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Explore This Section Webb News Latest News Latest Images Blog (offsite) Awards X (offsite – login reqd) Instagram (offsite – login reqd) Facebook (offsite- login reqd) Youtube (offsite) Overview About Who is James Webb? Fact Sheet Impacts+Benefits FAQ Science Overview and Goals Early Universe Galaxies Over Time Star Lifecycle Other Worlds Observatory Overview Launch Deployment Orbit Mirrors Sunshield Instrument: NIRCam Instrument: MIRI Instrument: NIRSpec Instrument: FGS/NIRISS Optical Telescope Element Backplane Spacecraft Bus Instrument Module Multimedia About Webb Images Images Videos What is Webb Observing? 3d Webb in 3d Solar System Podcasts Webb Image Sonifications Team International Team People Of Webb More For the Media For Scientists For Educators For Fun/Learning 5 Min Read With NASA’s Webb, Dying Star’s Energetic Display Comes Into Full Focus
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has taken the most detailed image of planetary nebula NGC 1514 to date thanks to its unique mid-infrared observations. Webb shows its rings as intricate clumps of dust. It’s also easier to see holes punched through the bright pink central region. Credits:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), Dave Jones (IAC) Gas and dust ejected by a dying star at the heart of NGC 1514 came into complete focus thanks to mid-infrared data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Its rings, which are only detected in infrared light, now look like “fuzzy” clumps arranged in tangled patterns, and a network of clearer holes close to the central stars shows where faster material punched through.
“Before Webb, we weren’t able to detect most of this material, let alone observe it so clearly,” said Mike Ressler, a researcher and project scientist for Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in southern California. He discovered the rings around NGC 1514 in 2010 when he examined the image from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). “With MIRI’s data, we can now comprehensively examine the turbulent nature of this nebula,” he said.
This scene has been forming for at least 4,000 years — and will continue to change over many more millennia. At the center are two stars that appear as one in Webb’s observation, and are set off with brilliant diffraction spikes. The stars follow a tight, elongated nine-year orbit and are draped in an arc of dust represented in orange.
One of these stars, which used to be several times more massive than our Sun, took the lead role in producing this scene. “As it evolved, it puffed up, throwing off layers of gas and dust in in a very slow, dense stellar wind,” said David Jones, a senior scientist at the Institute of Astrophysics on the Canary Islands, who proved there is a binary star system at the center in 2017.
Once the star’s outer layers were expelled, only its hot, compact core remained. As a white dwarf star, its winds both sped up and weakened, which might have swept up material into thin shells.
Image A: Planetary Nebula NGC 1514 (MIRI Image)
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has taken the most detailed image of planetary nebula NGC 1514 to date thanks to its unique mid-infrared observations. Webb shows its rings as intricate clumps of dust. It’s also easier to see holes punched through the bright pink central region. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), Dave Jones (IAC) Image B: Planetary Nebula NGC 1514 (WISE and Webb Images Side by Side)
Two infrared views of NGC 1514. At left is an observation from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). At right is a more refined image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NASA-JPL, Caltech, UCLA, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), Dave Jones (IAC) Its Hourglass Shape
Webb’s observations show the nebula is tilted at a 60-degree angle, which makes it look like a can is being poured, but it’s far more likely that NGC 1514 takes the shape of an hourglass with the ends lopped off. Look for hints of its pinched waist near top left and bottom right, where the dust is orange and drifts into shallow V-shapes.
What might explain these contours? “When this star was at its peak of losing material, the companion could have gotten very, very close,” Jones said. “That interaction can lead to shapes that you wouldn’t expect. Instead of producing a sphere, this interaction might have formed these rings.”
Though the outline of NGC 1514 is clearest, the hourglass also has “sides” that are part of its three-dimensional shape. Look for the dim, semi-transparent orange clouds between its rings that give the nebula body.
A Network of Dappled Structures
The nebula’s two rings are unevenly illuminated in Webb’s observations, appearing more diffuse at bottom left and top right. They also look fuzzy, or textured. “We think the rings are primarily made up of very small dust grains,” Ressler said. “When those grains are hit by ultraviolet light from the white dwarf star, they heat up ever so slightly, which we think makes them just warm enough to be detected by Webb in mid-infrared light.”
