On Sunday, August 3, skywatchers will have an opportunity to see the waxing gibbous moon in a close approach with the red supergiant star Antares.
After sunset, look about 20 degrees above the southern horizon to spot the 69%-illuminated moon within the constellation Scorpius. Antares will be visible as a distinct, reddish point of light just one degree to the upper left of the moon—a distance roughly equivalent to the width of a fingertip held at arm’s length.
Throughout the night, the star will appear to trace an arc along the moon’s northern edge before both celestial bodies set below the southwestern horizon in the early hours of August 4.
For observers in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, including Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands, and Antarctica, the moon will pass directly in front of Antares in an event known as an occultation. This will begin at 8:08 p.m. ET on August 3 (0008 GMT, August 4).
Antares is a red supergiant located approximately 600 light-years from Earth. With a diameter 700 times that of the sun, the star has exhausted its core hydrogen and is now fusing heavier elements. This phase is a prelude to its eventual, spectacular collapse into a supernova, which will be a brilliant event visible from Earth.
For those interested in exploring the moon’s craters and seas in greater detail, our guides to the best telescopes and binoculars for 2025 offer excellent recommendations. Photographers aiming to capture the lunar display can consult our ultimate guide to imaging the moon, which includes our top picks for astrophotography cameras and lenses.
Editor’s note: If you capture a photograph of the moon and Antares, we invite you to share it with our readers. Please send your image, along with your name, location, and any comments, to spacephotos@space.com.
