — On the mornings of March 22 and 23, 2025, the waning moon will slide past the asterism of the Teapot of Sagittarius the Archer in the morning sky. You can catch them before dawn. What’s so cool about the Teapot? It’s an easy-to-see pattern in our night sky, and it’s now coming back to the eastern sky before sunrise. And this pattern of stars on our sky’s dome marks the direction to the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Yes, the center of the galaxy is back in our morning sky! That means Milky Way season has begun for 2025. We’ll be talking lots more about the Milky Way in the months ahead. Chart via EarthSky. Chart via EarthSky.

Earth passes through Saturn’s ring plane

On March 23, 2025, as seen from Earth, Saturn’s angle of tilt toward Earth places the rings edge-on from our vantage point. This happens approximately every 13 to 15 years. Saturn’s rings are remarkably flat. When they’re turned precisely edge-on to us, they’ll seem to disappear! Unfortunately for observers, Saturn is too close to the sun right now to see.

March 24 and 25 mornings: Can you still see the moon?

A cresent shape, the moon, lies to the lower left of eight dots representing the "Teapot" asterism,which is above the horizon an hour before sunrise. — On the mornings of March 24 and 25, 2025, can you still see the waning crescent moon? It’ll be low in the sky shortly before sunrise. If your sky is dark enough, you might spot the famous Teapot of Sagittarius. It resembles an old-fashion teapot. Look for them about an hour before dawn. If you do see the moon, watch for a lovely glow on its unlit portion. That’s earthshine, light bounced from Earth. Chart via EarthSky.

It’s zodiacal light time

Look west when true darkness falls each evening from the Northern Hemisphere. Look east before dawn begins to break in the Southern Hemisphere. You’ll find a hazy pyramid of light – huge – and milkier in appearance than the Milky Way. For the northern part of the globe, the zodiacal light is most visible in the evenings around the March equinox. You need a dark sky to see this eerie light. Read more about the zodiacal light. Or watch the video in the player above or on YouTube.

Late March evenings: Jupiter and Mars

Sphere chart showing two planets in the March evening sky: Mars and Jupiter. — At the end of March, after Venus and Mercury have slipped away from the evening sky, there are now 2 bright planets in the evening sky. They will lie along the path the sun travels in daytime (the green line on our chart). You’ll spot bright Jupiter and red Mars high overhead in the sky. Jupiter will set after midnight and Mars will set before dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

March 29: New moon and partial solar eclipse

The moment of new moon will fall at 10:58 UTC (5:58 a.m. CDT) on March 29, 2025. New moons rise and set with the sun. It’s the second of five new supermoons in a row for 2025. Plus, observers in northeastern North America, Greenland, Iceland, the north Atlantic Ocean, most of Europe and northwestern Russia can see a deep partial solar eclipse. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze.

March 30 and 31 evenings: Slender moon

Chart showing a thin crescent shape, the moon, above the horizon line on two consecutive evenings. — On the evenings of March 30 and 31, 2025, a slender waxing crescent moon will float in the western evening sky as darkness falls. Watch for a lovely glow of earthshine on the unlit portion of the moon. That’s reflected light off the Earth. Chart via EarthSky.

March 30: Moon reaches perigee

The moon will reach perigee – its closest point to us in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 21 UTC (4 p.m. CST) on March 1, 2025, when it’s 222,530 miles (358,128 km) away.

March evening stars

If you’re out stargazing on any March evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the sky.

White dots and blue lines tracing the shape of the Big Dipper. It looks like an axe. — On March evenings, the Big Dipper is ascending in the northeast. The famous double-star Mizar and Alcor is the 2nd star to the end of the Dipper’s handle. Look closely, and you’ll see the 2 points of light. Mizar is the brighter one, and Alcor is the fainter one. The Big Dipper is an asterism – a well know pattern of stars – in the constellation of Ursa Major the Great Bear. It’s handy to locate the North Star, Polaris. Image via EarthSky.

Star chart showing the constellation Auriga with stars and other objects labeled. — Almost overhead in the March evening sky, you’ll find the bright star Capella in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. It’s a flashy star when close to the horizon because it’s bright at magnitude 0.24 and its light dances around when looking through our thick atmosphere. To be sure you’ve found Capella, look for a little triangle of stars nearby. Capella is sometimes called the Goat Star, and the little triangle of stars is an asterism called The Kids. It’s high overhead in March evening skies. Image via EarthSky.

Star chart showing the stars of the constellation Gemini the Twins, with Castor, Pollux, Alhena and M35 marked. — On March evenings, look overhead for the constellation Gemini the Twins. The twin stars are Castor and Pollux. However, in March 2025, there’s a trio of bright lights in Gemini. That’s because the the planet Mars is near the twin stars. Image via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

March morning planet

Chart showing a starred dot, Venus, and an arrow that shows it rising higher above a wavy line representing the eastern horizon. — Venus will pass between the Earth and sun on March 23, and move to the morning sky. Venus will lie immediately above the eastern horizon about 15 minutes before sunrise starting about March 20. Then it will climb higher each morning, making it easier to spot in the bright morning twilight. From March 20 to 23, you MIGHT be able to see Venus about 10 minutes after sunset and about 15 minutes before sunrise. Fun! Image via EarthSky.

March evening planets

Chart with a starred dot, Venus, far above a much smaller dot, Mercury, which in turn is close to the horizon line. — Brilliant **Venus** will lie far above the much dimmer Mercury in early March. Then, every evening, Venus will drop a little closer to little Mercury. Mercury will reach its greatest distance from the sun on March 7-8, 2025.

Chart with a starred dot representing Venus near a much smaller dot, Mercury. Both are above the horizon line. — In the 2nd week of March 2025, brilliant **Venus** will lie close to the horizon near bright – but elusive – **Mercury**. By mid-March, both planets will soon be lost in the bright twilight. Venus passes between us and the sun at 1 UTC on March 23. Venus will emerge in the morning sky in April. It’ll reach its greatest distance from the morning sun on May 31-June 1, 2025. Mercury will pass between us and the sun at 20 UTC on March 24. Chart via EarthSky.

Chart with a large dot, Jupiter, above a smaller dot, Aldebaran, and four smaller dots representing the Hyades cluster. To their right are five small dots, the Pleiades cluster. — In March 2025, bright **Jupiter** will lie high in the evening sky. It will shine near the Pleiades, the Hyades and Aldebaran. Aldebaran is the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull and is a foreground star of the V-shaped Hyades star cluster. Jupiter outshines even the brightest stars. Jupiter will rise before sunset in March and set after midnight by month’s end. It’ll remain in the constellation of Taurus the Bull until it passes behind the sun – in its solar conjunction – in June. Chart via EarthSky.

Chart showing a dot, Mars, lying below two smaller dots representing the stars Castor and Pollux. — In March 2025, the red planet **Mars** will lie near the twin stars of Gemini: Castor and Pollux. The trio will form a triangle – changing from day-to-day – this month. It’ll be fun to keep an eye on how Mars moves relative to the twin stars. Mars will remain visible in the evening sky through November but continue to fade the rest of the year as it recedes from Earth. However, this month Mars will shine a bit brighter than the twin stars. Chart via EarthSky.

Where’s Saturn? It’s too close to the sun to be visible this month. It’s in conjunction with the sun on March 10.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Sky dome map for visible planets and night sky

Premiere Showing: Harbor Seal Pups Spotted On Shore

In California, March marks the beginning of pupping season for Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina). Females gather on shore in rookeries and give birth to a single 30-pound pup, which can swim shortly after birth.

Mothers may leave their pups alone on the rocks for briefly while they hunt for fish, squid and other seafood. Each year, well-intentioned, but misinformed people pick up or otherwise interfere with an “orphaned” seal. In turn, the pup (that waits patiently while its mother forages for their food before she returns) gets separated, then unknowingly absconded by an oblivious person.

Look for Harbor Seal rookeries in Bolinas Lagoon (Marin Co.) and Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (San Mateo Co.). Don’t approach too closely to the seals (especially if you are walking a dog) as you may disrupt their nursing or resting schedules.

Native Bees Prowling for Pollen (And Nectar)

Quick: what do you picture when you hear the word “Bee”? You probably think of Apis mellifera, the European Honeybee. But California has more than 1,500 species of its own native bees. Their sizes and colors are as varied as the plants on which they feed.

Native bees have evolved to hatch or come out of hibernation when their preferred food source is available. In spring, metallic green or blue bees in the genus Osmia and black bees of the genus Adrena appear in time to exploit early blooming flowers such as the California Poppy. Native bumblebees (genus Bombus) also make their debut early in the season — and you see them now as the largest bumblebees hovering close to the ground.

As the seasons change, so do the bee species and their preferred pollen and nectar plants. Wish to help native bees thrive? One way is to plant a variety of their favored flowering plants in your garden.

Professor Gordon Frankie and his students at the University of California –Berkeley have created a wonderful website filled with information about urban bee gardens: nature.berkeley.edu/urbanbeegardens/index.html

Seasonal Vernal Pools Shelter Vulnerable Species

Weeks and weeks of rain. Then months and months of dry, sunny weather. That’s California’s Mediterranean climate.

More exact, during the rainy season (typically November through March), where rain collects in grassland depressions (where impermeable layers of hardpan, claypan, or volcanic basalt occur) vernal pools form (i.e., temporary ponds). They may dry up and refill several times each rainy season.

Turns out the borders of these vernal pools host impressive colorful expressions of diverse wildflowers. In so doing, you’ll see rainbow-like concentric circles of vernal pool endemic wildflowers grow on the outer edges of pools. In turn, as water slowly evaporates as spring progresses, other flower species bloom as spring proceeds in relation to slowly-waning soil moisture.

Vernal pool wildflowers have descriptive names — Meadow Foam. Wooly Marbles, Button Celery, Butter and Eggs, to name just five. Joining them, invertebrates in impressive numbers occur in vernal pools. They provide food for birds, lizards, and other animals. These fragile habitats provide home to vulnerable, threatened, and endangered animals including the California Tiger Salamander, the Western Spadefoot Toad, and several species of fairy shrimp.

Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to native species, and vernal pools are themselves threatened by development. Today, only 13% of California’s vernal pools remain. Most of the best-preserved pools are privately owned by conservation organizations or land trusts.

In Northern California, both Jepson Prairie Preserve in Solano County and Mather Field in Sacramento County offer guided tours of their vernal pools in spring. For more information, visit http://www.vernalpools.org

Baby Time

Which animals give birth this month? A large variety. Watch for baby Western Tree Squirrels, Opossum, and Raccoons. We don’t usually get lucky enough to see newborn mammals because the mother or both parents typically hide their young from any potential predators. But you can sometimes see Western Tree Squirrel mothers transferring their babies from one tree “nest” to another or spot a family of Raccoons at night in your backyard (perhaps easiest accomplished while using an infrared light bulb to cast a glow that Raccoons ignore, but is bright enough for your own viewing pleasure).

For another notable exception, see the entry above about Harbor Seals.

Western Tree Squirrel: Newborns All Around

Even urban areas with sparse tree growth may host Western Tree Squirrel populations. Now’s an ideal time to see males competing for the attention of females. Two to five young are born this month where females have retreated to tree cavities. By June, the newborns are active (though not yet full grown, so you can tell them apart from adults).

They’re Back: Returning Migrants

During most breeding seasons, you can expect this month to feature a variety of migrating birds returning to coastal northern California in good numbers, including the House Wren, Warbling Vireo, Wilson’s Warbler, Pacific-Slope Flycatcher and Cliff Swallow.

Rare Bird Alert Hotline

Do you wish to see rare, accidental or early bird migrants in northern California? Call the “Bird Box” to find out at 415/681-7422. You may also record your own bird sighting reports at the same phone number.

Fluttering By: Butterflies and Moths

Now’s the time to watch for the appearance of various butterflies and moths. One of the most appealing is the Silkmoth (Saturnia mendocino), which wears a striking black-rimmed eyespot on each wing. Look for them most commonly in coastal and mountain chaparral.

Mountain Lookout: Birds Up High

Going to the California mountains this time of year? Be on the lookout for several species of birds: Williamson’s Sapsucker (a woodpecker that feeds on the sap of lodgepole pine during the summer but eats more insects in the winter), Black-backed Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee (that eats larvae of the lodgepole needleminer during the winter), Pine Grosbeak (less common in winter up high), Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Red Crossbill (also less common). The latter two species are year-round residents in Marin County, but they are never common to see, and are often detected initially by a birder’s ear tuned to the landscape.

Bon Voyage: Winter Resident Migration

Some winter resident birds in the Bay Area and northern California begin to leave now for breeding areas elsewhere, including species such as American Pipit and Cedar Waxwing.

Wake Up Call: Awakening From Hibernation

Which true hibernating mammals are getting closer to “waking up” from their long winter’s sleep? In foothill and mountainous areas of northern California, yellowbelly marmot, least chipmunk, California ground squirrel, and western jumping mice all hibernate. Some of these species may spend seven to eight months in a torpid state, though not all ground squirrel populations hibernate and many individuals in our area remain above ground or are active by January.

The Numbers Are In: Returning Bird Migrants

Migrating birds whose return to northern California typically occurs in higher numbers now (and into the first two weeks of April) include MacGillivray’s Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Yellow Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Lazuli Bunting, and Swainson’s Thrush. Excellent guides to birding in our area include “Birder’s Guide to Northern California” (Lolo and Jim Westrich, Gulf Publishing Co., 1991) and “Birding Northern Calfornia,” John Kemper, A Falcon Guide, Globe Pequot Press, 2001). You may also wish to find guided birding walks that are pre-scheduled on local Audubon chapter web sites that are accessed through http://www.audubon.org

(Click on the home page’s button titled “states and chapters” to access any local California Audubon chapter among the dozens listed.)

April, 2023

Sky Watch*:

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, April 14 – 23, 2023

Venus shines with Aldebaran and the Pleiades in late twilight. After sunset on the 20th, try to spot your record-breaking thinnest young Moon. And Leo walks west with a mouse-galaxy dangling from his chin.

(* = Enchanting views of my night sky in Novato, CA location are enhanced thanks to optic devices from Out of This World Optics, a Mendocino, CA binocular and spotting scope storefront and mail order company you may enjoying visiting at OutofThisWorldOptics.com)

Planets To See In April: (Courtesy of skyandtelescope.com)

Mercury is fading fast in the western twilight: from a modest magnitude +0.6 on Friday April 14th to an invisible (in the low twilight) +2.3 a week later. Early this week, use binoculars to help hunt for Mercury about two fists at arm’s length to the lower right of Venus.

Venus (magnitude –4.1, in Taurus) is the brilliant “Evening Star” in the west during and after dusk. It doesn’t set until two hours after full darkness. In a telescope Venus is a dazzling little gibbous globe (72% sunlit) 15 or 16 arcseconds in diameter. It’s gradually enlarging and waning in phase. It’ll be 50% lit by late May and a dramatic crescent from mid-June through mid-July.

Mars is crossing Gemini. Look for it high in the west in early evening, lower in the west later. It’s upper left of Venus by three or four fists at arm’s length, and below Pollux and Castor.

Mars has faded to magnitude +1.2, the same brightness as modest Pollux above it. But Mars shows a deeper orange tint.

Mars is nearly on the far side of its orbit from us, so in a telescope it’s just a tiny blob 5½ arcseconds wide.

Moon & Planet Rise & Set Times*

* = Courtesy of timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

Note: To see your area’s rise and set planet times, visit https://www.almanac.com/astronomy/planets-rise-and-set. Then, type in your city, state and zip code to see the results like mine below for 4/15/23 (at Latitude: 38:03:38 N, Longitude: 122:32:27 W, which is Novato, CA, 20 miles north of San Francisco, CA in Marin County):

Planetrise/Planetset, Fri, Apr 15, 2023

Body	Rises	Crosses Meridian	Illum.	Sets
Mercury	7:13 A.M. NE	2:18 P.M. 70°	28%	9:23 P.M. NW
Venus	8:27 A.M. NE	3:48 P.M. 74°	72%	11:09 P.M. NW
Mars	10:55 A.M. NE	6:23 P.M. 76°	91%	1:53 A.M. NW
Jupiter	6:34 A.M. E	1:01 P.M. 59°	100%	7:28 P.M. W
Saturn	4:36 A.M. E	10:02 A.M. 40°	100%	3:28 P.M. W
Uranus	7:39 A.M. E	2:36 P.M. 68°	100%	9:32 P.M. W
Neptune	5:30 A.M. E	11:24 A.M. 49°	100%	5:18 P.M. W
Pluto	3:02 A.M. SE	7:48 A.M. 29°	100%	12:35 P.M. SW


Planet	Rise	Set	Meridian	Comment
Mercury	Thu 7:01 am	Thu 8:05 pm	Thu 1:32 pm	Difficult to see
Venus	Fri 4:52 am	Fri 3:54 pm	Fri 10:23 am	Good visibility
Mars	Fri 4:37 am	Fri 3:10 pm	Fri 9:54 am	Average visibility
Jupiter	Fri 5:48 am	Fri 5:29 pm	Fri 11:38 am	Slightly difficult to see
Saturn	Fri 4:29 am	Fri 2:58 pm	Fri 9:44 am	Average visibility
Uranus	Thu 7:57 am	Thu 9:41 pm	Thu 2:49 pm	Extremely difficult to see
Neptune	Fri 5:50 am	Fri 5:32 pm	Fri 11:41 am	Extremely difficult to see

April 22-23, 2023: The Lyrids Meteor Shower

The Lyrid meteor shower – April’s shooting stars – lasts from about April 16 to 25. Lyrid meteors tend to be bright and often leave trails. About 10-20 meteors per hour can be expected at their peak. Plus, the Lyrids are known for uncommon surges that can sometimes bring the rate up to 100 per hour. Those rare outbursts are not easy to predict, but they’re one of the reasons the tantalizing Lyrids are worth checking out around their peak morning. The radiant for this shower is near the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra (chart here), which rises in the northeast at about 10 p.m. on April evenings. In 2023, the peak morning is April 22, but you might also see meteors before and after that date.

See the following web link for more information:

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/lyrids.html

Bay Area Bunny (and Hare) Trails

How do you tell a brush rabbit from a Califonia hare (also called California jackrabbit)? Easy. Our common Bay Area rabbit has a powderpuff-like white bunny tail. The hare is much larger and has large, long ears.