In addition to dust, the telescope also revealed oxygen in its clumpy pink center, particularly at the edges of the bubbles or holes.
NGC 1514 is also notable for what is absent. Carbon and more complex versions of it, smoke-like material known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are common in planetary nebulae (expanding shells of glowing gas expelled by stars late in their lives). Neither were detected in NGC 1514. More complex molecules might not have had time to form due to the orbit of the two central stars, which mixed up the ejected material. A simpler composition also means that the light from both stars reaches much farther, which is why we see the faint, cloud-like rings.
What about the bright blue star to the lower left with slightly smaller diffraction spikes than the central stars? It’s not part of this nebula. In fact, this star lies closer to us.
This planetary nebula has been studied by astronomers since the late 1700s. Astronomer William Herschel noted in 1790 that NGC 1514 was the first deep sky object to appear genuinely cloudy — he could not resolve what he saw into individual stars within a cluster, like other objects he cataloged. With Webb, our view is considerably clearer.
NGC 1514 lies in the Taurus constellation approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.
To learn more about Webb, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/webb
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Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Claire Blome – cblome@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
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Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL)
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Skywatching Science Skywatching The Next Full Moon is the Worm… Skywatching Home What’s Up What to See Tonight Moon Guide Eclipses Meteor Showers More Tips & Guides Skywatching FAQ 22 Min Read The Next Full Moon is the Worm Moon
Cockspur Island Lighthouse in Savannah, Georgia, on a full moon night in March 2019. Credits:
NPS/Joel Cadoff The next full moon is called the Worm Moon. Also, there will be a total lunar eclipse this full moon. The Moon will be full early Friday morning, March 14, at 2:55 a.m. EDT, but will appear full for about three days around this time, from Wednesday evening into Saturday morning.
The phases of the Moon for March 2025. As the Moon passes opposite the Sun it will move through the shadow of Earth creating a total eclipse of the Moon. The Moon will begin entering the partial shadow Thursday night at 11:57 p.m. EDT, but the gradual dimming of the Moon will not be noticeable until it starts to enter the full shadow Friday morning at 1:09 a.m. The round shadow of Earth will gradually shift across the face of the Moon (from lower left to upper right) until the Moon is fully shaded beginning at 2:26 a.m. The period of full shadow, or total eclipse, will last about 65 minutes, reaching the greatest eclipse at 2:59 a.m. and ending at 3:31 a.m. Even though it will be in full shadow, the Moon will still be visible. The glow of all of the sunrises and sunsets on Earth will give the Moon a reddish-brown hue, sometimes called a “Blood Moon” — although this name is also used for one of the full moons near the start of fall. From 3:31 a.m. until 4:48 a.m., the Moon will exit the full shadow of Earth, with the round shadow again shifting across the face of the Moon (from upper left to lower right). The Moon will leave the last of the partial shadow at 6 a.m. ending this eclipse.
The Maine Farmers’ Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons in the 1930s, and these names are now widely known and used. According to this almanac, the tribes of the northeastern U.S. called the full moon in March the Crow, Crust, Sap, Sugar, or Worm Moon. The more northern tribes of the northeastern United States knew this as the Crow Moon, with the cawing of crows signaling the end of winter. Other northern names were the Crust Moon, because the snow cover became crusted from thawing by day and freezing by night, or the Sap (or Sugar) Moon as this was the time for tapping maple trees. The more southern tribes called this the Worm Moon after the earthworm casts that appeared as the ground thawed. It makes sense that only the southern tribes called this the Worm Moon. When glaciers covered the northern part of North America they wiped out the native earthworms. After these glaciers melted about 12,000 years ago the more northern forests grew back without earthworms. Most of the earthworms in these areas are invasive species introduced from Europe and Asia.
Continuing the tradition of naming moons after prominent phenomena tied to the time of year, a few years ago my friend Tom Van Wagner suggested naming this the Pothole Moon. It may be a case of confirmation bias, but whether in my car or on my bicycle I’ve noticed more potholes lately.
