Night Sky Highlights for October-December 2025
By Jim Mazur
Solar System
Mercury
Mercury will be visible low in the west after sunset at the end of October and beginning of November. Then it will appear in the east before dawn in early December.
Venus
Venus will be in the eastern sky before dawn in October and November, but it will be gradually getting closer to the Sun. By December it will be too close to the Sun to see.
Mars
Mars will be low in the west after sunset in October, and it will pass within 2 degrees of Mercury on October 21 and 22. Both may be difficult to see in the bright twilight. After mid-November, Mars will be too close to the Sun to be seen.
Jupiter
The giant planet will be rise in the east around midnight in October. With the switch to standard time, it will rise around 9 pm in November and around 7 pm in December, making it a good target for mid- to late-evening viewing.
Saturn
Saturn, moving from Pisces in Aquarius, will be well placed for evening observation throughout the fall. It’s rings will be close to edge-on during this time, and that means that most of its moons will stretch out in a line on either side of the planet. Using a telescope, how many moons can you see?
Uranus
Uranus will be a few degrees south of Messier 45, the Pleiades, through the rest of 2025. Its small green disk can be seen with even small telescopes if you know where to look. A finder chart can be found at: https://theskylive.com/uranus-info
Neptune
Throughout 2025, Neptune will be close to Saturn, making it possible to locate this gas giant by using Saturn as a starting point. A finder chart for Neptune is available here: https://theskylive.com/neptune-info
Deep Sky Objects
Here are a few favorites of the autumn sky, several of which can be seen at least dimly with the naked eye.
Messier 31, 32, and 110, Andromeda
The Andromeda Galaxy and two companion galaxies. Star-hop chart
Messier 45, Pleiades, Taurus
How many stars can you spot with the unaided eye? Some people can see more than 7 under good conditions. Star-hop chart
Melotte 25 (Caldwell 41), Hyades, Taurus
An easy naked-eye cluster, beautiful in binoculars. Star-hop chart
Melotte 20, Alpha Persei Association
Another naked-eye cluster that is great for binoculars. Star-hop chart
NGC 253 (Caldwell 65), Silver Coin Galaxy, Sculptor
A nearby spiral galaxy, large and very elongated. Star-hop chart
NGC 457 (Caldwell 13), Owl Cluster, Cassiopeia
Also called the ET Cluster, with two bright stars as eyes. Star-hop chart
NGC 869 and 884 (Caldwell 14), Double Cluster, Perseus
A hazy spot to the naked eye, a wonderful view through a low power eyepiece. Star-hop chart
NGC 7663 (Caldwell 22), Blue Snowball, Andromeda
A bright round planetary nebula, magnitude 8.3. Star-hop chart
NGC 6819, Foxhead Cluster, Cygnus
A nice cluster that does resemble the head of an animal with pointy ears. Star-hop chart
Mu Cephei, Hershel’s Garnet Star
This is a red supergiant, visible to the naked eye at magnitude 4.0. Star-hop chart