You tend to see brush rabbits in dense undergrowth.

Their brown pelage and small size provide camouflage as they rest

under brush and scrub during the day. At dawn and dusk they emerge to

feed on green plants. When threatened, brush rabbits thump their hind

legs against the ground to produce a warning sound. If pursued by a

predator, a rabbit will race away in a zig-zag pattern.

Unlike a brush rabbit, hares can jump up to 20 feet in a single bound, and it can run up to 35 mph when eluding a predator. Baby hares, called

leverets, are born with their eyes open and are ready to run shortly

after birth. In the Bay Area, look for brush rabbits at Sunol Regional Wilderness or in many other spots. Hares are commonly spotted along the Albany waterfront and at Mission Peak, among many other Bay Area locations.

The Sniffling Season

Green hills, golden poppies, and sneezing neighbors are three sure

signs that Spring has arrived in Northern California. While blooming

flowers are obvious visual harbingers that violate our noses, your allergies may be the result of other, more hidden enemies. Before poppies bloom, trees such as alder, ash, oak and juniper initially produce pollen.

On a windy day you can see clouds of golden dust billowing

from these mature trees. Just as trees wind down, a potpourri of grasses and flowers cast their sniffle-inducing spell. Fortunately, for seasonal allergy sufferers, April showers bring temporary relief from suffering, as rain washes pollen out of the air.

Lizards Arising: Western Whiptails

Throughout the state this month, watch for the emergence of reptiles, including Western Whiptails that become active after winter dormancy. At first sighting, don’t mistake the whiptail for a snake, despite their long, 13-inch body that slithers more like a miniature alligator.

As the only common whiptail in the state, you won’t find them easily along the Coast and instead need to explore inland, arid habitats. Here, the juveniles are the initial populations to become active, followed by adult males. The latter compete for females by establishing mating dominance among males that congregate together. Unlike many reptiles that become more difficult to spot as temperatures rise throughout the spring, whiptails remain active throughout much of the day.

Does a whiptail drop its tail as an escape strategy from a predator? Yes, but only in rare cases, and only if it cannot evade the grasp of its pursuer. Growing its tail again takes lots of energy and time, so a whiptail will typically instead bolt from a predator in the blink of an eye to prevent capture.

Butterfly Sightings?

If you’ve recently seen a butterfly species and wish to know if other people have witnessed the same kind or others, then visit a Web site link that is devoted to tracking the appearance of butterfly species throughout North America: http://www.naba.org/sightings/sightings.html

Mountain Beavers: A Family Of One

Have you ever seen a Mountain Beaver? Not many people have been lucky enough to observe these solitary rodents that are in a different family than the more common American Beaver that lives throughout North America. To find a Mountain Beaver, you have to search in moist habitats along the Pacific coast from northern California through Washington and into southern British Columbia, Canada. Little is known about mountain beaver behavior during the breeding season. Breeding activity occurs mainly from January to March with gestation lasting about 30 days. Young are born blind and hairless, weighing about 3/4 ounce (20 g). They develop incisors at about 30 days and are weaned at about 8 weeks. Young animals are often active in May. Females apparently do not bear young until they are two years of age.

As the only member of its family (Aplodontidae) and genus (Aplodontia) in North America, a Mountain Beaver leaves evidence of its presence in the form of packed ground that forms a trail next to its burrow within a forest canopy and/or thick understory. Mountain Beavers are active year-round, but a rare sight, perhaps primarily because their habitat is usually inaccessible and off-trail from where most hikers prefer to explore.

Skinks Underfoot

Look under a flat board or log now for the Western Skink, a common, yet secretive reptile that lives throughout northern California from sea level to 7,000 feet. Males wear a distinctive blue belly and join females in a variety of habitats, most commonly in open areas or places undergoing early regrowth of vegetation after logging. Mating occurs in spring soon after emerging from winter slumber.

Big Time: CA Giant Salamanders

CA Giant Salamander individuals are entering their peak breeding time in northern California. At lengths ranging from six inches to, rarely, 10-12 inches, this salamander is the largest in our area. They are year-round residents of north-central California (from southern Santa Cruz County to extreme southern Mendocino and Lake counties) that live up to 6,500 feet, primarily in humid coastal forests, and especially in Douglas-fir, redwood, red fir, and montane and valley-foothill riparian habitats. Look for aquatic adults and larvae in cool, rocky streams and occasionally in lakes and ponds.

Where do I go in Marin County, CA where I live to see this majestic, air-craft carrier-sized salamander? Bear Valley Creek in Pt. Reyes National Seashore is a fine spot to peruse for California Giant Salamander presence. Cascade Canyon in Fairfax is another place for seeing California Giant Salamander.

Roadside Mammal Sightings

Roadside mammal sightings now may seem more common for a good reason: Mothers are giving birth to babies, including those born to opossums. As the only pouched mammal (marsupial) in the USA, opossums often give birth to 14 embryos that have large hands to quickly crawl and attach to their mother’s 13 teats. Of course, in a tongue-and-cheek kind of way, this means the oversupply of babies for available teats makes opossums players of “musical chairs,” a game they have been playing for millions of years prior to the first appearance of evolved primates such as humans.

Everywhere and Omnipresent: Western Fence Lizards

Probably the most common reptile in California, the Western Fence Lizard is now more easily seen. This abundant, plainly-marked species begins courtship as early as March (and more commonly April), with copulations also occurring in May and June. Egg-laying after copulation typically occurs in two to four weeks (May through mid-July is the peak of egg-laying), and the incubation period is around 60 days. Found throughout California except in deserts (where it is confined to riparian areas), Western Fence Lizards live from sea level to 10,000 feet. Of course, like any common animal, populations of Western Fence Lizard may be locally rare if suitable habitat is removed as a consequence of development.

Aerial Acrobats: Swifts in Northern California

Although you can now see two species of swifts (Vaux’s and White-throated) that nest in northern California (including Marin County), the White-throated is more common until it begins to disperse and migrate by the end of July and early August, after which they become a more rare sight throughout autumn and into winter. According to studies, all species of swifts obtain their food exclusively while aloft. Copulation also occurs in the air. Such aerial feats make sense, as seeing a swift perched is an uncommon sight, given their underdeveloped feet and leg muscles that are weak in comparison to those designed for perching birds such as songbirds.

Wakeup Call: Emerging Marmots

Detecting obvious signs of global warming’s presence is indicated by changing hibernation dynamics in some mammal species. Consider that yellowbelly marmots (close relatives of woodchucks), which usually hibernate for eight months during the long winter at high altitudes, are emerging from hibernation earlier (38 days earlier over the past 23 years) and may risk starvation as they wait longer for snow to melt before they can feed.

May, 2025

Sky Watch:

1. Moon and planet watching:

Type in your location to learn moon and planet rise & set times at:

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

2. Sky events:

A thin crescent shape, the moon, is above a wavy line, the horizon. On the following evening, the crescent is higher. Jupiter lies between them. — On May 27, look for a very young waxing crescent moon – in some places less than 24 hours old – about 30 to 40 minutes after sunset. It’ll be very thin and challenging to spot in the bright twilight. Binoculars might help spot it. Jupiter will be near the moon. Then look for a slightly thicker crescent moon the following evening. Also watch for the lovely glow of earthshine on the unlit portion of the moon. That’s light reflected off Earth. Chart via EarthSky.

A crescent shape, the moon, is below to dots, the stars Castor and Pollux. — On May 27, look for a very young waxing crescent moon – in some places less than 24 hours old – about 30 to 40 minutes after sunset. It’ll be very thin and challenging to spot in the bright twilight. Binoculars might help spot it. Jupiter will be near the moon. Then look for a slightly thicker crescent moon the following evening. Also watch for the lovely glow of earthshine on the unlit portion of the moon. That’s light reflected off Earth. Chart via EarthSky.

Communal Housing: Heron and Egret Nest Choices

Why do Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, and Great Egret nest so close to their neighbors? Predator evasion may be one reason: many eyes are more likely to spot marauding hawks, crows, and other threats. Another possibility is that herons and egrets prefer to next close to their food source and nearby sturdy, tall trees may be in short supply. After birds find a choice piece of real estate, they remain loyal owners, as some colonies have been in use for more than 70 years!

Large nesting colonies (called rookeries) are sure to be host newborns this month. Some late arriving pairs of egrets and herons may still be courting.Their elaborate displays include flashing long, plume-like feathers that once were harvested for women’s hats — a practice that is now banned. Other egrets in the same rookerie tree may be incubating eggs. By the end of the month, some will be caring for newly-hatched chicks. In Bolinas (Marin County), Audubon Canyon Ranch is a great place to see dozens of Great and Snowy Egrets nest together, with the occasional Great Blue Heron also sometimes present.

Newborn & Nearby Elk Calves

From most spots in the Bay Area, did you know that you’re only an hour or two from seeing Tule Elk newborns? A visit to Point Reyes National Seashore is a great place to seem them. Within the park, take Pierce Point Road (instead of remaining on Sir Francis Drake Road that goes to the lighthouse) to its end. At the parking lot, follow the main trail where dozens of Tule Elk are soon often present.

When you see the spotted, spindly-legged newborn calves this time of the year, they weigh only 20-25 pounds at birth. Growing quickly, they run within a few weeks of birth, but still nurse for four months. In the fall, adult males weighing up to 700 pounds shed their antlers. Females are about three-quarters that size.

The Point Reyes population is introduced after unting and habitat loss once pushed California’s native elk to the brink of extinction. The Point Reyes populations and a few others throughout the state remain stable, thanks to land management and the establishment of wildlife preserves.

Return of the Terns

How many species of terns nest in the Bay Area? Two. Forster’s nest in the South Bay. Least, North America’s smallest tern, nests on Alameda Island in the Bay Area and in a few other Bay Area locations.

Annually, they migrate from California to Southern Mexico and back. By late April, adults arrive at their nesting sites. They prefer open, vegetation-free areas, above the tide line where their eggs will remain dry. But predators, such as raccoons and foxes, find some of the eggs. Habitat loss of prime nesting beach sites is another problem that has resulted in large population drops statewide. In fact, only 25-30 nesting sites remain in California.

The Least Terns you see now may have traveled as far as 2,000 miles. Males and females bond during a 2-3 week courtship. In California, the first eggs appear around May 15 and are incubated for 19-25 days. Chicks leave the nest when they are only two days old, but they aren’t fully independent for several months. By mid-July, the Bay Area’s Least Terns begin to depart for Mexico.

Migrating Swainson’s Thrushes

Northern California’s greatest abundance of Swainson’s Thrush arrive this month on their breeding grounds, joining April’s initial vanguard that returns from non-breeding areas in Mexico, Central America, and, even, perhaps, from as far south as mid-South America. Northern California’s populations have been studied less rigorously than eastern populations that complete a 3,000 mile from Panama to Canada. In an amazing effort spanning 34 years of tracking migrating thrushes in spring, W.W. Cochran’s discoveries inspired Martin Wikelski, a biologist at Princeton University in 1999, to measure how much energy thrushes expended in migratory flight.

Wikelski’s results were counter-intuitive to what common sense would suggest: the thrushes traveling north in spring spent less energy in flight than they did while resting and foraging during daytime layover episodes. In total, Wikelski and his collaborators found a typical thrush completed its long migration journey over 42 nights while averaging 4.6 hours per night flight of approximately 158 miles. Losing 0.3 calories per mile on average, each thrush’s heart beat about 840 times per minute while flying — a hyper-aerobic workout that failed to be as caloric intensive as the seemingly more loitering, casual effort required when merely perched or foraging.

Watching Radar To Follow Migrating Birds

Anyone with an Internet connection to the World Wide Web can use radar images to see whether migrant birds are aloft and how large their flocks are in abundance while heading your way. Visit the fascinating and well-respected Clemson University Radar Ornithology Laboratory Web site at http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/birdrad. These radar images are forecasts for East Coast viewers wishing to track spring migrants, but, nonetheless, it’s probably also fascinating for West Coast Web surfers to interpret how an evening’s weather pattern influences the movement of migrating birds.

An equally interesting source of migration information available through radar maps is operated by the College of DuPage in Illinois. The ideal time to look at its radar maps is two to four hours after sunset at http://weather.cod.edu/analysis/analysis.radar.html. At this time, you’ll be able to interpret the magnitude of migration and the direction and speed traveled by birds en masse by the different concentrations of colors appearing on each radar map.

Born Free: Northern Alligator Lizards

Northern Alligator Lizards are commonly seen now in a variety of forested habitats and montane chaparral from northwestern California, in the Coast Ranges south to San Luis Obispo Co. and in the Sierra Nevada Mountains south to the Kern River in southern California. Although mating probably occurs as early as mid-April, live alligator lizard young (in litters of 3-8) are typically born in August and September. As long as temperatures remain above freezing into November, these reptiles will roam free and usually disperse no more than five to seven miles from an original birthing area.

Rare Find: California Red-Legged Frogs

The federally threatened California Red-legged Frog breeds from March to July in northern parts of California and from January to July (peak in February) in the southern part of the state. It inhabits quiet pools of streams, marshes, and occasionally ponds where emergent vegetation provides hiding places. Look for this species west of the Sierra-Cascade crest and along the Coast Ranges the entire length of the state usually below 4,000 feet.

Wash First: Newborn Raccoons

Newborn raccoons born this time of year may number 2-7 in a litter. Do they and their parents truly wash their food? Sometimes, but dipping their meal is merely thought to be a tactic that helps them tell edible objects from non-edible items. There is no evidence from field observations to suggest raccoons attempt to clean off their prey by washing them with water before feasting. An excellent tactic to see raccoons closeup is to attract them to your backyard with a bowl of dogfood or graham crackers while shining the glare of an infrared bulb from above on the food attractant. Then, retreating to your residence and watching from a distance of at least 50 feet, wait patiently to see if raccoons arrive to take your bait.

Water Magnets: Attracting Birds To Your Yard

What’s one technique that may attract more birds to your yard? Try installing a backyard in-ground pond or above-ground water source. A perpetual spray or fountain that recycles water can attract birds drawn in by the sound of running water, especially passerines such as American Robin, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, House Finch, American Goldfinch and many others.

Better Late Than Never: Western Wood-Pewees Arrive

Western Wood-Pewees, one of our latest returning neotropical migrants, are now settling into breeding habitats such as woodlands, pine-oak forests, and river groves.

Got Skunks?

What is the strange scent in the air along roadsides? Perhaps you’re smelling night-active skunks whose home range may extend beyond 10 acres, within which a portion is used more often, including sheltering areas such as abandoned burrows of other animals. Skunks sometimes also dig their own burrow or use protected cavities underneath buildings. Some naturalists suggest mothballs work to repel skunks from habitually entering a shelter under, for example, a house or patio.

Care Package: Feeding Thirsty Hummingbirds Correctly

Changing sweet mixtures regularly every 2-3 days in hummingbird feeders becomes important as days grow warmer. Washing the feeder in hot water is also an important preventive measure to care for the health of hummers. A four to five parts water to one part sugar combination usually works best, though you may experiment (fun!) to judge which mixture is most often visited by hummingbirds. Bee and ant guards are a good idea to prevent potential problems. If you’re hanging more than one feeder, the best strategy (if possible) is to space them apart by at least 30-40 feet. This action may help prevent the guarding of two feeders by an overaggressive male hummer that defends the territory in between both feeders.

June, 2025

1. Moon and planet watching in June, 2025:

Type in your location to learn moon and planet rise & set times at:

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

2) June Night Sky (courtesy of EarthSky.org)

June 1: Venus greatest elongation from the sun

Chart with a starred dot representing Venus with a small dot sitting to its upper right. Both are above the wavy line of the horizon. — Venus will appear farthest from the sun in the morning sky at 4 UTC on June 1. Venus will be about 46 degrees, or 4 1/2 fist widths, from the sun. This position in its orbit is known as greatest western elongation. Each morning after this, Venus will move slightly closer to the sun. Also, the planet Saturn will be nearby. Chart via EarthSky.

June 1 evening: Moon near Mars and Regulus

A crescent shape, the moon, is directly above a small dot, the star Regulus. Another dot, Mars, lies to their right. They are all far above a line representing the horizon. — In the west as twilight ends, the waxing crescent moon will lie next to the bright star Regulus. Regulus is the brightest star in Leo the Lion. And the steady red light of similar brightness nearby is the planet Mars. They’ll set before midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

Catch Jupiter in early June before it disappears

A dot, Jupiter, is not far above a wavy line, the horizon. Two more dots, the stars Castor and Pollux, are above the first dot. — Jupiter will lie low in the west the first week of June; try to catch it in the bright evening twilight. Then it drops too close to the horizon to be easily viewed in the bright twilight. It’ll emerge in the morning sky sometime in July. It’ll lie below the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

June 3: 1st quarter moon

The moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 3:41 UTC on June 3, 2025. That’s 10:41 p.m. CDT on June 2. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

June 5 and 6 evenings: Moon and Spica

A fat hemisphere, the moon, passes a dot, the star Spica. — The waxing gibbous moon will pass the bright star Spica on the evenings of June 5 and 6, 2025. Spica is the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. Spica might be difficult to see in the moon’s bright glow. They’ll set a few hours before sunrise the next morning. What’s more, a few lucky observers will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Spica at 15 UTC on June 6. If you look outside then and don’t see Spica … that might be because it’s behind the moon! Details on the occultation here. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

A pair of planets in the June morning sky: Northern Hemisphere

Sphere chart showing two planets in the June morning sky: Venus and Saturn from the Northern Hemisphere. — Here’s the view from the Northern Hemisphere. There are 2 visible planets in the morning sky in June 2025. They will lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Try to catch them before dawn. Bright Venus will be the easiest to spot. Saturn blends in with 1st magnitude stars and moves farther away from Venus this month. Venus reached its greatest distance from the morning sun on May 31-June 1. It’ll remain visible in the morning sky through October. Chart via EarthSky.

June morning planets: Southern Hemisphere

Sphere chart showing two planets in the June morning sky: Venus and Saturn from the Southern Hemisphere. — The view from the Southern Hemisphere. There are 2 visible planets in the morning sky in early June 2025. They will lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Try to catch them before dawn. Bright Venus will be the easiest to spot. Saturn blends in with 1st magnitude stars and moves farther away from Venus this month. Venus reached its greatest distance from the morning sun on May 31-June 1. It’ll remain visible in the morning sky through October. Chart via EarthSky.