As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full moon. Enjoy the total lunar eclipse (if you are in a part of the world that can see it), anticipate the coming of spring and watch out for potholes!
Gordon johnston
NASA Program Executive (Retired)
Here are the other celestial events between now and the full moon after next with times and angles based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington:
As winter in the Northern Hemisphere ends and spring begins, the daily periods of sunlight continue to lengthen, changing fastest around the vernal (spring) equinox on March 20. On Friday, March 14 (the day of the full moon), morning twilight will begin at 6:23 a.m. EDT, sunrise will be at 7:20 a.m., solar noon will be at 1:17 p.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 48.9 degrees, sunset will be at 7:14 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 8:12 p.m. By Saturday, April 12 — the day of the full moon after next — morning twilight will begin at 5:36 a.m., sunrise will be at 6:36 a.m., solar noon will be at 1:09 p.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 60.1 degrees, sunset will be at 7:43 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 8:43 p.m.
During this lunar cycle, a backyard telescope should still provide interesting views of Jupiter and Mars high in the evening sky. Venus and Mercury will only be visible near the start at this cycle and will be too low to see easily unless you have access to a location with clear views toward the western horizon. With a telescope, you should be able to see Jupiter’s four bright moons, Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io, noticeably shifting positions in the course of an evening. Jupiter was at its closest and brightest in early December. Mars was at its closest and brightest for the year just a month ago. The planet Uranus will be too dim to see without a telescope when the Moon is in the sky, but later in the lunar cycle, if you are in a very dark area with clear skies and no interference from moonlight, it will still be brighter than the faintest visible stars, making it barely visible. Uranus was at its closest and brightest in mid-November.
Comets and Meteor Shower
No meteor showers are predicted to peak during this lunar cycle, and no comets are expected to be visible without a telescope.
Evening Sky Highlights
On the evening of Thursday, March 13 — the night of the full moon — as twilight ends at 8:11 p.m. EDT, the rising Moon will be 14 degrees above the eastern horizon. The brightest planet in the sky will be Venus at 4 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon, appearing as a thin, 4% illuminated crescent through a telescope. Next in brightness will be Jupiter at 62 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon. Third in brightness will be Mars at 72 degrees above the southeastern horizon. Mercury, to the left of Venus, will also be 4 degrees above the western horizon. Uranus, on the edge of what is visible under extremely clear, moonless, and dark skies, will be 45 degrees above the western horizon. The bright star closest to overhead will be Capella at 75 degrees above the northwestern horizon. Capella is the 6th brightest star in our night sky, and the brightest star in the constellation Auriga (shaped like a charioteer). Although we see Capella as a single star it is actually four stars — two pairs of stars orbiting each other. Capella is about 43 light-years from Earth.
Also high in the sky will be the constellation Orion, easily identifiable because of the three stars that form Orion’s Belt. This time of year, we see many bright stars at evening twilight, with bright stars scattered from the south-southeast toward the northwest. We see more stars in this direction because we are looking toward the Local Arm of our home galaxy (also called the Orion Arm, Orion-Cygnus Arm, or Orion Bridge). This arm is about 3,500 light years across and 10,000 light years long. Some of the bright stars we see from this arm are the three stars of Orion’s Belt, along with Rigel (860 light-years from Earth), Betelgeuse (548 light-years), Polaris (about 400 light-years), and Deneb (about 2,600 light-years).
As this lunar cycle progresses, the background of stars will rotate by about a degree westward each evening around the pole star Polaris. March 16 will be the last evening Venus will be above the horizon, and March 17 will be the last evening Mercury will be above the horizon as twilight ends. On March 30, Mars will pass by the bright star Pollux for the third time in 6 months, having passed by in mid-October 2024, changed direction (called apparent retrograde motion) and passed again in mid-January, then changed directions again for this March 30 pass. The waxing moon will appear near the Pleiades star cluster on April 1, Jupiter on April 2, Mars and Pollux on April 5, and Regulus on April 7 and 8.
