Stargazing 10 July 2025 - 19 August 2025

The Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED is an 80 mm apochromatic refractor using FPL-53 ED glass, with a 600 mm focal length at f/7.5 and a weight of 2.5 kg. The Skyliner 200P is an 8-inch Newtonian on a Dobsonian mount, with a 1200 mm focal length, total weight near 45 lb, and manual controls. The Star Adventurer 2i is a 1.7 kg equatorial tracking mount with Wi‑Fi and a 5 kg payload. The Star Adventurer GTi adds GoTo and dual-axis motors.

StellaLyra 8" f/6 and Apertura AD8 use enhanced aluminum mirrors with ~93% reflectivity; Orion SkyQuest XT8 uses standard coatings at ~89–91%. StellaLyra and AD8 include dual-speed focusers and more accessories, while XT8 Classic has a single-speed focuser and fewer extras. Weights range from 18–21 kg. StellaLyra retails for £429–£449 in the UK, AD8 for $699–$799, XT8 Classic for $629–$679.

Venus and Jupiter will appear just 0.86° apart at dawn on August 12, 2025, their closest pairing in years. Venus shines at magnitude -4.0, Jupiter at about -1.9, both visible low in the eastern sky 45–60 minutes before sunrise. The Perseid meteor shower peaks the same morning, adding to the spectacle. Binoculars or a telescope will show both planets in one view.

A total solar eclipse will cross Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain on August 12, 2026, with up to 2 minutes 18 seconds of totality. The longest totality, 6 minutes 23 seconds, will occur on August 2, 2027, from Spain to Somalia. Annular and partial eclipses are also forecast across the Southern Hemisphere, South America, Africa, Australia, and Asia through 2030. Four partial eclipses are expected in 2029.

The Buck Moon peaks on 10 July 2025 at 4:37 p.m. EDT, days after Earth’s aphelion and the Moon’s apogee. This is the year’s farthest full Moon from the Sun and follows its lowest July path since 2006 due to the major lunar standstill. In New York, moonrise is at 8:53 p.m., 25 minutes after sunset. The Moon will appear slightly smaller than average.