June 7 before dawn: Daytime Arietid meteor shower

Every year, we have meteor showers that are easy to observe. Just find a dark sky and look up! But what about meteor showers that happen in the daytime, when the sun is up? The Arietids are the most active daytime meteor shower. In 2025, their predicted peak is around the morning of June 7. You might catch some Arietids in the dark hours before dawn, shooting up from the horizon. A 1st quarter moon will not interfere. Read more about the daytime Arietid meteor shower.

June 7: Moon reaches apogee

The moon will reach apogee – its farthest distance from Earth in its elliptical orbit– at 11 UTC on June 7, 2025, when it’s 251,998 miles (405,553 km) away.

June 9 and 10 evenings: Moon pairs up with Antares

An almost full disk is next to a dot, the star Antares. On the next evening, a disk, representing the full moon, is to the lower left of the dot. — The nearly full moon will lie close to the bright red star Antares on the evening of June 9, 2025. It’s the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion. What’s more, a few lucky observers will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Antares at 11 UTC on June 10. If you look outside then and don’t see Antares … that might be because it’s behind the moon! Details on the occultation here. The next night, the full moon – the Strawberry Moon – will float near Antares. They’ll be visible all night. Antares might be difficult to spot because of the moon’s brightness. If you position yourself so the moon lies behind a utility pole, the star pops into view! Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

June 10-11 overnight: Full Strawberry Moon near Antares

Full Strawberry moon as a white dot near a red dot for Antares. — The crest of the Full Strawberry Moon will occur at 7:44 UTC on June 11 (2:44 a.m. CDT). Watch for it overnight on June 10 – 11. It’ll lie near the bright red star Antares, the heart of Scorpius the Scorpion. They’ll be visible all night. Antares might be difficult to spot because of the moon’s brightness. If you position yourself so the moon lies behind a utility pole, the star pops into view! Chart via EarthSky.

June 11 and 12 late evenings: Moon visits the Teapot

A fat hemisphere, the moon, passes through eight dots, representing the stars of the Teapot asterism. They are above the wavy line of the horizon. — The bright waning gibbous moon will hang low in the evening sky on June 11 and 12, when it passes through the Teapot asterism of Sagittarius the Archer. Its brightness will overpower the stars of the Teapot. They’ll rise several hours before midnight and be visible through dawn the next morning. Chart via EarthSky.

A pair of planets in the evening sky

Sphere chart showing two planets in the June evening sky: Mars and Mercury from the Northern Hemisphere. — As darkness falls, look for red Mars in the western sky, it’ll be visible all month. Then, starting the 2nd week of the month, Mercury will emerge low on the horizon. They will lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Mars will lie in front of the constellation Leo the Lion and set around midnight this month. Mercury will climb higher through early July before slipping away again. Look for Mercury 30 to 40 minutes after sunset. Chart via EarthSky.

Regulus and Mars closest in the evening sky

A dot, Mars, passing another dot, Regulus. — Here’s a binocular view of Mars passing Regulus – they’ll be 0.8 degrees apart – on June 16, 2025. Note that Mars and Regulus are roughly the same brightness. However, Mars shines with a steady light – like all planets do – and stars twinkle. Chart via EarthSky.

June 18: Watch for the last quarter moon

The moment of last quarter moon will fall at 19:19 UTC on June 18, 2025. That’s 2:19 p.m. CDT. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

June 18 and 19 mornings: Moon and Saturn

A hemisphere, the moon, passes a dot representing Saturn. — The last quarter moon will hang near Saturn on the mornings of June 18 and 19. Look for them before dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

June solstice in 2025

Idyllic scene of sunrise over the ocean beyond a large palm tree, with boats in the distance. — View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ann Murray of Frederiksted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands, captured this image in 2023. Beautiful! Thank you, Ann. The June solstice arrives at 2:42 UTC on June 21, 2025. That’s 9:42 p.m. on June 20 CDT. It’s the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

June 21 and 22 mornings: Moon and Venus

A crescent shape, the moon, is above a starred dot, Venus. On the next morning, the crescent is left of the starred dot, and right of five small dots representing the Pleiades star cluster. — About 40 minutes before sunrise on the morning of June 21, the thin waning crescent moon will lie near brilliant Venus. Then on the following morning, June 22, a thinner crescent moon will float between Venus and the delicate Pleiades star cluster. Also watch for the lovely glow of earthshine on the unlit portion of the moon. That’s light reflected off Earth. Chart via EarthSky.

Read more: Venus reached its greatest distance from the morning sun on May 31-June 1. It’ll remain visible in the morning sky through October.

June 23: Moon reaches perigee

The moon will reach perigee – its closest point to us in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 5 UTC on June 23, 2025, when it’s 225,668 miles (363,178 km) away.

June morning planets challenge

Sphere chart showing four planets in the June morning sky: Venus and Saturn, with plus signs for Uranus and Neptune from the Northern Hemisphere. — Do you like observing challenges? Have you ever seen Uranus and Neptune? Here’s the view from the Northern Hemisphere. There are 2 visible planets in the morning sky in June 2025. And there are 2 more planets in the morning sky that require optical aid. They will lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Try to catch them before dawn. Bright Venus will be the easiest to spot. Saturn blends in with 1st magnitude stars and is slowly moving farther away from Venus. Faint Uranus is emerging from the solar glare this month and will be challenging to spot. Distant Neptune will lie within 1 degree of Saturn from June 27 to July 17, and they’ll be close to each other in the sky for months to come. Chart via EarthSky.

June 24: Jupiter in conjunction with the sun

A small disk, Earth, is in front of a large starred dot, the sun. Behind the large starred dot is another large dot, Jupiter. — Jupiter will lie directly behind the sun from our point of view at 15 UTC on June 24. This point in its orbit is called superior conjunction. Jupiter will emerge in the morning sky in July. Chart via EarthSky.

June 24 evenings: Mercury, Pollux and Castor form a line

Three dots, Mercury, Pollux, and Castor, in a row above a wavy line, the horizon. — From the Northern Hemisphere, on June 24, 2025, shortly after sunset, Mercury will form a line with the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. Both stars will be dimmer than Mercury. Chart via EarthSky.

Three dots, Mercury, Pollux, and Castor, are in a near vertical row above a wavy line, the horizon. — From the Southern Hemisphere, on June 24, shortly after sunset, Mercury will lie in a straight line with the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. Both stars will be dimmer than Mercury. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

June 25: New moon

The moment of new moon will fall at 10:32 UTC on June 25, 2025. That’s 5:32 a.m. CDT. New moons rise and set with the sun. It’s the last of 5 new supermoons in a row for 2025. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze.

See the moon phases from new to full in this EarthSky community photo.

June 26 and 27 evenings: Moon, Mercury and twin stars

A thin crescent shape, the moon, is left of two dots, the stars Castor and Pollux. Another dot, Mercury, is left of the crescent shape. On the next morning the crescent shape is high in the sky. They are all above a wavy line, the horizon. — Shortly after sunset on June 26, 2025, the very thin waxing crescent moon will hang above the western horizon and will lie between Mercury and Pollux. And the other twin star of Gemini, Castor, will be nearby. Then on the following evening, June 27, the moon will be close to Mercury. They’ll set a few hours after sunset. Also watch for the lovely glow of earthshine on the unlit portion of the moon. That’s light reflected off Earth. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

June 28 and 29: Moon, Mercury, Mars and Regulus

A crescent shape, the moon, lies to the lower right of a dot, the star Regulus. On the next morning, the crescent is to the upper left of the dot. It is next to another dot Mars. One more dot, Mercury, lies to their far lower right. — Shortly after sunset on June 28, 2025, the waxing crescent moon will lie between Mercury and Regulus, with Mars nearby. Then on June 29, the moon will lie closer to Mars. What’s more, a few lucky observers will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Mars at 1 UTC on June 30. If you look outside on the night of June 29 and don’t see Mars … that might be because it’s behind the moon! Details on the occultation here. They’ll set a few hours after sunset. Chart via EarthSky.

A crescent shape, the moon, is immediately above a dot, Mars. — Here’s a binocular view of the crescent moon near Mars on the evening of June 29. Chart via EarthSky.

May stars

If you’re out stargazing on any May evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the sky.

Pointer stars of the Big Dipper pointing to Leo the Lion. — On May evenings, the Big Dipper is high overhead in the sky. The Big Dipper is an asterism – a well know pattern of stars – in the constellation of Ursa Major the Great Bear. It’s handy to locate the North Star, Polaris. And you can use the Big Dipper to locate Leo the Lion. Draw an imaginary line southward from the pointer stars in the Big Dipper – the two outer stars in the Dipper’s bowl – to point toward Leo the Lion. The brightest star in Leo is Regulus.

Star chart: Lines and dots outlining animal-shaped Leo, with star Regulus at bottom right. — On May evenings, near your zenith – overhead in the sky – you’ll see Leo the Lion in the sky in 2 parts. First, the stars making up a backward question mark represent Leo’s head, and it’s also known as the Sickle. And the triangle at the back represents the Lion’s hindquarters. Also, the bright star Regulus is the period at the bottom of the backward question mark. Even a medium-sized telescope can zoom in on the some of the dozens of galaxies visible in that region of the sky. Chart via EarthSky.

A triangle inside a triangle showing the two versions of the Spring Triangle asterism. On is Regulus, Arcturus and Spica. The other is Denebola, Arcturus and Spica. — The Spring Triangle is an asterism with 3 bright stars at its corners: Arcturus, Spica and Regulus. All 3 stars are in different constellations. Regulus is in Leo the Lion. Arcturus is in Boötes the Herdsman. And Spica is in Virgo the Maiden. Some stargazers see a smaller triangle of stars, this trio of the stars is made of Arcturus, Spica and Denebola, a star in Leo. Image via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

June stars

If you’re out stargazing on any June evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the evening sky.

Star chart: Constellation Boötes shaped like long narrow kite with 5 labeled stars. — The constellation Boötes the Herdsman is an excellent target for June nights. It’s shaped like a kite or an ice cream cone. And Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation. Chart via EarthSky.

Star chart of man-shaped constellation with bent arms and legs, and several labeled stars. — Hercules is a faint constellation. But its midsection contains the easy-to-see Keystone asterism, or star pattern. You can find Hercules between the bright stars Vega in Lyra the Harp and Arcturus in Boötes the Herdsman. And once you find the Keystone, you can easily locate M13, the Hercules cluster. Chart via EarthSky.

Star chart showing stars Vega and Arcturus in corners and small semicircle of stars between them, all labeled. — After nightfall and in the early evening, you’ll see Arcturus high in the east, noticeable for its brightness and yellow-orange color. Next, look for Vega rather low in the northeast. It’s a bright blue-white star. Then look for the Northern Crown between these 2 bright stars. It’s a bit closer to Arcturus. What’s more, you *might* see a new star appear sometime, when one of its stars suddenly brightens. Read more: When will the Blaze Star explode and how can I see it?

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

May evening planets

A large dot, Jupiter, is far above a wavy line, the horizon. Then the small dot has moved very close to the wavy line of the horizon. — Jupiter will lie in the west after sunset all month, and it will drop a little lower toward the western horizon each night. By the end of May, Jupiter will appear very low on the horizon as darkness falls. Chart via EarthSky.

Two charts showing a dot, Mars, moving past a circle representing the Beehive star cluster and towards a dot, Regulus. — In early May, Mars will lie in the southwest as darkness falls. It will be near the Beehive star cluster (M44) in Cancer the Crab. As the month progress, Mars moves away from the Beehive and toward Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

May morning planets

Chart with a starred dot representing Venus with a small dot, Saturn, sitting to its upper right. Both are above the wavy line of the horizon. — In late May, Venus will shine brilliantly in the east about 60 minutes before sunrise. And you’ll notice Venus and Saturn have moved apart. Chart via EarthSky.

June evening planets

Three charts showing a dot, Mars, moving past a dot representing the star Regulus. — In early June, **Mars** will lie high in the southwest near Regulus as evening darkness falls. On June 16, Mars will move closest to Regulus. Then as the month proceeds, Mars will move away from Regulus, but they’ll both be low on the horizon by month’s end. Chart via EarthSky.

Two charts. The first showing a wavy line, the horizon, below a dot, Mercury. Two more dots, the stars Castor and Pollux, are far above the first dot. The second showing a wavy line, the horizon, with three dots, Mercury, Castor, and Pollux, above it. — In mid-June, **Mercury** will lie low in the northwest shortly after sunset. It will be below Pollux and Castor, the twin stars of Gemini. By late June, Castor and Pollux have dropped to join Mercury. Mercury will reach its greatest distance from the sun on July 4. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

June morning planets

There are two charts. In the first showing the first half of June, a starred dot, Venus, lies above a wavy line, the horizon. In the second showing the second half of June, the starred dot approaches five small dots, the Pleiades star cluster. — In the first half of June before sunrise, **Venus** will lie low in the east. In the second half of the month, Venus will approach the delicate Pleiades star cluster. Venus will rise several hours before sunrise all month. Chart via EarthSky.

Chart showing a dot representing Saturn. — In June, **Saturn** will lie in the southeast before morning twilight begins. It’ll be rising shortly after midnight by month’s end. Chart via EarthSky.

Sky dome map for visible planets and night sky

Heliocentric solar system visible planets and more

Circle with sun at center, planets around, and zodiac names on outer edge. — Heliocentric view of solar system, May 2025. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2025 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

Some resources to enjoy

For more videos of great night sky events, visit EarthSky’s YouTube page.

Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to daily emails from EarthSky. It’s free!

Visit EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze to find a dark-sky location near you.

Post your own night sky photos at EarthSky Community Photos.

See the indispensable Observer’s Handbook, from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Visit Stellarium-Web.org for precise views from your location.

Almanac: Bright visible planets (rise and set times for your location).

Visit TheSkyLive for precise views from your location.

Visible planets: A swan flying in front of the light and dark bands of the Milky Way to signify Cygnus the Swan. — Attention amateur astronomers! Guy Ottewell’s popular and informative Astronomical Calendar for 2025 is available in both electronic and printed versions.

Bottom line: Visible planets and night sky guide. This evening, about 30 to 40 minutes after sunset, look for the very young waxing crescent moon near Jupiter. Binoculars might help spot the thin moon.

Posted

May 27, 2025

Astronomy Essentials

Marcy Curran

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About the Author:

Meet Marcy Curran, our voice of the night sky on EarthSky YouTube. Check out her popular short videos in the Sky category on our YouTube channel. When she’s not making videos, Marcy is an EarthSky editor, helping to keep our night sky guide up-to-date and just generally helping to keep the wheels turning around here. Marcy has enjoyed stargazing since she was a child, going on family camping trips under the dark skies of Wyoming. She bought her first telescope in time to see Halley’s Comet when it visited the inner solar system in 1986. She co-founded her local astronomy club and remains an active board member. Marcy taught astronomy at her local community college for over 20 years. She and her husband live in Wyoming, in a rural location, with an all-sky camera and super-good horizon views! And, their observatory will soon be ready to photograph the night sky.

John Jardine Goss

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About the Author:

“I can sometimes see the moon in the daytime” was a cosmic revelation that John Jardine Goss first discovered through personal observations at age 6. It shook his young concept of the universe and launched his interest in astronomy and stargazing, a fascination he still holds today. John is past president of the Astronomical League, the largest U.S. federation of astronomical societies, with over 24,000 members. He’s earned the title of Master Observer and is a regular contributor to the video series, “Global Star Party.” He has authored the celestial observing guides “Exploring the Starry Realm,” and “Carpe Lunam,” and “Take Your First Steps, an Introduction to Amateur Astronomy.” John also wrote for twenty years the monthly stargazing column, Roanoke Skies, for the Roanoke Times, and currently writes a bimonthly column, Skywatch, for Blue Ridge Country magazine. He has contributed to Sky and Telescope magazine, the IDA Nightscape, the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine, and the RASC Observer’s Handbook.

Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:

Our Editor-in-Chief Deborah Byrd works to keep all the astronomy balls in the air between EarthSky’s website, YouTube page and social media platforms. She’s the primary editor of our popular daily newsletter and a frequent host of EarthSky livestreams. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. “Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers,” she says.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

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About the Author:

Kelly Kizer Whitt – EarthSky’s nature and travel vlogger on YouTube – writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She’s been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children’s picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.

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March 29, 2025

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October 1, 2024

Bird Quiz

Pop bird quiz: How many species of warblers nest in northern California along and near the coast (e.g., Marin County)? During most breeding seasons, at least eight species breed annually in suitable habitat (Orange-Crowned, Yellow, Yellow-Rumped, Black-throated-gray, Hermit, MacGillivray’s, Common Yellowthroat, and Wilson’s). Irregular to rare annual breeders in n. CA may include Northern Parula, American Redstart (annual in far n.w. CA along the coast) and Yellow-breasted Chat. All eight in the initial list, above, may be seen during the non-breeding season, with the Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-rumped considered resident in Marin County.

Note, however, that some Yellow-Rumped populations may arrive from the north during the non-breeding season to displace Marin County’s higher altitude breeding populations of the same species. These individuals likely migrate south and don’t remain during the non-breeding season.

In our area, Orange-crowned is uncommon, yet not rare to see during the non-breeding season, while Hermit is often also seen, especially during the County’s annual Christmas Bird Count surveys conducted by volunteers. The least common species to see during the non-breeding season (December through March) from the list above (in descending order of abundance) are Yellow, Black-throated gray, Wilson’s, and MacGillivray’s). Nashville Warbler is sometimes seen as a transient migrant through the Bay Area, including occasional sightings during the West Marin Christmas Bird Count (West Marin CBC).

Final Avian Arrivals

In northern California, it’s a good bet that Western Wood Peewee and Common Nighthawk are the latest arriving avian migrants among species that do not overwinter in the state. According to the Point Reyes Bird Observatory Biologist Dave Shuford’s chart (Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas, Dave Shuford, Bushtit Books, Bolinas, CA 1993) that highlights the arrival of avian migrants in northern California (see http://www.warblerwatch.com and click on the “Bird Arrival Times” button), Western Wood Peewee may arrive in May and as late as early June during some years. Common Nighthawk is usually a June arrival, probably because their primary food resource — aerial insects of various species — do not bloom in abundance until this time.

What’s That Sound? Could It Be A Chipmunk?