By the evening of Saturday, April 12 — the evening of the night of the full moon after next — as twilight ends at 8:43 p.m. EDT, the rising Moon will be 10 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon with the bright star Spica about a half degree to the upper left. The brightest planet in the sky will be Jupiter at 38 degrees above the western horizon. Next in brightness will be Mars at 70 degrees above the southwestern horizon. Uranus, on the edge of what is visible under extremely clear, moonless dark skies, will be 18 degrees above the western horizon. The bright star closest to overhead will be Pollux at 71 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon. Pollux is the 17th brightest star in our night sky and the brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini the twins. It is an orange-tinted star about 34 light-years from Earth. Pollux is not quite twice the mass of our Sun, but is about 9 times the diameter and 33 times the brightness.
Morning Sky Highlights
On the morning of Friday, March 14 — the morning of the full moon — as twilight begins at 6:23 a.m. EDT, the setting full moon will be 12 degrees above the western horizon. No visible planets will appear in the sky. The bright star closest to overhead will be Vega at 68 degrees above the eastern horizon. Vega is the 5th brightest star in our night sky and the brightest star in the constellation Lyra (the lyre). Vega is one of the three bright stars of the “Summer Triangle” along with Deneb and Altair. It is about 25 light-years from Earth, has twice the mass of our Sun, and shines 40 times brighter than our Sun.
As this lunar cycle progresses, the background of stars will rotate westward by about a degree each morning around the pole star Polaris. The waning moon will appear near Spica on March 16 and 17, and Antares on March 20. Bright Venus — now the morning star — will begin to emerge from the glow of dawn around March 21 and will be above the horizon as twilight begins after March 29. Mercury and Saturn will begin emerging from the glow of dawn in early April, rising after morning twilight begins. Initially Saturn will appear brighter than Mercury, but Mercury will brighten each morning as it becomes a fuller crescent, showing more illuminated area to Earth. After about April 8, Mercury will appear brighter than Saturn.
By the morning of Sunday, April 13 — the morning of the night of the full moon after next — as twilight begins at 5:34 a.m. EDT, the setting full moon will be 10 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon with the bright star Spica 4 degrees to the right. The only planet in the sky as twilight begins will be bright Venus as the morning star at 5 degrees above the eastern horizon. However, both Mercury and the fainter Saturn should be visible below Venus after they rise 4 and 7 minutes later (Saturn at 5:37 a.m. and Mercury at 5:40 a.m.). The bright star closest to overhead still will be Vega at 81 degrees above the eastern horizon.
Detailed Daily Guide
Here for your reference is a day-by-day listing of celestial events between now and the full moon on April 12, 2025. The times and angles are based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, and some of these details may differ for where you are (I use parentheses to indicate times specific to the D.C. area). If your latitude is significantly different than 39 degrees north (and especially for my Southern Hemisphere readers), I recommend using an astronomy app that is set up for your location or a star-watching guide from a local observatory, news outlet, or astronomy club.
March 8 Just after midnight on Saturday morning, March 8, the planet Mercury will reach its greatest angular separation from the Sun as seen from Earth for this apparition (called greatest elongation).
Saturday evening, March 8, Mercury will appear at its highest (6 degrees) above the western horizon as evening twilight ends (at 7:06 p.m. EST). Mercury will set 34 minutes later (at 7:40 p.m.). This will also be the evening Mercury will have dimmed to the brightness of Mars, after which Mars will be the third brightest visible planet again.
March 8 – 9 On Saturday evening into Sunday morning, March 8 to 9, Mars will appear near the waxing gibbous moon with the bright star Pollux (the brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini) nearby. As evening twilight ends at 7:06 p.m. EST, Mars will be 1.5 degrees to the lower right of the Moon and Pollux will be 6 degrees to the lower left. As the Moon reaches its highest for the night more than an hour later at 8:22 p.m., Mars will be 1.5 degrees to the lower right of the Moon and Pollux will be 5.5 degrees to the upper left. By the time Mars sets on the northwestern horizon (at 4:53 a.m.) it will be 4 degrees to the lower left of the Moon and Pollux will be 3 degrees above the Moon.