Unlike the Sierra mountains where many species of chipmunks may be seen, the Sonoma Chipmunks is the only species of chipmunk you’ll see in coastal areas of northern California, including the San Francisco Bay area. Breeding from February through July, one litter is born per year consisting of three to seven young. Gestation occurs for 30 days in a pregnant chipmunk and individuals mature at around one year. Not surprisingly, people often mistake the soft chirping of the Sonoma chipmunk for a bird.

Blinded By The Light

On warm nights now and the rest of the summer, it’s wonderful to linger outdoors and gaze at the stars. There’s only one problem. It’s increasingly more difficult to see the stars through the glare discarded by people and their surroundings. Do you care about the increasing problem of light pollution that makes it more difficult to clearly spot celestial objects? If so, you might consider joining the International Dark-Sky Association. Call 520/293-3198 for more information or look at its Web site: http://www.darksky.org

Spotting Spotted Deer?

Will you still see young deer this late in the spring? Yes, it seems the normal range of births for deer extends into late June and beyond. I’ve seen white-spotted fawns well into July and, even, occasionally as late as August and September in our area, the burgeoning population due in part to the plentiful forage and ideal habitat that continues to expand as more suburban landscapes and their associated gardens displace forests, forest borders, and meadows.

Gray Fox: Dog Family Member All Around Us

On trails near urban areas throughout the Bay Area, you can often find the scat or tracks of gray foxes. (Many people may automatically assume these signs are from domestic dogs. Telltale signs of gray fox include the presence of hair and a sharp, tapered point at least one end of the scat.) More common than ever in our region, these solitary mammals may be active both day and night. Unlike other dog family members, the gray fox is able to climb trees where they may hang out during the day.

Coastal Nester: Western Gull

Which gull in California is the only species nesting along the coast (e.g., Marin County)? The Western Gull, which nests from southern Baja to Washington. Distinguishing this species from other gull species is not too difficult. Three field marks often give away their identity: pink legs, large bill, extremely dark gray backside/mantle. Note the lower portion of the bill has a small crook or angle near its end, a field mark that is called the “gonydeal angle.”

Attracting Mammals

Do you want to attract mammals into view in your backyard? One fun technique for doing so is to place a Q-tip (that has been dipped into musk oil or other animal-attracting oil potion) into the ground. Place a small circle of sand under the Q-tip so that you can see the tracks of the animals you attract. (You can order a large variety of animal attractant oil and vocal call devices from M & M Fur Co., 1-800-658-5554.)

July, 2024

1) Night Sky For July, 2024

To see planet rising times and which ones are present from your location, visit:

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

and

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/

2) EarthSky.org July, 2024 Night Sky Highlights:

(courtesy of earthsky.org)

A dot, Mars, lies to the upper left of another dot, the star Regulus. They both are above a wavy line, the horizon. — Mars can be found in the west as evening twilight fades. Nearby you will find the bright star Regulus. Mars is descending toward the sunset now, setting a few hours before midnight by month’s end. But it’ll hover in the west for some months to come. It’s also receding from Earth and will fade to 1.6 magnitude by the end of the month. Chart via EarthSky.

Early July mornings: Venus and Saturn

Sphere chart showing a starred dot, Venus, near the horizon line and another dot, Saturn, much farther from the horizon. — In the first few weeks of July, there are 2 bright planets in the July morning sky, Venus and Saturn. They will lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Try to catch them before dawn. Bright Venus, currently in the constellation Taurus, will be the easiest to spot but closest to the horizon and, therefore, rising later. Saturn, currently in the constellation Pisces, rises around midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

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July 15 and 16 mornings: Moon and Saturn

A hemisphere, the full moon, lies west of a dots, Saturn. On the next morning, the hemisphere is next to the small dot. — The waning gibbous moon will lie near Saturn in the early morning hours of July 15 and 16. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

July 18: Watch for the last quarter moon

The moment of last quarter moon will fall at 00:38 UTC on July 18, 2025. That’s 7:38 p.m. CDT on July 17. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

July moon phases and visible planets

Watch EarthSky’s Marcy Curran tell about the moon phases – and the morning and evening planets – for the month of July 2025. Check it out!

July 19 morning: Moon, Venus and Pleiades

A crescent shape, the moon, nears five very small dots, the Pleiades star cluster. A dot lies below them and a starred dot lies to their lower left. — On July 19 before sunrise, the waning crescent moon will be high in the sky with the lit portion of the moon pointing toward Venus. The ruddy star Aldebaran will be near Venus. And the Pleiades star cluster will glitter between the moon and Venus. Chart via EarthSky.

July 20 and 21 mornings: Moon blots out Pleiades with Venus nearby

A crescent shape, the moon, sits next to a number of small dots representing the Pleiades star cluster, which in turn are above more white dots, the Hyades star cluster and a starred dot, Venus. The following morning, the crescent has moved lower and above the starred dot, Venus. — Before sunrise on July 20, the waning crescent moon will float close to – and in front of – the Pleiades star cluster. They’ll be near brilliant Venus, the bright star Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluster. The next day, July 21, the moon will lie close to Venus, Aldebaran and the Hyades. They’ll create one of 2025’s most captivating morning scenes. Chart via EarthSky.

July 20 morning: Binocular view of moon passing through Pleiades

A crescent shape, the moon, lies immediately above a number of small dots, the Pleiades star cluster. An arrow points to the lower left of the crescent. — On July 20, the waning crescent moon will occult – or cross in front of – some of the stars of the Pleiades. Here’s a binocular view of the moon slowly passing in front of the stars of the Pleiades. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

And now there’s just 1 planet in the July evening sky

Sphere chart showing a dot, Mars, above the horizon line: Mars in the late July evening sky from the Northern Hemisphere. — Once Mercury leaves the evening sky in late July, Mars will be the sole visible planet after dark. Look for it in the west, and you’ll see it gets a bit lower each night. Mars will lie in front of the constellation Leo the Lion and set a few hours before midnight by month’s end. It will lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.

July 20: Moon reaches perigee

The moon will reach perigee – its closest point to us in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 14 UTC on July 20, 2025, when it’s 228,690 miles (368,041 km) away.

Late July morning planets

Sphere chart showing a starred dot, Venus, with a dot, Jupiter, below it near the horizon and a third dot, Saturn, far to Venus' right. — There will be 3 bright planets in the morning sky in late July. Venus is by far the brightest. Next is Jupiter low in the eastern sky; it’ll ascend a bit higher each day. And Saturn is in the southern sky. They will lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Be sure to keep an eye on Venus and Jupiter, they’ll have a close conjunction the 2nd week of August. Chart via EarthSky.

Late July morning planets challenge

Sphere chart showing a dot, Jupiter, near the east-northeastern horizon, a starred dot, Venus, to the upper left of the first dot. Then a plus sign, Uranus, is farther west, followed by another plus sign, Neptune, and a dot, Saturn. — There are actually 5 planets in the morning sky in late July, but you’ll need optical aid to find 2 of them. They will lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Try to catch them before dawn. Venus is by far the brightest. Next is Jupiter, low in the eastern sky. And Saturn is in the southern sky. Both Uranus and Neptune will require optical aid, but their locations near other bright planets will make them a bit easier to find. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

July 22 and 23 mornings: Moon between Venus and Jupiter

A crescent shape, the moon, sits left of a starred dot, Venus, On the next morning a thinner crescent shape is next to a dot, Jupiter. They are all above a wavy line, the horizon. — On July 22, before sunrise, the waning crescent moon will lie between brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter. The bright star Aldebaran is nearby and adds to this intriguing celestial scene. Then on July 23, the moon will be below Venus and close to Jupiter. Chart via EarthSky.

July 24: New moon

The moment of new moon will fall at 19:11 UTC on July 24, 2025. That’s 2:11 p.m. CDT. New moons rise and set with the sun. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze.

See the moon phases from new to full in this EarthSky community photo.

July 26 and 27 evenings: Moon, Mars and Regulus

A thin crescent shape, the moon, is left of a small dot, the star Regulus. On the next night, the crescent shape is between the first dot and another dot, Mars. They are all above a wavy line, the horizon. — On July 26, the very thin waxing crescent moon will float low above the western horizon soon after sunset. It’ll lie close to the bright star Regulus. Then, on the following evening, July 27, it will hang between Regulus and Mars. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Late July: Delta Aquariid meteor shower

The peak of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower is late July. But the shower rambles along steadily in late July and August, intermingling with the Perseids. The radiant – the point from which the meteors seem to originate – rises mid-evening and is highest in the sky around 2 a.m. So in 2025, watch in the moon-free evenings – after midnight – of late July to avoid moonlight. The first quarter moon falls on August 1st.

July 28 evening: Moon joins Mars

A crescent shape, the moon, is left of a small dot, Mars. They are both above a wavy line, the horizon. — On the evening of July 28, the waxing crescent moon will lie close to Mars as twilight darkens. Watch for them shortly after sunset. And look for a lovely glow on the moon. That’s called earthshine. It’s light reflected from Earth. Chart via EarthSky.

July 30 and 31 evenings: Moon and Spica

A hemisphere, the first quarter moon, is right of a dot, Spica. On the next night, its is left of the dot. They are all above a wavy line, the horizon. — The thick waxing crescent moon will pass Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden, on July 30. What’s more, a few lucky observers will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Spica at 6 UTC on July 31. If you look outside then and don’t see Spica … that might be because it’s behind the moon! Details on the occultation here. Then on the evening of July 31, the lit portion of the waxing crescent moon will point to Spica. Chart via EarthSky.

August 1: Mercury in inferior conjunction

Chart with ellipses and arrows showing Earth's and Mercury's orbit around the sun. A dot, Mercury, is between a disk, Earth, and a large starred disk, the sun. — Mercury will pass between Earth and the sun at 0 UTC on on August 1, 2025, reaching the point in its orbit known as inferior conjunction. It’ll emerge in the morning sky in August. Chart via EarthSky.

Join EarthSky’s Marcy Curran in a video preview of the stars and constellations visible in the night sky during the month of July 2025. Check it out!

July stars

If you’re out stargazing on any July evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the evening sky.

Star chart: Blue lines connecting labeled stars on black for 2 constellations, Draco and Little Dipper. — Tonight … if you have a dark sky, look for the constellation Draco the Dragon, starting at nightfall. At mid-northern latitudes, Draco is a circumpolar constellation, meaning it is out all night long every night of the year. Northern Hemisphere summer evenings are the best time to look, because this is when the Dragon’s flashing eyes (Eltanin and Rastaban) look down upon you from up high in the northern sky. And you’ll see this large constellation wraps around Ursa Minor, the Little Dipper.

Star chart showing constellation Lyra with stars and nebula labeled. — Almost overhead as darkness fall is the bright star Vega. It’s the brightest star in the constellation Lyra the Harp. It’s made of a triangle and a parallelogram. And next to Vega you’ll find Epsilon Lyrae, the famous Double Double star. Image via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Star chart: Summer Triangle shown in purple, with Cygnus constellation in blue over part of the triangle. — Watch for the famous Summer Triangle, now ascending in the eastern sky on these July evenings. The Summer Triangle isn’t a constellation. It’s an asterism, or noticeable pattern of stars. This pattern consists of 3 bright stars in 3 separate constellations: Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp, and Altair in the constellation Aquila the Eagle. Under dark enough skies, you’ll notice the Summer Triangle lies along the Milky Way.

July evening planets

A dot, Mercury, is above a wavy line, the horizon. To the upper left is another dot, the star Regulus. — In early July, Mercury will lie low in the west shortly after sunset. It’ll reach greatest elongation from the sun at 5 UTC on July 4. The bright star Regulus will be nearby. It’ll slip out of the evening sky sometime after mid-month. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

July morning planets

There are three charts. Three charts for July, showing dots for Venus and Jupiter and the 2 of them getting closer to each other. — In early July before sunrise, **Venus** will lie in the east between the star Aldebaran and the Pleiades star cluster. In mid-July, Venus will lie near Aldebaran and Jupiter will lie low on the horizon. Then in late July, Venus begins its long approach toward Jupiter. Venus and Jupiter will be closest to each other around August 12, which, coincidentally, is the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. Chart via EarthSky.

A dot, Jupiter, is not far above a wavy line, the horizon. A starred dot, Venus, lies to its upper right and a smaller dot, the star Aldebaran, to its upper right. — **Jupiter** will lie low in the eastern sky, becoming easier to spot by mid-July when it will rise in the bright morning twilight shortly before sunrise. Higher in the sky will be brilliant Venus and the orangish star Aldebaran. Chart via EarthSky.

A dot, Saturn, is below four smaller dots, the stars of the Great Square. — In July, **Saturn** will shine in the southeast in the morning sky. Saturn is the bright object below the 4 moderately bright stars that make up the Great Square of Pegasus asterism. Saturn will be rising a few hours before midnight by month’s end. And Saturn will reach opposition – when we fly between it and the sun – in September. It’ll be brightest around then and visible all night. Chart via EarthSky.

Returning Migrant Birds In July? Yes, Correct:

Visit San Francisco Bay shorelines this month to note the arrival of Arctic and Alaskan populations of Western and Least Sandpiper, northern California’s initial returning migrants that will spend the non-breeding season here or at points farther south. An interesting fact relates to how some tardy northward migrating Western and Least Sandpiper populations in June may actually pass early southward migrating male individuals belonging to the same species. Imagine this phenomenon happening infrequently, but when it does, it’s likely to happen in Washington or British Columbia coastal areas — and not as typical in the San Francisco Bay Area where the initial returning shorebirds/peeps usually return as early as the last week of June and in greater numbers during the initial two weeks of July.

Trailside Nest? It’s Probably A Wood Rat

The Dusky-Footed Wood Rat is a common small mammal that is often overlooked when people walk in woodlands. Active only at night, its presence is easily noticed by its often elaborate and conspicuous conical nest of twigs and branches that can grow two to three feet tall (as more twigs accumulate each year). The wood rat occupying a nest is solitary except for during the breeding season.

Hopping Around: Brush Rabbits

By now, you may see first-year brush rabbits on the landscape. Born from January through August in our area (with greater activity from March through June), young rabbits remain in their nest for two weeks. Females produce 2-4 litters per year, of 1-6 young (average 3-4).

Beating The Heat: California Ground Squirrel

Another common northern California mammal, the California ground squirrel (or Beecheyi’s ground squirrel), is more difficult to spot now because the dry, warm weather reduces vegetation as a food source and therefore induces estivation (“summer slumber”) in some individuals during this time of the year. From now through mid-winter, these 9-11 inch mammals may retire to a burrow until more green growth appears with the first rains and in mid-winter. At higher elevations, these squirrels hibernate from late October through May.

Wood-Warblers Leaving Already?

Do some warblers actually begin dispersing from their breeding areas already? Yes, and this movement includes populations of California-nesting Orange-Crowned Warblers that first disperse to higher altitudes in the foothill and the Sierra Madre Mountains (to the east and northeast of Marin County) where they feed and molt for a period before eventually migrating south in late summer and early autumn.

More Babies? Western Tree Squirrel

Tree squirrels may be having their second “hatch” of babies by now. Using tree cavities as birthing sites, the adults occasionally move the babies from one locale to another in the canopy.

Autumnal Exit: Migrating Birds

Be on the lookout for south migrating shorebirds and sandpipers as they begin their early treks back to wintering grounds from northern breeding areas. Likely first candidates to spot along ocean beaches and in esteros include Western and Least Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs (less common than Greater), Willet, Marbled Godwit, Black Turnstone, and, by the end of September, Dunlin. Curiously, it’s actually possible to see both north and southbound migrating birds this month. Go to Limantour Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore, for example, and it would be plausible to see late-migrating northbound Least Sandpipers passing by the first southbound migrating birds of the same species that have already bred to the north.

Hatching Butterflies

The hatching times of butterflies vary throughout the spring and summer. One excellent online resource for the butterfly breeding biology in the McLaughlin Reserve (in Napa and Lake Counties, northwest of Davis by two hours) is accessed at http://nrs.ucop.edu/reserves/mclaughlin/species/butterflypheno.htm. An excellent butterfly field guide that reveals hatching range times is “Butterflies Through Binoculars: A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Western North America,” by Jeffrey Glassberg.

August, 2025

Sky Watch:

1) Planet Highlights:

See planet rise and set times for your location by clicking here.

Or visiting:

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

2) Night Sky Highlights For August, 2025 (courtesy earthsky.org):

August 2 and 3 evenings: Moon pairs up with Antares

A hemisphere, the moon, is west of a dot, Antares. Then it is below the dot. — On August 2, the waxing gibbous moon will lie near Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion. Then on August 3, the moon and Antares will pair up. What’s more, a few lucky observers in parts of Polynesia, New Zealand, South America and Antarctica will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Antares at 2 UTC on August 4. If you look outside then and don’t see Antares … that might be because it’s behind the moon! Details on the occultation here. For everyone around the world, Antares might be difficult to spot because of the moon’s brightness. If you position yourself so the moon lies behind a utility pole, the star pops into view! They’ll set after midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

Start watching Venus and Jupiter now

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Watch for the return of Orion, ghost of the summer dawn

Look east in early August to see Orion the Hunter, one of the sky’s easiest-to-spot constellations, as darkness gives way to morning dawn. EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd shows you how to spot Orion and introduces Orion’s brightest stars. Watch in the player above or on YouTube. Prefer to read? Click here.

August 4 and 5 evenings: Moon visits the Teapot and direction of the galactic center

A fat hemisphere, the moon, is west of a eight small dots, the Teapot asterism of Sagittarius. Then it lies among those eight dots. They are all above a wavy line, the southern horizon. — On the evening of August 4, the waxing gibbous moon will glow near the Teapot asterism of Sagittarius the Archer. And it’ll lie in the direction of the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Then on the next evening, August 5, the moon will sit among the stars of the Teapot. The moon’s brightness will likely prevent you from seeing the dimmer stars of the Teapot. Note the region of sky the moon is in on August 4 and then come back a few nights later, after the moon has moved on, to spot the Teapot. Chart via EarthSky.

August 6 evening: Moon visits the Teapot

A nearly round disk, the moon, is east of eight small dots, the Teapot asterism of Sagittarius. They are all above a wavy line, the southern horizon. — On the evening of August 9, the bright waxing gibbous moon will glow near the Teapot asterism of Sagittarius the Archer. The bright moon will likely drown out the dimmer stars of the Teapot. They’ll set a few hours before sunrise. Chart via EarthSky.