March 9 Don’t forget to reset your clocks (if they don’t automatically set themselves) as we “spring forward” to Daylight Saving Time! For much of the U.S., 2 to 3 a.m. on March 9, 2025, might be a good hour for magical or fictional events (as it doesn’t actually exist).
March 11 – 12 Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, March 11 to 12, the bright star Regulus will appear near the nearly full moon. As evening twilight ends at 8:09 p.m. EDT, Regulus will be 4 degrees to the lower right of the Moon. When the Moon reaches its highest for the night at 11:52 p.m., Regulus will be 3 degrees to the lower right. By the time morning twilight begins at 6:26 a.m., Regulus will be about one degree below the Moon.
Wednesday morning, March 12, Saturn will be passing on the far side of the Sun as seen from Earth, called conjunction. Because Saturn orbits outside of the orbit of Earth it will be shifting from the evening sky to the morning sky. Saturn will begin emerging from the glow of dawn on the eastern horizon in early April (depending upon viewing conditions).
Wednesday evening, March 12, will be when Venus and Mercury will appear closest to each other low on the western horizon, 5.5 degrees apart. They will be about 5 degrees above the horizon as evening twilight ends at 8:10 p.m. EDT, and Mercury will set first 27 minutes later at 8:37 p.m.
March 14 As mentioned above, the full moon will be early Friday morning, March 14, at 2:55 a.m. EDT. There will be a total eclipse of the Moon. As the Moon passes opposite the Sun it will move through the shadow of Earth. The Moon will begin entering the partial shadow Thursday night at 11:57 p.m., but the gradual dimming of the Moon will not be noticeable until it starts to enter the full shadow Friday morning at 1:09 a.m. The round shadow of Earth will gradually shift across the face of the Moon (from lower left to upper right) until the Moon is fully shaded beginning at 2:26 a.m. The period of full shadow or total eclipse will last about 65 minutes, reaching the greatest eclipse at 2:59 a.m. and ending at 3:31 a.m. Even though it will be in full shadow, the Moon will still be visible. The glow of all of the sunrises and sunsets on Earth will give the Moon a reddish-brown hue, sometimes called a “Blood Moon” — although this name is also used for one of the full moons near the start of fall. From 3:31 a.m. until 4:48 a.m. the Moon will exit the full shadow of Earth, with the round shadow of Earth again shifting across the face of the Moon (from upper left to lower right). The Moon will leave the last of the partial shadow at 6 a.m., ending this eclipse. This full moon will be on Thursday evening from Pacific Daylight Time and Mountain Standard Time westward to the International Date Line in the mid Pacific. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Wednesday evening into Saturday morning.
March 16 Sunday morning, March 16, the bright star Spica will appear near the waning gibbous moon. As the Moon reaches its highest at 2:34 a.m. EDT, Spica will be 6.5 degrees to the lower left. As morning twilight begins at 6:20 a.m. Spica will be 5 degrees to the upper left.
During the day on Sunday, March 16, for parts of Eastern Africa, the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian Ocean, and the southern tip of Western Australia, the Moon will pass in front of Spica.
Sunday evening, March 16, will be the last evening that Venus will be above the west-northwestern horizon as evening twilight ends at 8:14 p.m. EDT, with Venus setting 1 minute later.
March 16 – 17 Sunday night into Monday morning, March 16 to 17, the waning gibbous moon will have shifted to the other side of the bright star Spica. As the Moon rises on the east-southeastern horizon at 9:49 p.m. EDT, Spica will be 4 degrees above the Moon. By the time the Moon reaches its highest at 3:15 a.m., Spica will be 6.5 degrees to the upper right. As morning twilight begins at 6:18 a.m., Spica will be 7.5 degrees to the right of the Moon.
Monday midday, March 17, at 12:27 p.m. EDT, the Moon will be at apogee, its farthest from Earth for this orbit.
Monday evening, March 17, will be the last evening that Mercury will be above the western horizon as evening twilight ends at 8:15 p.m. EDT, with Mercury setting 3 minutes later.