Overnight August 8-9: Full Sturgeon Moon

Large white dot for the full Sturegon Moon on August 8. — As twilight darkens in the west on August 8, the full Sturgeon Moon will glow brightly in the east. The crest of the full moon will occur at 7:55 UTC on August 9. That’s 2:55 a.m. CDT. So it’ll be fullest on the morning of August 9. The full moon will be visible all night. Chart via EarthSky.

August 11 and 12 mornings: Moon and Saturn

A fat hemisphere, the moon, approaches then passes a dot, Saturn. They are all above a wavy line, the horizon. — Late in the evening of August 11 and 12, the waning gibbous moon will join Saturn in the evening sky. They’ll rise after sunset and be visible through dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

August 12 morning: The Venus and Jupiter Spectacular Conjnction!

A dot, Jupiter, is next to a starred dot, Venus. They are both above a wavy line, the horizon. — On August 12, brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter make a dynamic duo as they pass close to each other in the morning sky. They’ll create a spectacular scene in the east before sunrise. At their closest, they’ll be less than 1 degree apart. So if you extend your pinky at arm’s length, you’ll be able to hide both the planets behind it. Don’t miss this conjunction! It happens to occur just as the 2025 Perseid meteor shower is reaching its peak. The planetary duo rises a few hours before sunrise. Chart via EarthSky.

Mornings of August 11, 12 and 13: Perseids peak in moonlight

The peak mornings of the 2025 Perseid meteor shower are August 11, 12 and 13. In 2025, a bright waning gibbous moon will hinder meteor viewing. Stand with your back to the moon for better meteor viewing. Or stand in the shadow of a barn or mountain. The Perseids typically produce some 60 meteors per hour. But most of those will be washed out by bright moonlight in 2025. You might see about a dozen meteors per hour. Just remember, it’s not about the count! It’s about enjoying the sights and sounds and smells of nature at night in a rural location, and even one bright meteor can make it all worthwhile.

Read about watching meteors in moonlight: 6 tips for when the moon is out

August 14: Moon reaches perigee

The moon will reach perigee – its closest point to us in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 18 UTC on August 14, 2025, when it’s 229,464 miles (369,288 km) away.

August 15 and 16 mornings: Moon and Pleiades

A hemisphere, the moon, approaches five very small dots, the Pleiades. — In the early morning hours of August 15 and 16, the almost last quarter moon will approach the Pleiades star cluster. Follow them after midnight through dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

August 16: Watch for the last quarter moon

The moment of last quarter moon will fall at 5:12 UTC on August 16, 2025. That’s 12:12 a.m. CDT. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

August 17 and 18 mornings: Moon and 3 bright stars

A crescent shape, the moon, is between two dots, Capella and Aldebaran. Then it is between two dots, the aforementioned Capella and Betelgeuse. — In the early morning hours on August 17, the waning crescent moon will move between the bright stars Capella and Aldebaran. On the following morning, August 18, it will lie between Capella and Betelgeuse. Watch for them after midnight through dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Late August mornings: 4 visible planets

Sphere chart showing a small dot, Mercury, just above a wavy line, the horizon. Above it is a starred dot, Venus, then a dot, Jupiter. Almost completely across the sphere is a dot, Saturn. — In the last few weeks of August, there will be 4 planets in the early morning sky. Here’s the view of Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. You can catch Venus and Jupiter before dawn. Mercury might be visible in the morning twilight. Saturn is visible most the night. And the planets all lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.

Late August mornings: Planet parade challenge

Sphere chart showing a small dot, Mercury, just above a wavy line, the horizon. Above it is a starred dot, Venus, then a dot, Jupiter. Above that is a plus sign, Uranus, then another plus sign, Neptune, next to another dot, Saturn. — For those with optical aid, there will be 6 planets in the early morning sky the last few weeks of August. And you can see 4 of the planets with your eyes alone. Here’s the view from the Northern Hemisphere. You can catch Venus and Jupiter before dawn and through the brightening twilight. You might spot Mercury hiding in the morning twilight. Saturn is visible most the night but will fade from view by dawn. To see Uranus and Neptune, you’ll need to use binoculars or a small telescope. Uranus lies between Venus and Saturn. And Neptune lies close to Saturn. The planets are all along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

August 19: Mercury farthest from the morning sun

Star chart for Northern Hemisphere viewers showing a dot, Jupiter, above a starred dot, Venus. Both are above a small dot, Mercury, which lies immediately above the wavy line of the horizon. — In late August, for Northern Hemisphere viewers, brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter are near Mercury. Mercury will reach its greatest distance from the morning sun – or greatest western elongation – at 10 UTC on August 19. It will be 19 degrees from the sun then. Chart via EarthSky.

August 19 and 20 mornings: Moon, Venus, Jupiter and stars

A crescent shape, the moon, is above a dot, Jupiter, which is above a starred dot, Venus. To their left are two small dots, the stars Castor and Pollux, and to their lower right is another dot, the star Procyon. They all are above a wavy line, the horizon. — In the early morning hours on August 19, the waning crescent moon will hang near Jupiter with brilliant Venus shining nearby. On the following morning, August 20, a slender crescent moon will hang between brilliant Venus and the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. And the bright star Procyon, of Canis Minor, shines nearby. Watch for them several hours before sunrise. Chart via EarthSky.

August 21 morning: Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and stars

A thin crescent shape, the moon, is above a small dot, Mercury, which lies above a wavy line, the horizon. Above them all is a starred dot, Venus, and a dot, Jupiter. — In the early morning hours on August 21, the thin waning crescent moon will lie below brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter and close to Mercury in the bright twilight. Nearby you’ll spot the bright star Procyon and the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. Watch for them before dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

August 23: New moon

The moment of new moon will fall at 6:06 UTC on August 23, 2025. That’s 1:06 a.m. CDT. New moons rise and set with the sun. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze.

See the moon phases from new to full in this EarthSky community photo.

August 25 and 26 evenings: Moon, Mars and Spica

A thin crescent shape, the moon, is above a wavy line, the horizon. Above it is a dot, Mars, and to their left is another dot, the star Spica. On the next evening, the crescent shape moves between the two dots. — Shortly after sunset on August 25, the thin waxing crescent moon moon will float just above the western horizon. It will lie near Mars in the evening twilight. Nearby is the bright star Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. Then, on the following evening, the crescent moon – full with earthshine – will shine between Mars and Spica. Chart via EarthSky.

August 27 evening: Moon and Spica

A crescent shape, the moon, is left of a dot, the star Spica. They are both above a wavy line, the horizon. above a wavy line, the horizon. — As darkness falls on August 27, a waxing crescent moon and the bright star Spica will lie low on the southwestern horizon. What’s more, a few lucky observers in parts of South America and Antarctica will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Spica at 15 UTC on August 27. If you look outside then and don’t see Spica … that might be because it’s behind the moon! Details on the occultation here. Chart via EarthSky.

August 29: Moon reaches apogee

The moon will reach apogee – its farthest distance from Earth for the second time this month in its elliptical orbit – at 16 UTC on August 29, 2025, when it’s 251,374 miles (404,548 km) away.

August 28 and 29 evenings: Moon near Zubenelgenubi

A hemisphere, the moon, approaches and passes a dot, the star Zubenelgenubi. They lie above a wavy line, the horizon. — On the evenings of August 28 and 29, the waxing crescent moon will float near a star with a strange sounding name – Zubenelgenubi – low in the south. It’s in the constellation Libra the Scales. They’ll set a few hours after sunset. Chart via EarthSky.

August 30 and 31 evenings: Moon pairs up with Antares

A hemisphere, the moon, is west of a dot, Antares. On the next evening, it is east of the dot. — On the evenings of August 30 and 31, the approximately half-lit moon will approach and then pass the bright red star Antares. What’s more, a few lucky observers in parts of Africa, Madagascar, Kerguelen Islands, Antarctica and New Zealand will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Antares at 11 UTC on August 31. If you look outside then and don’t see Antares … that might be because it’s behind the moon! Details on the occultation here. But if you don’t live where the occultation is happening and still can’t see Antares, try positioning yourself so the moon lies behind a utility pole. Now see if the star pops into view! They’ll set before midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

August 31: 1st quarter moon

The moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 6:25 UTC on August 31, 2025. That’s 1:25 a.m. CDT. Did you know you can see an X and V on the 1st quarter moon? Here’s how to see them. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

August stars and constellations

If you’re out stargazing on any August evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the evening sky.

Sky chart showing Cygnus looking like a sideways cross with 2 stars labeled. — If you have a dark sky, it’s easy to observe the edgewise view into our own galaxy – our Milky Way – spanning across the heavens. Need help finding it? Look toward the constellation Cygnus the Swan. You might know this constellation by its asterism, the Northern Cross. The Swan swims along the Milky Way. Its brightest star is Deneb, the Swan’s Tail. Additionally, the constellation Cygnus contains one of the most beloved double stars in the sky, Albireo, which appears blue and gold.

Star chart showing constellation Lyra with 4 stars and a nebula labeled. — The constellation Lyra the Harp is another summer favorite. It consists of a triangle and a parallelogram. Its brightest star is Vega. Then, look next to it for the famous Epsilon Lyrae, the Double Double Star, really 4 stars in all.

Star chart of a stretched diamond shape with a tail from the wide edge, with labels. — Aquila the Eagle is home to the star Altair, which is one of the corners of the Summer Triangle. In addition, you can also use Aquila to starhop your way to the Wild Duck Cluster in Scutum. Image via EarthSky.

Sky chart with large purple triangle with star Vega at top and small constellation Lyra below Vega. — This chart shows the 3 stars of the Summer Triangle in the evening sky, looking east. Note the size of Vega’s constellation, Lyra. So the Summer Triangle is big! A 12-inch (1/3-meter) ruler, placed at an arm’s length from your eye, will span the approximate distance from Vega to the star Altair. And an outstretched hand with thumb and pinky spread will fill the gap between Vega and Deneb. You can see the Summer Triangle in the evening from around May through the end of every year.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

August morning planets

There are three charts. In the first, a starred dot, Venus, lies above a smaller dot, Jupiter. Both are above a wavy line, the horizon. In the second, the dot and starred dot are near each other with the dot being above the starred dot. In the third, the dot, Jupiter, is quite above the starred dot, Venus. — In early August, before sunrise, brilliant **Venus** will lie in the east above bright **Jupiter**. They’ll rise a few hours before sunrise. Plus, they’ll make a dynamic duo when they will lie closest to each other around August 12, which, coincidentally, is the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. After their eye-catching close encounter, Jupiter will climb higher each day and move away from brilliant Venus. Both Venus and Jupiter will float among the stars of Gemini the Twins, with Venus moving in front of Cancer the Crab later in the month. Chart via EarthSky.

Sky dome map for visible planets and night sky

September, 2025

Please check back after September 1, 2025 for accurate information.

September 5 morning: Mercury greatest distance from sunrise

Mercury reaches its greatest elongation – greatest distance from the sunrise – at 3 UTC on September 5, 2024. Look east at dawn. It’ll brighten through most of September before disappearing from the morning sky before the end of the month. This will be the best morning apparition of Mercury for the Northern Hemisphere this year. Southern viewers can see it too.

September 8: Saturn at opposition

Earth will fly between the sun and Saturn on September 8, 2024, placing the ringed planet at opposition – opposite the sun – in our sky. And that’s the best time to watch Saturn. Saturn is rising in the east at sunset and is visible all night. Then, for the rest of 2024, Saturn will remain visible in the evening sky. It’ll finally disappear in the sunset glare in February 2025.

Watch a video of Saturn at its brightest.

September 8 to 10 mornings: Mercury and Regulus pair up

Mercury will pass the much dimmer star Regulus from September 8 to September 10, 2024. Look low in the eastern morning twilight about 40 minutes before sunrise. Here’s a binocular view for September 8 to 10. They will be 0.5 degrees apart – the width of a full moon – on September 9.

Mercury and Regulus on September 8–10. — Chart via EarthSky.

September 9 and 10 evenings: Moon near Antares

As the waxing crescent moon nears 1st quarter, it will move through Scorpius the Scorpion on the nights of September 9 and 10, 2024. It will lie closest to the bright red star Antares on September 10. Observers in parts of Africa, Madagascar, Kerguelen Island, Australia and Indonesia will see the moon occult Antares at 13 UTC on September 10. They’ll be visible until a little after 10 p.m. your local time.

Moon on September 9 and 10 near Antares and Scorpius. — Chart via EarthSky.

September 11: 1st quarter moon

The moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 6:06 UTC (1:06 a.m. CDT) on September 11, 2024. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for it high in the sky at sundown.

September 11 and 12 evenings: Moon near Teapot

On September 11 and 12, 2024, the waxing gibbous moon will glow low in the south as it moves through the Teapot, an asterism in Sagittarius the Archer. The moon’s glow may make spotting the Teapot difficult. They’ll be visible until around midnight your local time.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Moon on September 11 and 12 near the Teapot of Sagittarius. — Chart via EarthSky.

September 15 and 16 evenings: Moon near Saturn

The bright waxing gibbous moon will hang near Saturn in the east after sunset on September 15 and 16, 2024. Observers in the western United States, Australia, western Canada and northwestern Mexico will see the moon occult Saturn at 10 UTC on September 17. They’ll set a few hours before dawn.

Moon on September 15 and 16 near Saturn. — Chart via EarthSky.

September 17 overnight: Super Harvest Moon and partial lunar eclipse

The moment of full moon will fall at 2:34 UTC on September 18, 2024 (9:34 p.m. CDT on September 17). A full moon rises opposite the sunset, is highest in the sky at midnight and lies low on the western horizon opposite the sunrise. This is the second of four supermoons in a row. And it’s the Harvest Moon, plus there’s a partial lunar eclipse. The moon will be partly eclipsed from 9:12 p.m. CDT to 10:16 p.m. Only 8% of the moon’s disk lies in the dark umbral shadow at mid-eclipse, which happens at 9:44.

White dot for the full Super Harvest Moon on September 17. — Chart via EarthSky.

September 18: Moon reaches perigee

The moon will reach perigee – its closest point in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 13 UTC (8 a.m. CDT) on September 18, 2024, when it’s 222,007 miles (357,286 km) away. High tides possible.

September 20 overnight: Neptune at opposition

Neptune, visible only in telescopes, will be at its closest point to Earth on the overnight of September 20, 2024.

September equinox: September 22

The September equinox will arrive at 12:44 UTC today. The sun will be exactly above Earth’s equator, moving from north to south. It’s autumn for the Northern Hemisphere and spring for the Southern Hemisphere.

September 22 morning: Moon near Jupiter, Aldebaran and the Pleiades

On the morning of September 22, 2024, the waning gibbous moon will lie close to the bright planet Jupiter. The 3rd quarter moon will pass the Pleiades. Plus the fiery red star Aldebaran, the Eye of Taurus the Bull, will shine nearby. They’ll rise before midnight and be visible through dawn.

Moon on September 22 near Jupiter and Aldebaran and close to the Pleiades. — Chart via EarthSky.

September 23 and 24 mornings: Moon near Jupiter, Mars and 3 bright stars

The 3rd quarter moon on the mornings of September 23 and 24, 2024, will slide by bright Jupiter. Red Mars will lie nearby. Also, look for the bright stars Capella, Aldebaran and Betelgeuse. Plus the shimmering glow of the Pleiades star cluster is nearby. They’ll rise before midnight and be visible through dawn.

Moon on September 23 and 24 near Jupiter, Mars, Capella, Aldebaran, Betelgeuse and the Pleiades. — Chart via EarthSky.

September 24: Last quarter moon

The moment of last quarter moon will fall at 18:50 UTC (1:50 p.m. CDT) on September 24, 2024. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and will set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.

September 25 and 26 mornings: Moon near Mars, Castor, Pollux and Procyon

On the mornings of September 25 and 26, 2024, the waning crescent moon will lie near Mars and pass the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. The bright star Procyon in Canis Minor the Lesser Dog will shine nearby. They’ll rise after midnight and be visible through dawn.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Moon on September 25 and 26 near Mars, Pollux, Castor and Procyon. — Chart via EarthSky.

September 27 and 28 mornings: Moon buzzes the Beehive

As eastern twilight begins to brighten on September 27, 2024, the waning crescent moon will move close to the faint Beehive star cluster. In a dark sky, the Beehive is an easy target with binoculars. On the morning of September 28, the moon will hang between the Beehive and Leo the Lion’s brightest star Regulus. They will lie low on the horizon. They’ll rise a few hours after midnight.

Moon on September 27 and 28 near the star cluster the Beehive and Regulus. — Chart via EarthSky.

September 27 morning: Moon and Beehive binocular view

Binoculars will help show the Beehive star cluster next to the waning crescent moon on the morning of September 27, 2024.

Moon and the Beehive star cluster on September 27 as viewed through binoculars. — Chart via EarthSky.

September 29 and 30 mornings: Moon and Regulus

On the final two mornings of September 2024, the waning crescent moon will float in the eastern morning sky. On September 29, 2024, it will lie next to the star Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. And on September 30, the moon will hang low the eastern horizon. The dark portion of the moon will be glowing with earthshine. That’s reflected light from the Earth. Look for them about 75 minutes before sunrise.

Moon on September 29 and 30 near the star Regulus. — Chart via EarthSky.

September 30: Mercury at superior conjunction

Mercury will move along the far side of its orbit, and will reach superior conjunction – on the opposite side of the sun – on September 30, 2024.

Mercury at superior conjunction on September 30 shown with ellipses for orbits of Earth and Mercury around the sun. — Chart via EarthSky.

Stars and constellations high in the sky during September

If you’re out stargazing on any September evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the sky.

Cassiopeia

You can find Cassiopeia the Queen in the northeast around the month of September. It is composed of five moderately bright stars that form a distinctive M or W. If you have a dark sky, look below Cassiopeia for a famous binocular object. This object is called the Double Cluster in Perseus.

Cepheus

On September evenings, the house-shaped constellation Cepheus lies upside down in the northern sky. It’s between the W shape of Cassiopeia and the Little Dipper.