March 19 Wednesday evening, March 19, Neptune will be passing on the far side of the Sun as seen from Earth, called conjunction. Because it orbits outside of the orbit of Earth, Neptune will be shifting from the evening sky to the morning sky. Neptune is faint enough that it is only visible with a telescope.
March 20 Thursday morning, March 20, the bright star Antares will appear near the waning gibbous moon. As Antares rises on the southeastern horizon at 1:17 a.m. EDT, it will be 5 degrees to the lower left of the Moon. By the time the Moon reaches its highest for the night at 5:31 a.m., Antares will be 3.5 degrees to the left of the Moon. Morning twilight will begin 42 minutes later at 6:13 a.m. For parts of Australia and New Zealand the Moon will pass in front of Antares.
Thursday morning at 5:01 a.m. EDT will be the vernal equinox, the astronomical end of winter and start of spring.
March 21 Starting around Friday morning, March 21, Venus as the morning star will begin to emerge from the glow of dawn, rising on the east-northeastern horizon more than 30 minutes before sunrise. Interestingly, this is just before inferior conjunction, when Venus passes “between” Earth and the Sun (passing through the same ecliptic longitude as the Sun as seen from Earth).
March 22 Saturday morning, March 22, the waning moon will appear half-full as it reaches its last quarter at 7:29 a.m. EDT.
Saturday night, Venus will be passing through the same ecliptic longitude as the Sun as seen from Earth, called inferior conjunction. Planets that orbit inside of the orbit of Earth can have two types of conjunctions with the Sun, inferior (when passing between Earth and Sun) and superior (when passing on the far side of the Sun as seen from Earth). Venus will be shifting from the evening sky to the morning sky but will be passing far enough away from the Sun that it may have already begun to be visible in the glow of dawn on the east-northeastern horizon (depending upon viewing conditions).
March 24 Monday afternoon, March 24, Mercury will be passing between Earth and Sun as seen from Earth, called inferior conjunction. It also will be shifting from the evening sky to the morning sky and will begin emerging from the glow of dawn on the eastern horizon in early April (depending upon viewing conditions).
March 29 Saturday morning, March 29, will be the first morning that Venus as the morning star will be above the horizon as twilight begins at 5:59 a.m. EDT.
Saturday morning, March 29, at 6:58 a.m. EDT, will be the new moon, when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun and is usually not visible from Earth. However, for parts of northwestern Africa, northwestern Eurasia, and northeastern North America, part of the silhouette of the Moon will be visible as it passes in front of the Sun in a partial solar eclipse. The viewing from the Washington area will not be very good. As the Sun rises on the eastern horizon at 6:57 a.m., the Moon will be blocking a small sliver of the left side of the Sun, with the eclipse ending 5 minutes later at 7:02 a.m.
March 30 Early Sunday morning, March 30, at 1:19 a.m. EDT, the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to Earth for this orbit.
For the third time since mid-October 2024, Mars will be passing by the bright star Pollux, the brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini (the twins). Planets that orbit farther from the Sun than Earth’s orbit usually appear to shift westward each night, like the stars, but more slowly, so that they shift eastward relative to the stars. This is because the planets all move in the same direction around the Sun. But around the time when an outer planet is closest to Earth it appears to move the other direction, shifting westward relative to the stars, called apparent retrograde motion. This tendency to “wander” relative to the stars is where the word “planet” comes from (based on the Greek word for “wanderer”). In mid-October 2024 Mars passed by Pollux for the first time as it moved eastward relative to the stars. Beginning Dec. 6, 2024, Mars started its retrograde motion. On Jan. 15, 2025, Mars was at its closest and brightest for the year. On January 23 Mars passed by Pollux for the second time, just 2.5 degrees apart, this time shifting westward relative to the stars. Mars ended its retrograde motion on February 23. It is now shifting eastward again relative to the stars and will pass Pollux a third time on March 30, this time 4 degrees apart. Mars and Pollux will be nearly overhead as evening twilight ends at 8:29 p.m. EDT. Mars will set first on the west-northwestern horizon the morning of March 31 at 3:43 a.m.
This also is the first morning that Mercury will be above the eastern horizon 30 minutes before sunrise. Mercury will be relatively dim, as it will only present a narrow crescent toward Earth. It will brighten significantly each morning, but it’s difficult to predict when it will be bright enough to see in the glow of dawn.
April 1 Tuesday morning, April 1, will be the first morning that Saturn will be above the eastern horizon 30 minutes before sunrise, a rough approximation of when it might start being visible in the glow of dawn.
Tuesday evening, the Pleiades star cluster will appear 1.5 degrees below the waxing crescent moon. The Moon will be 36 degrees above the western horizon as evening twilight ends at 8:31 p.m. EDT, and the Pleiades will set first on the west-northwestern horizon 3 hours later at about 11:40 p.m.
April 2 Wednesday evening, April 2, Jupiter will appear 5.5 degrees to the lower left of the waxing crescent moon. The Moon will be 49 degrees above the western horizon as evening twilight ends at 8:32 p.m. EDT. Jupiter will set first on the west-northwestern horizon 4 hours later Thursday morning at 12:43 a.m.
April 4 Friday night, April 4, the Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its first quarter at 10:15 p.m. EDT.
April 5 – 6 Saturday night into Sunday morning, April 5 to 6, the waxing gibbous moon, Mars, and the bright star Pollux will appear to form a triangle. As evening twilight ends at 8:35 p.m. EDT, Mars will be 3 degrees to the lower right and Pollux 5 degrees to the upper right. As the night progresses, Mars and Pollux will appear to rotate clockwise and away from the Moon. As Mars sets first on the west-northwestern horizon 7 hours later at 3:26 a.m. it will be 6 degrees to the lower right, with Pollux 8.5 degrees to the right of the Moon.
April 7 – 8 Monday night into Tuesday morning, April 7 to 8, the bright star Regulus will appear near the waxing gibbous moon. As evening twilight ends at 8:37 p.m. EDT, Regulus will be 7 degrees below the Moon. As the Moon reaches its highest in the sky at 9:51 p.m., Regulus will be 6.5 degrees to the lower left. By the time Regulus and the Moon set together on the west-northwestern horizon at 4:52 a.m., Regulus will be 3.5 degrees to the left of the Moon.
Tuesday morning, April 8, will be when Mercury will become as bright as Saturn in the glow of dawn (with both Mercury and Saturn rising after morning twilight begins). After this, Mercury will continue brightening each morning as more of its sunlit crescent faces Earth.
April 8 – 9 Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, April 8 to 9, the waxing gibbous moon will have shifted to the other side of the bright star Regulus. As evening twilight ends at 8:38 p.m. EDT, Regulus will be 6 degrees to the upper right of the Moon. As the Moon reaches its highest in the sky at 10:34 p.m., Regulus will be 7 degrees to the right. The pair will continue to separate as the night progresses.
April 10 Thursday morning, April 10, the planets Mercury and Saturn will appear nearest each other, 2 degrees apart, in the glow of dawn. Mercury — the brighter of the two — will be on the left and Saturn will be on the right. Saturn will rise last on the eastern horizon at 5:48 a.m. EDT, 9 minutes after morning twilight begins. You will only have about 20 minutes to view the pair, as by 30 minutes before sunrise (i.e., 6:09 a.m.) the sky will become too bright to see them.
April 12 Saturday, April 12, 2025, is the International Day of Human Space Flight as declared by the United Nations to mark the date of the first human space flight.
The full moon after next will be April 12 at 8:22 p.m. EDT. This will be on April 13 in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and from the Azores, Iceland, Liberia, and Senegal times zones eastward across Africa, Eurasia, and Australia to the International Date Line in the mid-Pacific. Most commercial calendars are based on UTC and will show this full moon on April 13. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Friday evening into Monday morning, making this a full moon weekend.
Saturday evening into Sunday morning, the bright star Spica will appear close to the full moon. As evening twilight ends at 8:43 p.m., Spica will be less than a degree to the upper left of the Moon. Spica will appear to rotate clockwise and shift away from the Moon as the night progresses.
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