Lyra

Here’s the constellation Lyra the Harp. It’s made of a triangle and a parallelogram. Its brightest star is Vega. And next to it you’ll find Epsilon Lyrae, the famous Double Double star. Through a telescope you can see a famous planetary nebula: M57, the Ring Nebula.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

September morning planets

In September 2024, Jupiter will shine brightly at the center of a triangle formed by the bright stars Capella, Aldebaran and Betelgeuse. Mars and the shimmering glow of the Pleiades star cluster are nearby. Jupiter rises before midnight local time and is prominent through dawn. Jupiter will be closest and brightest for 2024 in December.

Jupiter in September inside a triangle formed by the three stars Capella, Aldebaran and Betelgeuse.. — Chart via EarthSky.

In September 2024, red Mars will continue moving away from Jupiter and it will slide toward the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. Also nearby is the ruddy star Betelgeuse. It’ll rise after midnight and is more obvious in the sky before dawn. It’ll be at its closest and brightest again in January 2025.

White dot for Jupiter and red line for Mars in September. The stars Pollux, Castor and Betelgeuse are nearby. — Chart via EarthSky.

In September 2024, Mercury will lie low in the bright eastern twilight about 40 minutes before sunrise. It will reach its greatest elongation – greatest distance from the sunrise – on September 5, 2024. It will float closest to the star Regulus on September 9, and will slip out of view after mid-September. It’ll brighten through September before disappearing from the morning sky near the end of the month. This will be the best morning apparition of Mercury for the Northern Hemisphere this year. Southern viewers can see it too.

Mercury in September as a white dot with arrow showing its path and Regulus nearby. — Chart via EarthSky.

September all night planet: Saturn

In September 2024, Saturn will lie low in the east shortly after sunset and be visible all night until dawn. It will reach its closest point to Earth on September 8 when it will lie directly opposite the sun from Earth. The best time to watch Saturn is around its opposition. Saturn is rising in the east at sunset and is visible all night. Afterward, for the rest of 2024, Saturn will remain visible in the evening sky. It’ll finally disappear in the sunset glare in February 2025.

Saturn in September as a white dot. — Chart via EarthSky.

September evening planet: Venus

In September 2024, Venus will lie low along the western horizon shortly after sunset. On September 4 and 5, the thin waxing crescent moon will float near Venus. In the middle of the month, Venus will lie near Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. They are at their closest on the evening of September 17. During the rest of the month, bright Venus will shine low in the southwest shortly after sunset. Venus will continue to ascend and become a dazzling evening star through the end of the year. It’ll reach its greatest distance from the sun in January 2025.

Venus as a white dot in September with a white dot for Spica nearby and the moon on September 4 and 5. — Chart via EarthSky.

. . .And The First Hibernating Mammal Is?:

You were correct if you said Yellowbelly Marmot (Marmota flaviventris), an inhabitant of high altitudes that turn cool early in southeastern, eastern, and northeastern California. Some individuals of this species may begin hibernation in August, prior to which they begin estivation as early as June (!). A mammal that begins hibernation in September is the Western Jumping Mouse (Zapus princeps), which has a breeding range that extends from New Mexico north to Alaska and the Northwest Territories. The northernmost populations probably enter hibernation prior to southern individuals, with northern California populations possibly entering their winter “sleep” phase in mid- to late-October.

Given this mammal’s breeding range does not include Marin County, it’s likely that our only hibernating mammals could be the Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) and some localized populations of California Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi). Least Chipmunks (Eutamias minimus) in far eastern and northeastern California also hibernate, as do some Whitetail Antelope Squirrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus) populations in northeastern California.

Secret Code: Fireflies In California? Elsewhere?

Does California host fireflies like much of the rest of the USA? Yes, but our species do not have the ability to create bioluminescent light patterns. Elsewhere in the USA (especially in the Midwest/East), watch for the pulsing light show of fireflies in meadows, fields and forest borders. The aerial flights of flashing light are made by male fireflies only. Females may respond in kind from their perches on the ground. Males checkout the light pattern emitted from females by flying closer, then mating if the flashing pattern is acceptable. If you see a different pattern of flashing light from a firefly, it may be another species. You can attempt to distinguish species from one another by noticing the number, duration and time lapse between flashes.

Bats: Lucky 13 In The Bay Area

How many species of different bats can be found in California? Twenty-one, according to a checklist compiled by Daniel F. Williams (Dept. of Biological Sciences, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA 95382; see http://arnica.csustan.edu/esrpp/calilist.htm). Approximately 13 of these species can be seen in the San Francisco Bay Area. At least 40 species of bats occur in N. America, some of which are threatened or endangered.

Migrating Butterflies I Have Known

Besides monarchs, who are the other migrating butterflies? Two of them are the painted lady and red admiral. High ridges are especially good vantage points to spot monarchs moving south. Butterfly watchers in the East and Midwest will see monarchs on their trips south to where they will remain throughout the winter in the Transvolcanic Mountain range of central Mexico. Western populations of migrating monarchs often congregate together in huge colonies along the central California coast (e.g., Pacific Grove near Monterey, CA).

We’re Outta Here: En Masse Exit

Now is the time to notice “staging” behavior of some birds. Swallows and nighthawks, for example, congregate in large groups on telephone lines and in trees before migrating south together en masse. Unlike most passerine birds, many swallows and nighthawks migrate during the day — as do Lesser, Lawrence’s, and American Goldfinch, in addition American Robin and Northern Flicker.

Introducing The Names Of Introduced Mammals

Thirteen species of mammals living in California are introduced non-natives, including the Virginia opossum, eastern gray tree squirrel, fox squirrel, wild burro, wild horse, axis deer, fallow deer, nutria (probable), feral goat, and Himalayan tahr (a kind of bovid).

Are Hummingbirds Around During Winter?

Where do hummingbirds go for the winter? Most species depart from the United States, though several populations of the Anna’s hummingbirds are year-round residents. During many years, this species may begin courtship in December (before Winter begins!) in some parts of its range. Ruby-throated hummingbirds east of the Mississippi River begin migrating south around now through October. Many spend the winter in southern Mexico, though a few live on Florida Key islands and in Cuba (95 miles from Key West).

A curious phenomenon in recent years is the increasing diversity of hummingbirds appearing during the winter in the eastern USA. Rufous Hummingbirds appear to be the most common “newly-discovered” hummingbird species seen in the southeast, while two Calliope Hummingbirds spent much of the 2001-2002 winter at feeders near New York City. Some researchers and bird banders believe the Rufous may either be more commonly noticed in the East because it has recently changed its migration/dispersal behavior (due to global warming?) and/or it is more accurately observed now because of recently-increased banding and monitoring.

Rare Bird Sightings

One of the best West Coast places to spot vagrant songbirds is in western Marin Co. in Point Reyes National Seashore. At the point near the lighthouse and amidst nearby groves of Monterey Cypress trees, diverse species of wayward eastern wood-warblers are best spotted in September and October. If you go, don’t be surprised to see American

Redstart, Blackpolls, Blackburnian, Black-and-White, and Prairie Warblers. Note: American Redstart and Black-and-White are not considered vagrant species in California by some theorists because the state sometimes hosts nesting individuals annually or irregularly. Other songbirds that may make cameo appearances here include Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Baltimore Oriole.

October, 2025

Moon & Planet Rise & Set Times For October, 2025

For your area’s moon & planet rise & set times, go to: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

Type in your location’s city and state. Then note the results (below in the table) similar to the ones for my location at latitude: 38:03:38 N, longitude: 122:32:27 W, which is Novato, CA, 20 miles north of San Francisco, CA in Marin County.

Sky Watch:(courtesy of earthsky.org)

October evening planets

Round sky chart with green ecliptic line crossing it, and Saturn to the left and Mercury and Mars to the right. — Sphere chart showing 3 planets in the October evening sky as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere: Saturn is in the southeast with Mercury and dim Mars very low in the bright southwestern twilight. Saturn is well placed for evening viewing this month, and its rings are titled 1 degree from edge-on by mid-month. Mars is increasingly difficult to spot in the evening twilight this month. Brighter Mercury will join Mars around mid-month and will be closest to it – about 2 degrees away – on the evenings of October 20 and 21. Plus, Mercury’s October 29 greatest evening elongation is the best evening apparition of Mercury this year for the Southern Hemisphere. The planets all lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.

October morning planets

Sphere chart showing a starred dot, Venus, hugging a wavy line, the eastern horizon. Above it is a dot, Jupiter. — You can see 2 bright planets in the October morning sky. As seen from around the globe, Venus will lie low in the east, and Jupiter will shine higher in the morning sky. Venus rises a few hours before sunrise. Jupiter rises around midnight and is high in the sky before dawn. The planets all lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.

Early October meteors … the Draconids

Star chart with set of radial arrows at one end of constellation Draco. — Watch for the Draconid meteor shower as darkness falls on the evening of October 8, 2025, through the wee hours of the morning on October 9. It’s not the best year for the Draconids, because a thick waning gibbous will light up the sky. In the moonlight, you might see only a few meteors per hour. If you want to watch, try blotting out the moon – behind a tree, a barn, or a mountain – when watching for meteors. The radiant point for the Draconids almost coincides with the head of the far-northern constellation Draco the Dragon. That’s why the Northern Hemisphere has the best view of the Draconids. This chart faces northward at nightfall in October. From more southern latitudes you won’t see the Dipper at all in the evening at this time of year. But, if you can spot it low in the sky, use the Big Dipper to star-hop to the star Polaris. Polaris marks the end star in the handle of the Little Dipper. Got all these stars? Then you should also be able to spot Eltanin and Rastaban, the Draconids’ radiant point, high in the northwest sky at nightfall in early October. Draconid meteors radiate from near these stars, which are known as the Dragon’s Eyes.

October meteors are here for 2025! The Draconids start it off, followed by the Orionids. And then the South and North Taurids ramble across the sky from late October through early November. Learn when the meteors may be their best and what to expect.

October 8: Moon reaches perigee

The moon will reach perigee – its closest point to us in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 13 UTC on October 8, 2025, when it’s 223,581 miles (359,819 km) away.

October 8 and 9 evenings: Moon and Pleiades

2 positions of the bulging moon near a small set of dots, the Pleiades. — In the late evening of October 8, the waning moon will lie near the Pleiades star cluster. Then on the next evening, October 9, the moon will pass next to and occult – or pass in front of – some of the stars of the Pleiades. Aldebaran, the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull, will be nearby. Chart via EarthSky.

October 9 evening: Moon blots out some Pleiades

Round sky chart with an arrow from the bulging moon going right through the scattered dots of the Pleiades. — Here’s a binocular view of the waning gibbous moon passing slowly in front of the stars of the Pleiades on October 9. Observers in North and Central America will be able to see the moon pass in front of the Pleiades. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online. Chart via EarthSky.

October 10 evening: Moon, Pleiades and 2 bright stars

A fat hemisphere, the moon, is below a groups of small dots, the Pleiades, and between two dots, the stars Aldebaran and Capella. They all are above a wavy line, the horizon. — The waning moon will float between orangish Aldebaran and golden Capella on the evening of October 10. The Pleiades star cluster will be nearby. Chart via EarthSky.

October 12 morning: Moon, Capella, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran

A hemisphere, the moon, is mid way between two dots, the stars Betelgeuse and Capella, and left of another dot, Aldebaran. — On the morning of October 12, the waning gibbous moon will lie between Betelgeuse and Capella with Aldebaran nearby. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

October 13: Watch for the 3rd quarter moon

The moment of last quarter moon will fall at 18:13 UTC on October 14, 2025. That’s 1:13 p.m. CDT. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

October 13 and 14 mornings: Moon, Jupiter and twin stars

A hemisphere, the moon, moves past two dots, the stars Castor and Pollux, and past a large dot, Jupiter. — On the morning of October 13, the 3rd quarter moon will lie near bright Jupiter and the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. On the next morning, the waning crescent moon floats near the trio in the morning sky. Chart via EarthSky.

October 15 and 16 mornings: Moon, Regulus and the Beehive

A crescent shape is below a circle, the Beehive star cluster, but above a dot, Regulus, and another five dots representing the Sickle asterism. They are all above a wavy line, the horizon. — On the morning of October 15, the fat waning crescent moon will stand high in the east above Regulus, and below the Beehive star cluster. Then on October 16, the moon will be close to Regulus, the brightest star in Leothe Lion that marks the period in the backward question mark known as the Sickle. Chart via EarthSky.

October 17 and 18 mornings: Moon and Regulus

A crescent shape, the moon, is below a dot, the star Regulus. Then it drops lower. All are above a wavy line, the horizon. — On the morning of October 17, the waning crescent moon will shine near the bright star Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. On the next morning, October 18, a thinner crescent moon will float between Regulus and the eastern horizon. Chart via EarthSky.

October 19 and 20 mornings: Moon and Venus

A thin crescent shape, the moon, is next to a starred dot, Venus. Then it drops lower. All are above a wavy line, the horizon. — On the morning of October 19, the thin waning crescent moon will hang close to Venus. The next morning, October 20, the slender crescent moon will lie near the horizon shortly before sunrise. Do you notice a lovely glow on the unlit side of the moon? That’s earthshine! It’s sunlight bounced from Earth, onto the moon’s surface. Chart via EarthSky.

October 21: New moon and perfect timing for Orionid meteor shower

The moment of new moon will fall at 12:25 UTC on October 21, 2025. That’s 7:25 a.m. CDT. New moons rise and set with the sun. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing, and this one coincides with the peak of the Oroinid meteor shower. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

October 21: Orionid meteor shower

Chart with dots for constellation Orion and a circle of arrows showing the radient of the Orionid meteor shower. — Watch for Orionid meteors on the morning of October 21, starting after midnight through the wee hours before dawn. If you trace Orionid meteors backward on the sky’s dome, they seem to radiate from the upraised club of the famous constellation Orion the Hunter. This is the shower’s radiant point. The bright star near the radiant point is reddish Betelgeuse. Under a dark sky with no moon, the Orionids exhibit a maximum of about 10 to 20 meteors per hour. Chart via EarthSky.

October 24: Moon reaches apogee

The moon will reach apogee – its farthest distance from Earth in its elliptical orbit – at 0 UTC on October 24, 2025, when it’s 252,552 miles (406,444 km) away.

October 24 and 25 evenings: Moon and Antares

A thin crescent shape, the moon, is next to a dot, Antares. Then the crescent shape moves left of the dot. They are above a wavy line, the horizon. — Shortly after sunset on October 24, the thin waxing crescent moon will hang next to Antares just above the horizon. Do you notice a lovely glow on the unlit side of the moon? That’s earthshine! It’s reflected light from Earth. The next evening, October 25, the crescent moon will move away from Antares and hang higher in the sky. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

October 26 and 27 evenings: Moon and Teapot

A crescent shape, the moon, moves among eight small dots, the "Teapot" of Sagittarius. They are all above a wavy line, the horizon. — On the evenings of October 26 and 27, the thickening waxing crescent moon will move through the Teapot asterism of Sagittarius. Chart via EarthSky.

October 29: 1st quarter moon

The moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 16:21 UTC on October 29, 2025. That’s 11:21 a.m. CDT. Did you know you can see an X and V on the 1st quarter moon? Here’s how to see them. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

October 29: Mercury reaches greatest elongation from evening sun

Chart with ellipses and arrows showing Earth's and Mercury's orbits around the sun and a dot where Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation to the left of a large starred dot, the sun. — Mercury will make its widest angle from the sun in the western sky on October 29. This point in its orbit is called greatest eastern elongation. Chart via EarthSky.

October 29 and 30 evenings: Moon and Capricornus

A hemisphere, the moon, moves among seven small dots, the constellation Capricornus. Then the hemisphere moves left of most of the small dots. — On the evening of October 29, the 1st quarter moon will lie in the center of Capricornus the Sea-goat. Then on the next evening, October 30, the waxing gibbous moon will move away from the arrow-shaped pattern of stars of Capricornus. Chart via EarthSky.

October 31 evening: Moon, Saturn and Fomalhaut

A fat hemisphere, the moon, lives right of a dot Saturn and above another dot, the star Fomalhaut. — On the last evening of October – on Halloween – the waxing gibbous moon will float near Saturn and the star Fomalhaut. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

October stars and constellations

If you’re out stargazing on any October evening, look for these stars and constellations high in the evening sky while facing north.

Star chart of constellation Cassiopeia with stars labeled and two tiny, labeled rings of dots. — You can find Cassiopeia the Queen high in the northeast during the month of October. If you have a dark sky, look below Cassiopeia for a famous binocular object. This object is called the Double Cluster in Perseus. Chart via EarthSky.

Star chart of constellations Cepheus and Cassiopeia with stars including Polaris labeled. — The house-shaped constellation Cepheus the King lies in the northern sky by the constellation Cassiopeia. Gamma Cephei, or Errai marks the peak of the roof of the house. And Errai is very near Polaris, the North Star.

Star chart with Big and Little Dippers, with stars labeled. — Although the Big Dipper is low on the horizon – or below the horizon – for mid-northern latitudes now, the Little Dipper is high in the northern sky. In fact, the Big Dipper is tough to spot on late October evenings because it rides so low in the north. As always, the 2 outer stars in the Dipper’s bowl point to Polaris, the North Star.

October evening planets

A dot, Mercury, lies immediately above a wavy line, the horizon. — During late October, viewers in the Northern Hemisphere can look for **Mercury** low in the bright southwestern twilight about 30 minutes after sunset. The little planet will be difficult to spot. It’ll reach its greatest elongations from the evening sun on October 29. Southern Hemisphere observers can spot it through mid-November. Mercury moves through the constellations of Virgo the Maiden to Libra the Scales to Scorpius the Scorpion this month. Chart via EarthSky.

A dot, Mars, is just above a slightly larger dot, Mercury. They are both above a wavy line, the horizon. — About 30 minutes after sunset, **Mars** will lie very low in the southwest, making it difficult to spot in the bright twilight. The brighter and easier-to-spot Mercury will pass it on October 19. Binoculars might help spot the pair in the evening twilight. Mars will slip away from view by early November. Mars moves from the constellation Virgo the Maiden to Libra the Scales this month. Chart via EarthSky.

A dot, Saturn, is above a wavy line, the horizon. — You can spot **Saturn** in the east after sunset. It reached opposition — when Earth flew between Saturn and the sun — on September 21. Saturn is rising in the east before sunset and is visible until a few hours before dawn. Saturn will shine at 0.9 magnitude by month’s end is among the stars of Aquarius the Water Bearer. Saturn will remain visible in the evening sky for the rest of 2025. It’ll finally disappear in the sunset glare in February 2026. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

October morning planets

There are three charts. In the first, a starred dot, Venus, lies between a dot, the star Regulus, and a wavy line, the horizon. In the second, the starred dot moves closer to the wavy line of the horizon. In the third, the starred dot, Venus, is near a dot, the star Spica. Both are low above a wavy line, the horizon. — On the mornings of early October, brilliant **Venus** will lie between Regulus and the horizon. Mid-month, Venus will shine closer to the eastern horizon. After that, it will drop much closer to the horizon and will approach Spica, which has just reappeared in the morning sky. Venus moves from Leo the Lion to Virgo the Maiden this month. Chart via EarthSky.

A dot, Jupiter, is right of two smaller dots, Castor and Pollux. They are above and to the left of another dot, the star Procyon. — Bright **Jupiter** shines high in the east before sunrise all month. It’s between the twin stars of Gemini, Castor(the slightly dimmer one) and Pollux (the slightly brighter one) and the bright star Procyon. Chart via EarthSky.

Sky dome map for visible planets and night sky

Waterfowl Invasion

The San Francisco Bay and northern California bodies of water host an amazingly large population of ducks that spend the non-breeding season in our area. Survey results indicate half the entire population of Northern Shoveler spend the non-breeding season in northern California, as do an almost equally massive percentage of both Lesser and Greater Scaup populations. By now, you may also spot other returning winter resident waterfowl in open waters, including Canvasback, Redhead (less common), American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Northern Pintail, Red-breasted Merganser, Gadwall, Mallard, Common Merganser, Northern Pintail, and Ruddy Duck — with the latter five species as residents in Marin County that are joined by newly-arriving populations from the north.

Feeder Philosophy With Hummingbirds

When should you stop feeding hummingbirds sugar water nectar? In northern California/Bay Area, you can serve nectar year-round because the Anna’s Hummingbird is a resident. In the Midwest and the East, the answer is less clear. One group of birders believe feeders left stocked in the autumn may imperil hummingbirds because this food source allows foraging to occur later than would be accommodated with a normal bloom of wildflowers. Awakening to an early freeze may be difficult for remaining hummingbirds to survive, argue these experts. Others believe it is okay for nectar feeders to remain well into autumn. Hummingbirds are uninfluenced by food source availability and migrate when prompted by an “inner clock,” according to these people. This viewpoint is in concert with researchers who have studied migration. These experts point out that many species of migrating birds are undistracted by food sources that would normally attract their interest.

Night Aversion: Arctic Tern

It’s well known that the arctic tern makes the longest migration (22,000-25,000 miles roundtrip) of any bird along with the Bristled Curlew that migrates in autumn from the Arctic to the South Pacific. In northern California, you won’t often see them along the coast, while your chances of observation during their migration improve if you take a pelagic boat trip onto the open ocean.

Less publicized is how far our familiar barn swallow travels. Look for them now moving south in groups during the day as they proceed on the southern portion of their roundtrip migration that may amount to as high as 7,000 miles. Some researchers speculate that Arctic Tern populations never see darkness, given their range encompasses living in northern and southern latitudes where 20 or more hours of daylight are normal during summer before the birds again migrate toward an opposite pole as days become shorter in one of the two hemispheres they inhabit.

Prime Time Viewing: Migrating Raptors

Although hawks and eagles begin migration through Mid-Atlantic states before this week, now is an ideal period to see them if you visit a prominent ridge or mountain top to view. Two of the best vistas on separate coasts are both called Hawk Hill. At the West Coast’s Hawk Hill (operated by the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory; for directions,

See: http://www.ggro.org

This raptor monitoring area (for which directions are provided at the above web site) is near Sausalito, California just north of San Francisco overlooking San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean), as many as 19 species of raptors are seen each autumn. Hawk Hill Mountain in central Pennsylvania is another popular vista to observe more than a dozen migrating raptors, the most common raptorial passersby being American kestrels, red-tailed, sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks.

Autumn and Winter Residents

Typical winter resident woodland birds you can now (or soon) see in the Bay Area include Golden-crowned Sparrow, Varied Thrush and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. The Golden-crowns are interesting simply because many sing throughout much of the winter even though they do not breed here. More typically, winter residents merely emit simpler call notes, and only begin singing when on breeding grounds. (i.e., The answer as to why this species sings in the winter is not totally clear, but one reason may allude to first-year Golden-crowns practicing their songs before they become truly defined and articulate (crystallization) singers at the age of 11 to 12 months.). At least one subspecies of the White-Crowned Sparrow also visits the Bay Area before migrating north in the spring.

Common Croaker: Sierran Tree Frog

Often unidentifiable and puzzling to listeners, the muffled call of the Sierran tree frog (Pseudacris sierra) (formerly called the Pacific Tree Frog) is more common to hear than many people might believe. Hike through a variety of northern California upland habitats and the quick, low, gruff note of this frog is often present beyond the breeding season. After leaving their watery breeding sites, these frogs seek cover in moist niches in buildings, wells, rotting logs or burrows. Breeding occurs between January and July throughout much of California. In even small bodies of water that are only temporary during these times, look for egg clusters that are deposited on submerged or emergent vegetation.

There Goes The Neighborhood: Coyotes Are Coming

More common in urban and suburban areas than ever, be on the lookout for coyotes in the Bay Area. They are now a permanent resident throughout California, living in almost all habitats and successional stages. Coyotes frequent open brush, scrub, shrub, and herbaceous habitats, and may be associated opportunistically with croplands. They’re also found in younger stands of deciduous and conifer forest and woodland with low to intermediate canopy, and shrub and grass understory. Complaints from people regarding the increased presence of the adaptable coyote are plausible. Then again, many of the complainers have invaded previously natural habitat that was the domain of wild animals for eons before people arrived.

Arboreal Fantasia: Autumn’s Flaming Colors

The intensity of the tree’s fall colors are in part affected by the amount of moisture that fell during the past summer. A dry summer with below normal rainfall tends to mute the golden and red colors so that the leaves on many trees are more uniformly brown. In the West, few deciduous trees exhibit a stunning array of fall colors, though the Big-leaf Maple and the Quaking Aspen wear stunning golden sheens. Elsewhere, my own experience while living in the mid-Atlantic suggests the Black Gum (Nyssa silvatica) is the prettiest in displaying bright rainbow colors, as are Sugar Maples that grow in more northerly and higher elevations locales.

Sky Watch:

Moon & Planet Rise & Set Times For November, 2025

For your area’s moon & planet rise & set times, go to: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

Sky chart: the slightly bulging moon at 2 positions, to the right and left of Saturn, along the ecliptic. — The fat waxing gibbous moon will shine brightly near the ringed planet Saturn on the evenings of November 1 and 2. Golden Saturn gleams with a steady light. Look for them as darkness falls. And they’ll set a few hours after midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

Curved line of ecliptic with Saturn in the middle and Mars and Mercury at the horizon. — The fat waxing gibbous moon will shine brightly near the ringed planet Saturn on the evenings of November 1 and 2. Golden Saturn gleams with a steady light. Look for them as darkness falls. And they’ll set a few hours after midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

Stargazing tips for beginners

Watch a video of the EarthSky’s top 10 stargazing tips for beginning astronomers.

Stars and constellations high in the sky during November

If you’re out stargazing on any November evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the sky.

Pegasus the Flying Horse, home to the Great Square

On autumn evenings in the Northern Hemisphere, Pegasus the Flying Horse is ascending in the east in the evening hours and high overhead in the evening. During these same months on spring evenings in the Southern Hemisphere, Pegasus is low in the northwestern sky. You’ll easily notice the giant, square-shaped asterism within Pegasus, called the Great Square.

Sky chart with numerous labeled stars and lines between them making a large square with legs. — Chart via EarthSky.

The Great Square of Pegasus

In the north, the Great Square is high overhead in November, and you can use it to find the Andromeda galaxy. Find the Andromeda galaxy (M31) by star-hopping from the Great Square of Pegasus. Try star-hopping using the chart below.

Star chart: Lines showing constellations with large square and arrow pointing to galaxy symbol. — Chart via EarthSky.

The Double Cluster of Perseus

On any autumn or winter evening, scan between Cassiopeia and Perseus for the magnificent Double Cluster in Perseus. You can see them as a fuzzy patch on the sky under dark skies. They are an easy target in binoculars. The stars in these two clusters are young, hot supergiant suns that are many thousands of times more luminous than our sun. Below is an easy way to use the prominent M or W shape of Cassiopeia to locate the Double Cluster in Perseus.

Star chart of constellation Cassiopeia with an arrow pointing to 2 tiny dotted circles, labeled Perseus Double Cluster. — Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

November morning planet

In November 2024, red Mars will lie near the twin stars of Gemini: Castor and Pollux. And it’ll make a beeline toward the Beehive star cluster. It’ll rise in the late evening and will be obvious in the sky before dawn. It brightens a bit this month and will be at its closest and brightest again in January 2025.

Star chart with red line, arrows and dots showing Mars motion near dots for stars. — Chart via EarthSky.

November planet visible all night

In November 2024, Jupiter will shine brightly near the bright stars of golden Capella, ruddy Betelgeuse and orangish Aldebaran. Also nearby are the open star clusters the Pleiades and the Hyades. Jupiter will rise a few hours after sunset at the beginning of the month and will rise around sunset by month’s end. It’ll be visible through dawn. The moon will be near Jupiter on November 17. Jupiter will be closest and brightest for 2024 in December.

Star chart with dot for Jupiter and colorful, different-sized dots for stars. — Chart via EarthSky.

November evening planets

In the first half of November, bright Venus will climb slowly in the southwest about 30 minutes after sunset. The bright – but elusive – little planet Mercury will lie nearby, closer to the horizon. The moon will hang close to Mercury on November 3, and it’ll float close to Venus on November 4. Venus will continue to ascend and become a dazzling evening star through the end of the year. It’ll reach its greatest distance from the sun on the sky’s dome in January 2025. Mercury will lie low in the bright western twilight, look for it about 30 minutes after sunset. It will reach its greatest elongation – greatest distance from the sunset – on November 15-16, 2024.

Star chart with straight line and arrow for Venus and line looping up and back down for Mercury. — Chart via EarthSky.

In the second half of November, bright Venus continues ascending slowly in the evening twilight and will pass the Teapot, an asterism in Sagittarius. Venus will remain a brilliant evening star through the end of the year. It’ll reach its greatest distance from the sunset in January 2025. Meet the Teapot of Sagittarius.

Star chart with line and arrow for Venus and blue lines drawing the Teapot. — Chart via EarthSky.

In November 2024, Saturn will be well above the eastern horizon after sunset and will set around midnight your local time. It will be racing away after its closest point to Earth on September 8, when it was directly opposite the sun from Earth. The moon will float near Saturn on November 10. For the rest of 2024, Saturn will remain visible in the evening sky and will disappear in the sunset glare in February 2025. Saturn and the bright star Fomalhaut are the only two bright objects in that area of the sky.

Star chart with dot for Saturn and one for Fomalhaut in lonely evening sky. — Chart via EarthSky.

Sky dome maps for visible planets and night sky

The sky dome maps come from master astronomy chart-maker Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2024 in his Astronomical Calendar.

Guy Ottewell explains sky dome maps

Wild Turkeys: Band On The Run

If you’re like most drivers in northern California, you’ve hit the brake to avoid bands of Wild Turkeys crossing the street. Why are they so common? Like many non-natives in northern California, Wild Turkey populations have an easy time in suburban and semi-rural areas where successful predation by Gray Fox, Bobcat, and Mountain Lion remains below this gallinaceous bird’s prodigious breeding rate that usually consists of 10-12 eggs per brood (and multiple broods for some females each breeding season).

In addition, Wild Turkey benefit from joining together in bands of six or more this time of year so that at least one individual is likely to sense any imminent predation attempt and, subsequently, alert other turkeys in a group that quickly flees from harm’s way. Plentiful harvests of acorns are another major factor in supporting large Wild Turkey populations, with native oak species (including Coast Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia) providing ample supplies of these birds’ favorite food. In years when the crop of acorns is low from Coast Live Oak, other native oak species (Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii and Blue Oak, Quercus douglasi) may make up the difference by yielding high acorn numbers. A final reason relates to how mild winter temperatures in our area limit mortality of populations whose odds of perishing increase in more frigid locales within this bird’s range that includes portions of New England and the upper Midwest.

Autumn Chores: Western Gray Tree Squirrel

What are western gray tree squirrels doing now? Many are preparing for winter when they’ll make brood nests in tree and snag cavities, often enlarging an abandoned woodpecker cavity. They are also known to construct nests on branches of oak, fir, or pine trees. If you see a nest, look for it to contain shredded bark, grass, moss, and lichen.

Aquatic Insects Are (Almost) Everywhere

Seeing an abundance of aquatic insects might seem odd at this time of year when the days are getting progressively colder, correct? Not entirely. Many kinds of aquatic insects are actually abundant in many freshwater streams throughout the late autumn and into winter, with some (such as stoneflies) even changing into terrestrial adults and flying into autumn and winter’s landscape. Finding aquatic insects may be easier than you think. Pick up small rocks within shallow creeks and look on their backsides. You may see the diverse homes of caddisfly larva, with a variety materials used by each species in a shelter bound together from a caddisfly’s own secretions.

A Chorus of Crickets?

Are you still hearing crickets? — even though the first frost may have invaded your area. Crickets survive well into autumn because their body fluids contain an “anti-freeze” agent called glycogen. Its composition as an animal starch includes glucose molecules that retard the inevitable freezing of a cricket’s body fluids until more severe and consecutive nights of frigid weather arrive.

Snakes In Winter

Where do snakes hang out now and during the winter? Many retreat to underground dens where they coil en masse together to remain warm. In northern areas, rattlesnakes are particularly known for congregating into large groups (of up to 250 or more). Most live in dens on slopes protected from northern winds that have orientations toward the low winter sun in the south. Sometimes you can see rattlesnakes lie near their den entrances on the last warm days of autumn or on the initial warm days of spring.

Coaxing Deer Into Your View

Coax deer into view throughout the upcoming winter by placing a salt lick block at the edge of woods. However, you may wish to deter deer from eating your property’s plants with a variety of strategies that are too numerous to mention here (See literature distributed free by Sloat Garden Store in the Bay Area.) To limit deer accidents with windows/patio doors, prudent property owners place decals at a deer’s eye level so it will recognize an approaching barrier.

Winter Resident Wood-Warblers

Some brave warblers survive hang out throughout the winter in regions you might not expect. Unlike warblers that have vacated North America for points farther south, Yellow-Rumped Warbler (four subspecies constitute the entire species, including Aububon’s, Myrtle, Guatemalan Goldman’s, and Northwest Mexican Black-fronted*) are able to survive inclement winter weather while living in mid-Atlantic states (Myrtle subspecies) because they are able to digest wax myrtle, juniper and, even, poison ivy berries. These same areas may also host small populations of Pine and Palm warblers throughout the winter in the mid-Atlantic, in addition to occasional yellow-breasted chats and common yellowthroat warblers.

On the West Coast during winter, both Audubon and Myrtle Yellow-Rumped Warbler subspecies may be seen in northern California, with the former more common. In total, we see two of the four subspecies for the Yellow-Rumped Warbler species.

(* = http://www.aou.org/committees/nacc/proposals/pending.php

The above link allows you to access current and past AOS proposals related to potential bird taxonomy changes.

December, 2025

Sky Watch: (courtesy of almanac.com)

1) Moon & Planet Rise & Set Times

……..For your location’s moon & planet rise & set times, see: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/usa/tehachapi

or type in at:

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

Then type in your city and/or zip code location to review the results for your rising times.

For example, my location’s information for the 1st of this month (at Latitude: 38:03:38 N, Longitude: 122:32:27 W, which is Novato, CA, 94949 20 miles north of San Francisco, CA in Marin County):

2) Visible planets and night sky events in December 2025 (courtesy of EarthSky.org)

We’ll have another supermoon in December. It crests at 5:14 p.m. CST (23:14 UTC) on December 4. Expect large tides. Let the moon guide you to Jupiter, the brightest planet up in December. And let Jupiter guide you to the radiant point for December’s Geminid meteor shower! Plus … why doesn’t the earliest sunset fall on the shortest day? Two night sky veterans – EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd and John Goss – have all you need to know. Watch at noon CST (18 UTC) on December 3 in the player above, or on YouTube.

December evening planets

Sphere chart showing a dot, Jupiter, above the left left rim. It is above a wavy line, the eastern horizon. Above the southwestern rim is a dot, Saturn. — Here’s an overhead chart depicting 2 bright planets visible in the December evening sky from the Northern Hemisphere. Jupiter will rise in the eastern evening sky and remain visible through dawn. Meanwhile, Saturn will shine brightly in the western sky and set before midnight by the end of the month. The 2 planets lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.

December morning planets

Sphere chart showing a dot, Mercury, hugging a wavy line, the eastern horizon. Above the western horizon line is a larger dot, Jupiter. — Here’s an overhead chart depicting 2 bright planets in the December morning sky as observed from the Northern Hemisphere. Jupiter will be prominently positioned high in the western morning sky, while Mercury will be visible low in the eastern morning twilight. This is the most favorable morning apparition of Mercury for the Northern Hemisphere in 2025. However, the elusive planet will gradually disappear from view around December 25. The 2 planets lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.

Look for Mercury in the morning

Sky chart using arrows to show the path of Mercury in the early morning sky from Dec 1 to Dec 25. — For Northern Hemisphere viewers, **Mercury** will shine in the bright morning twilight low on the eastern horizon from December 1 until around December 25. It’ll reach its greatest distance from the sun on December 7. This will be the best morning apparition of Mercury for the Northern Hemisphere in 2025. Chart via EarthSky.

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December moon phases and alignments

Join EarthSky’s Marcy Curran in a video preview of the moon phases and planetary alignments for December 2025. We’ve got the full Cold Moon on December 4 and it’s the last supermoon of the year. The morning planets are Mercury and Jupiter. And in the evening, Saturn is visible until after midnight with Jupiter rising soon after sunset. Details here!

December 2 and 3 evenings: Moon and Pleiades

A fat hemisphere, the gibbous moon, lies to the upper right of a number of small white dots, the Pleiades star cluster, on the first night. On the second, the hemisphere is directly next to the small white dots. — On December 2, the bright waxing gibbous moon will approach the Pleiades star cluster. Then on December 3, it will slowly pass in front of some of the stars of the cluster. Binoculars might help catch the stars as they disappear and reappear, but the bright moon will make it challenging to see them. See binocular view below. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

December 3 evenings: Moon blots out some of the Pleiades

A fat white hemisphere, the gibbous moon, lies to the upper right of a number of small white dots, the Pleiades star cluster. An arrow points to the lower left through those white dots. — Here’s a binocular view of the moon slowly passing in front of stars of the Pleiades. Because the moon is almost full, spotting the individual stars of the Pleiades might be challenging. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online. Chart via EarthSky.

December 4: Moon reaches perigee

The moon will reach perigee – its closest point to us in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 11 UTC on December 4, 2025, when it’s 221,806 miles (356,963 km) away. And it’ll be a supermoon, the 3rd of 4 in a row. Expect high tides.

December 4 all night: A SUPER full Cold Moon

Full moon on December 4 near Jupiter and among several bright stars and near Orion. — On the evening of December 4, the full Cold Moon – and it’s a supermoon – will shine near Jupiter, the bright constellation Orion the Hunter and among some of our brightest stars. Jupiter will be near the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. Plus, the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, will be nearby. They’ll be visible through dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

December 5 evening: Moon, Jupiter, Orion and bright stars

Waning gibbous moon on December 5 near Jupiter and among several bright stars and near Orion. — On the evening of December 5, the waning gibbous moon will shine near Jupiter, the bright constellation Orion the Hunter and among some of our brightest stars. Jupiter will be near the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. And the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, will be nearby. They’ll be spectacular and visible through dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

December 6 and 7 evenings: Moon, Jupiter and twin stars

A fat hemisphere, the gibbous moon, lies above a large dot, Jupiter, on the first night. Then it passes between the large dot and two smaller dots, the star Castor and Pollux, on the next night. Below them all is the wavy line of the horizon. — On the evenings of December 6 and 7, the waning gibbous moon will lie near bright Jupiter and the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. You can see them through dawn the next morning. Chart via EarthSky.

December 7: Mercury reaches greatest elongation from morning sun

Star chart with line looping up and back down for Mercury from December 1 to 25. A dot, the star Antares, is right of the looping line. — For Northern Hemisphere viewers, Mercury will shine in the bright morning twilight low on the eastern horizon from December 1 until around December 25. It’ll reach its greatest distance from the sun at 21 UTC on December 7. This will be the best morning apparition of Mercury for the Northern Hemisphere in 2025. During the final week of the year, it will lie close to the horizon near the star Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion. Chart via EarthSky.

December 9 and 10 mornings: Moon and Regulus

Chart showing a hemisphere, the moon, lying to the right of a dot, the star Regulus. On the next evening, the hemisphere is next to the dot. Above them are six small dots representing the stars of the "Sickle." — In the early morning hours of December 9 and 10, the waning gibbous moon will be near the bright star Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Regulus is the period at the bottom of a backward question mark pattern of stars known as the Sickle. Chart via EarthSky.

December 11: Watch for the 3rd quarter moon

The moment of 3rd quarter moon will fall at 20:52 UTC on December 11, 2025. That’s 2:52 p.m. CST. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

Mid-December meteors … the Geminids

Sky chart showing the constellation Gemini with radial arrows near star Castor. And the bright planet Jupiter is nearby in 2025. — The predicted peak for the Geminid meteor shower is 3 UTC on December 14, 2025. Because the radiant rises in mid-evening, you can watch for Geminids all night on December 13-14. The days before and after might be good as well. A waning crescent moon will rise a few hours after midnight on December 14, so it won’t interfere with meteor watching. Plus, the bright planet Jupiter is near the stars of Gemini. Under ideal conditions and under a dark sky with no moon, you might catch 120 Geminid meteors per hour. Chart via EarthSky.

December 14, 15 and 16 mornings: Moon and Spica

Chart showing a crescent shape lying near a dot, Spica, in the morning on December 14. On the following two mornings, a thinner crescent shape lies lower near another dot, the star Zubenelgenubi. Below them all is the wavy line of the horizon. — On December 14, the waning crescent moon will lie next to Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. Then on the next 2 mornings it will move near the star with the odd sounding name, Zubenelgenubi, in Libra. Chart via EarthSky.

December 17: Moon reaches apogee

The moon will reach apogee – its farthest distance from Earth in its elliptical orbit – at 6 UTC on December 17, 2025, when it’s 252,476 miles (406,322 km) away.

December 17 morning: Moon, Mercury and Zubenelgenubi

Chart showing a thin crescent shape, the moon, to the right of a dot, Mercury. Above them is another dot, the star Zubenelgenubi. They all are above a wavy line, the horizon. — The thin waning crescent moon will lie near Mercury on the morning of December 17. The bright star Zubenelgenubi will shine nearby. Look for them about 40 minutes before sunrise. Chart via EarthSky.

Zubenelgenubi is the alpha star of Libra the Scales

December 20: New moon

The moment of new moon will fall at 1:43 UTC on December 20, 2025. That’s 7:43 p.m. CST on December 19. New moons rise and set with the sun. Plus, this is the 3rd of 3 new micromoons – or most distant new moons – in 2025. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing, and this one is near the peak of the Ursid meteor shower. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

December 21 solstice

The 2025 December solstice will happen at 15:03 UTC. That’s 9:03 a.m. CST in North America. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice marks the longest nights and shortest days of the year. For the Southern Hemisphere, it marks the shortest nights and longest days. After this solstice, the sun will begin moving northward in our sky again. Happy solstice to all!

December 21, 22, 23 and 24 evenings: Looking at holidays lights? Watch for the young moon!

Four different circles showing the increasing phases of a crescent moon on December 21, 22, 23 and 24. — If you’re out looking at holiday lights, check out the pretty young moon. The waxing crescent moon will hang low in the western sky about 30 minutes after sunset on December 21, 22, 23 and 24. It’ll set later each night, but you can start looking for it soon after sunset. Try to catch it during the evening twilight, when it’ll be shining in a colorful sky. Chart via EarthSky.

Ursid meteor shower overnight December 22

The best time to watch for Ursids is before dawn on December 22. In 2025, the new moon occurs a few days before the Ursids peak, so you can watch for them in a dark sky. For the best view, find a dark country site to watch the starry sky. Under ideal conditions you might see 5-10 meteors an hour. Read more about the Ursid meteor shower.

December 26 evening: Moon slips by Saturn

Chart showing a hemisphere, the first quarter moon, moving past a dot, Saturn, on December 26. — The waxing crescent moon will pay a close visit to the steady golden light of Saturn on the evening of December 26. They’ll set a little before midnight. The moon will also be near Saturn the night before and after the 26th. Chart via EarthSky.

December 27: 1st quarter moon

The moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 19:10 UTC on December 27, 2025. That’s 1:10 p.m. CST. Did you know you can see an X and V on the 1st quarter moon? Here’s how to see them. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

December 30 and 31 evenings: Moon, Pleiades and Aldebaran

Chart showing a fat hemisphere, the moon, moving past four small dots, representing the Pleiades star cluster, on December 30 and 31. They are above a dot, the star Aldebaran. — On the evenings of December 30 and 31, the waxing gibbous moon will be visible near Aldebaran and the Pleiades star cluster. Aldebaran is the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull. They’ll be visible for a few hours past midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

December stars and constellations

If you’re out stargazing on any December evening, look for these stars and constellations high overhead in the evening sky. Give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness. And consider heading to a dark-sky site for the best views of the stars.

Diagram of constellations Cassiopeia and Perseus with arrow from one to the other and bright stars labeled. — In December, look overhead and northward for the M- (or W-) shaped constellation Cassiopeia the Queen. Then, look nearby for the graceful shape of the constellation Perseus and its bright star Mirfak. Plus, Perseus contains the star Algol – known as the Demon Star – because it changes in brightness roughly every 3 days. Chart via EarthSky.

Star chart: constellation Cassiopeia with an arrow pointing to 2 tiny dotted circles, labeled Perseus Double Cluster. — Cassiopeia can also help you find the Double Cluster in Perseus. It consists of 2 open star clusters near each other on the sky’s dome. The 2 clusters reside in the northern part of the constellation Perseus, quite close to the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen. Just scan that area with your binoculars for 2 glittering groups of stars. The breathtaking Double Cluster will be there. Chart via EarthSky.

Star chart: Two-pronged fork-shaped constellation, small cluster at top right, and 2 stars labeled. — The constellation Taurus the Bull is visible in the evening sky now and is close to the easy-to-see constellation Orion the Hunter. It’s home to 2 favorite star clusters and a famous supernova remnant. The Hyades open star cluster forms the V-shaped face of the Bull in Taurus with the bright red star Aldebaran as the fiery eye of the Bull. Another open star cluster, the Pleiades, is nearby. Chart via EarthSky.

December evening planets

A dot, Jupiter, is between two smaller dots, the stars Castor and Pollux and another dot, the star Procyon. They all lie above a horizontal wavy line, the horizon. — Bright **Jupiter** will rise in the east soon after sunset this month. And it’ll be near the twin stars of Gemini, Castor (the slightly dimmer one) and Pollux (the slightly brighter one). Also, the bright star Procyon is not far away. Jupiter is visible through dawn and will reach opposition – when we fly between it and the sun – on January 10, 2026. It’ll be biggest and brightest then. The moon visits Jupiter around December 7. Chart via EarthSky.

A dot, Saturn, is above another dot, the star Fomalhaut. — **Saturn** lies in the west in the evening hours of December. It’s the brightest object in that part of the sky, other than the passing moon. And Saturn lies far above a star of similar brightness, Fomalhaut. Saturn reached opposition — when Earth flew between Saturn and the sun — on September 21. The ringed planet rises well before sunset and will set after midnight around December 1st, and then, by month’s end, it’ll set before midnight. Saturn will shine at 1.2 magnitude by month’s end as it lies among the stars of Aquarius the Water Bearer. The rings of Saturn open back up a little this month, going from -0.6 degrees to -1.5 degrees. The moon visits Saturn on December 26 and 27. Saturn will remain visible in the evening sky through February 2026. Chart via EarthSky.

December morning planets

Snake Look-Alike: Pacific Slender Salamanders

Pacific slender salamanders are active underground from April or May until November or December when northern California’s initial “winter” season rains often begin. After the first rains occur, when moisture and temperature conditions are favorable, they increase surface activities. Normally, they are active at night, and return to cover during daylight. If exposed to periods of extended rainfall, they may remain on the surface during the day to feed. Surface activity is limited by extremes of temperature and unfavorable moisture conditions.

Feeding Winter Birds

In some potentially inclement northern California locations (especially inland), now’s the time to make sure you have a waterproof, shock-proof heater to place in a backyard water pan or birdbath so that when overnight temperatures dip below freezing the birds still have a water source for drinking and bathing. Look for them at Wild Bird Center outlets (a national chain of stores).

Basking Garter Snakes

On warm days, look for the common and widespread Western Terrestrial Garter Snake. Sometimes you’ll see them basking in the sun at the entrances of hibernacula where snakes gather together during the winter to preserve and conserve their body temperatures as temperatures plummet.

Likely places to see them extend from the Oregon border south throughout northern California and south to southern Santa Barbara Co., in addition to various locales in the Sierra Nevada mountains south to southern Tulare County. Courtship begins in spring soon after their emergence. Seven to 30 young are born in July and August.

Four Thrush Species Occur Here in Winter?

Which thrush family members are you likely to see during the winter in northern California? In the Bay Area, for example, look for Hermit Thrush, Varied Thrush, American Robin, and Western Bluebird. The initial two on the list are especially breathtaking to view, as their abrupt entrance onto the landscape is punctuated with their subtle hues of rust and orange. The eerie, shrill, one-note song of the Varied Thrush adds additional intrigue to the damp forests they inhabit while only temporarily visiting our area during the winter.

Strangely, though the Hermit Thrush is seen throughout the year in Marin County, it’s probable that individuals we see during the non-breeding season arrived here from where they breed farther to the north as far as Alaska. During the summer (after migration), Hermit Thrush in Marin County are uncommon and found only at higher altitudes where they breed sporadically throughout the county.

How Many Salamanders Can You Find?

From now through late winter, look for seven species of salamanders that live in the San Francisco Bay area. Perhaps the most common to see is the California slender salamander, which looks like a large worm with tiny legs. Look for them in damp places, especially under logs and in leaf litter. The six other species to find are the arboreal, yellow-eyed, Pacific giant salamander and three newts: California, rough-skinned and red-bellied. The California newt is the most common one to see nearby and within Marin County riparian/creekside areas (while rough-skinned is the next most common species that I see; red-bellied is much less common and is restricted to portions of the coastal areas of Marin County.)

Backyard Feeder Advice

Simplifying the best and most efficient ways to feed backyard birds throughout the winter is not easy. However, if you were forced to choose two of the best foods to feed birds, the best choices are black sunflower seeds and niger thistle. Both have been proven over the years to attract a more diverse group of winter avian visitors than other food options, such as millet, cracked corn and striped sunflower seeds. Suet (either chicken or beef) feeders are also usually successful in attracting chickadees, nuthatches and various woodpeckers.

Irruptive Birds Erupt On The Landscape

Non-seasonal movements of birds, or “irruptions,” may begin occurring around now through the rest of winter, depending on the supply of food in a bird’s normal range. Without adequate mast crops of spruce and pine cones, some finch family members (Red and White-winged Crossbills, Pine Grosbeaks, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Redpolls) may appear farther south in the East,

Midwest and Mid-Atlantic than in years when normal tree seed harvests are present. “Short-stopping” is another term applied to these bird species that roam farther south during some winter seasons in search of resources, “(short) stopping” when they find food, often at backyard feeders that remain a loitering spot for extended periods. Evening Grosbeak fits the bill (bada bum; sorry!) as a “short-stop” species, with occasional to frequent localized sightings of it in the Midwest and West illustrative of their nomadic tendency during the non-breeding season.

Detecting these “irruptive” movements to the south is sometimes easier if your feeders are filled with niger thistle seed, a favorite substitute feed source for many of these wayward winter species. As a word, “irruptive,” is appropriate because it means “bursting in” or “surprise,” in the way these irruptive species catch us off guard when they make their cameo appearances. In Marin County where I live, irruptions are not necessarily the appropriate term to apply to the Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin appearing on the landscape, given these birds nest in the state. Detecting them remains rare to occasional only because they are nomadic in their behavior while searching vast areas for abundant food resources.

Offering niger thistle as a backyard feeder food in the Bay Area is an excellent way to see Pine Siskin during the winter. I’ve never seen Red Crossbill at my feeders nor heard of other folks attracting them to California feeders.

Courting Owls

Courting Great Horned owls soon begin laying their eggs, with babies hatching by January (or February) throughout much of this bird’s vast North American range. Be careful while attempting to hear their vocalizations by mimicking their calls. All birds, including owls, are known to feel stress when provoked to investigate an incoming airwave encounter they did not expect. In addition, using a recording of a Northern Pygmy or Western Screech Owl, for example, may also create similar anxiety among owls. As a result, owl calling should be limited to rare occasions and only for a few minutes at an area you visit

Visible planets and night sky guide for January (Courtesy of earthsky.org)

January 1 and 2 evenings: Moon and Venus

January moon phases video

January 3: Quadrantid meteor showers before dawn

January 3 and 4 evenings: Moon, Venus and Saturn

January 4: Earth greatest distance from sun

January 5 evening: Moon, Venus and Saturn

Every evening now: Venus, Jupiter, Saturn … then Mars

January 6: 1st quarter moon

January 7-8: Moon reaches perigee

January 9 evening: Moon, Jupiter, Aldebaran and Pleiades

January 9-10: Venus greatest distance from sun

January 10 evening: Moon, Jupiter and stars

January 12: Mars closest to Earth

January 12 evening: Moon, Mars and twin stars

January 13: Full Wolf Moon passes in front of Mars

January 15-16: Mars biggest and brightest for 2025

January 15 and 16 evenings: Moon, Regulus and Sickle

January 17 and 18 evenings: Venus and Saturn pair up

January 20 and 21 mornings: Moon and Spica

January 21: Last quarter moon

January 21: Moon reaches apogee

January 24 morning: Moon and Antares

January 26 and 27 mornings: Moon and Antares

January 29: New moon

January 30 and 31 evenings: Moon, Venus and Saturn

January stars

Quadrantids (QUA)

Lyrids (LYR)

eta Aquariids (ETA)

Southern delta Aquariids (SDA)

alpha Capricornids (CAP)

Perseids (PER)

Orionids (ORI)

Southern Taurids (STA)

Northern Taurids (NTA)

Leonids (LEO)

Geminids (GEM)

Ursids (URS)

Tonight’s Sky in Novato, Feb 1 – Feb 2, 2022 (7 planets visible)

Mercury rise and set in Novato

Venus rise and set in Novato

Mars rise and set in Novato

Jupiter rise and set in Novato

Saturn rise and set in Novato

Uranus rise and set in Novato

Neptune rise and set in Novato

March equinox: March 20

Star and planet forecast for equinox week

Venus at inferior conjunction March 22-23

Can you spot Venus both morning and evening around March 22?

March 22 and 23 mornings: Moon and the Teapot

Earth passes through Saturn’s ring plane

March 24 and 25 mornings: Can you still see the moon?

It’s zodiacal light time

Late March evenings: Jupiter and Mars

March 29: New moon and partial solar eclipse

March 30 and 31 evenings: Slender moon

March 30: Moon reaches perigee

March evening stars

March morning planet

March evening planets

Sky dome map for visible planets and night sky

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, April 14 – 23, 2023

2. Sky events:

May 27 and 28 evenings: Young moon challenge and Jupiter

May 27: New moon

May 28 and 29: Manhattanhenge in NYC

May 29 evening: Moon and twin stars

Two planets in the May evening sky

Three planets in the May morning sky

May 30: Mercury in superior conjunction

May 30 and 31 evenings: Moon, Mars and twin stars

2) June Night Sky (courtesy of EarthSky.org)

June 1: Venus greatest elongation from the sun

June 1 evening: Moon near Mars and Regulus

Catch Jupiter in early June before it disappears

June 3: 1st quarter moon

June 5 and 6 evenings: Moon and Spica

A pair of planets in the June morning sky: Northern Hemisphere

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