Skywatchers’ Weekend Spectacle: Eclipse, Auroras & Saturn Dazzle Sept 20–21, 2025

Key Facts

• Partial Solar Eclipse (Sept 21): A deep partial solar eclipse on Sunday will cover up to 85% of the Sun at peak (19:41 UTC) earthsky.org. It’s visible at sunrise in New Zealand and parts of Antarctica (and a sliver of eastern Australia) timeanddate.com. Eye protection is a must – use solar filters or indirect viewing methods earthsky.org. If you’re outside the eclipse zone, a live webcast with expert commentary will stream the event space.com.
• Saturn at Opposition (Sept 21):Saturn reaches opposition on Sunday, meaning Earth lies directly between Saturn and the Sun people.com. The ringed planet will be at its closest and brightest of the year, shining at magnitude ~0.6 and visible all night long livescience.com people.com. With the Moon nearly new (dark skies), conditions are perfect to spot Saturn’s steady golden glow in Pisces. Even binoculars or a small telescope will reveal Saturn’s rings, which appear nearly edge-on this year.
• Meteor Activity & Fireballs: No major meteor shower peaks this weekend, but several minor showers continue to produce a trickle of shooting stars. The Southern Taurids (debris of Comet Encke) are just ramping up, offering ~3 meteors/hour late at night imo.net. The September Epsilon Perseids are fading (<1 per hour) imo.net, and the Daytime Sextantids radiate near the sunrise (very low rates) imo.net. Dark-sky observers might catch ~10 meteors/hour including sporadics. Notably, on Sept 19 a spectacular fireball exploded over New Delhi – a rare bolide bright enough to outshine city lights indiatoday.in (see Meteor Showers & Fireballs below).
• Aurora Alerts: Space weather forecasters are eyeing the equinox for auroral activity. A high-speed solar wind stream is due around Sept 22 and, thanks to the equinox geomagnetic boost (Russell–McPherron effect), even a mild gust could trigger a G1-class geomagnetic storm spaceweather.com. High-latitude skywatchers in Canada, Northern Europe, and Tasmania/New Zealand should be on alert for aurora borealis/australis displays overnight. NOAA estimates up to a 40% chance of strong geomagnetic storms at high latitudes during this period spaceweather.com. Under quiet conditions Kp indices sit low (~2–3), but a jump to Kp 5 (minor storm) is possible, which could push the Northern Lights visibility into upper mid-latitudes.
• Comet Lemmon Rising: A newly discovered long-period comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is brightening in the pre-dawn sky. Currently in Gemini before sunrise, Comet Lemmon surged from magnitude ~16 to 11 over the past month earthsky.org. Some experts predict it might reach mag 5 or 4 – potentially barely visible to the naked eye in dark sites earthsky.org – by the time it makes its closest approach in October. (Its brightness is unpredictable, so binoculars are recommended.) This comet is truly a once-in-a-lifetime visitor: it last passed near Earth in the 7th century (around year 629) and won’t return until 3421 AD earthsky.org. Another object of interest, the interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS, is also in our solar system now; it’s too faint for casual viewing but astronomers are excited to observe this rare visitor before it reaches perihelion later in 2025 earthsky.org.
• Satellites & Rocket Glows: Keep an eye out for satellite passes after dusk. The International Space Station (ISS) continues its regular orbits, making brilliant 3–5 minute passes in many locales (check NASA’s “Spot the Station” for timing). Meanwhile, SpaceX Starlink “trains” may be visible: two Falcon 9 rockets launched batches of Starlink satellites from Florida this week (on Sept 18 and again early Sept 21). The pre-dawn launches created glowing cloud-like plumes in the sky, seen as far away as Virginia wset.com. Lucky observers under clear dark skies might also catch the newly launched satellites lined up like a string of moving stars shortly after launch. These ghostly glows – sometimes dubbed “space jellyfish” – occur when rocket exhaust is illuminated by the Sun at high altitudes while the ground is still in darkness wset.com. (If you saw an odd comet-shaped cloud before sunrise, it was likely this rocket launch phenomenon.)
• Other Phenomena: With the approach of the autumnal equinox (on Sept 22), day and night are nearly equal in length worldwide. Around this time, observers in dark rural areas can look for the zodiacal light before dawn – a faint cone of light on the eastern horizon caused by sunlight reflecting off interplanetary dust astronomy.com. (It looks like a false dawn glow.) Noctilucent clouds, the eerie blue-white night clouds of summer, have largely vanished by now as the upper-atmosphere cools spaceweather.com, and won’t be seen again until the next season. Lastly, keep an eye out for any notable satellite flares (like those from old Iridium satellites) or rocket re-entry fireballs, which can occasionally flash across the sky without warning. In short, there’s plenty to enjoy in the skies this weekend for those who know when and where to look!

Meteor Showers & Fireballs

Even without a major meteor shower peak, the night sky is still offering shooting stars this weekend. Several minor meteor showers are active, and combined with random “sporadic” meteors they can produce up to 10 meteors per hour under dark skies imo.net imo.net. The Moon is new on Sept 21 (invisible at night) imo.net, which means moonless dark skies ideal for meteor spotting in the predawn hours.

Active meteor showers right now include:

• Southern Taurids (STA): These meteors stem from debris left by Comet 2P/Encke and are beginning their long activity period (Sept 20 – Nov 12) imo.net. Rates are low now (only ~3 per hour), but Taurid meteors are known for being slow-moving and sometimes bright imo.net. In fact, the American Meteor Society notes the Taurid streams are rich in fireballs, often causing a spike in bright meteor reports from September through November amsmeteors.org. Taurids are best viewed after midnight, when their radiant in Pisces rises higher.
• September Epsilon Perseids (SPE): A minor shower in Perseus wrapping up its activity – this weekend is the tail end of the SPE. Only very few meteors (<1/hour) are expected now imo.net. Any that do appear will be swift (entry speeds ~64 km/s) imo.net and emanate from the northeast before dawn.
• Daytime Sextantids (DSX): Active Sept 20 – Oct 6 with a peak on Oct 1, the Sextantids are a challenging shower to observe imo.net. Their radiant, in the constellation Sextans (near Leo), lies only ~30° from the Sun imo.net. This means these meteors can only be seen in the last hour before dawn, shooting upward from the eastern horizon imo.net. Rates are under 1 per hour now imo.net. If you’re up early, you might catch a lucky earthgrazer meteor from this shower before morning twilight – but don’t count on many.
• Chi Cygnids (CCY): A very minor source in Cygnus finishing its activity this week. Only Northern Hemisphere observers have a chance at the odd slow-moving meteor from this radiant imo.net. Rates are essentially nil now, but any unusual early-evening meteor could be a last gasp of the Chi Cygnids.

Most of the meteors this weekend will be sporadics, the random bits of dust and rock that hit Earth’s atmosphere every night. Under truly dark rural skies, expect on the order of 8–12 sporadic meteors per hour before dawn imo.net imo.net. Urban stargazers will see fewer, as light pollution washes out the fainter streaks imo.net – but even city dwellers might catch a bright one.

Fireball Over India – A Rare Bolide

On the night of September 19, people around New Delhi, India were stunned by a brilliant fireball meteor that streaked overhead and burst into fragments indiatoday.in indiatoday.in. Videos show a dazzling flash that for a moment outshone the city lights, then broke apart into glowing pieces across the sky indiatoday.in. “It looked like a shooting star explosion,” reported witnesses on social media, with some even hearing a faint rumble afterward indiatoday.in indiatoday.in.

Astronomy experts explained this dramatic event was likely a bolide – an especially bright meteor (fireball) that explodes in the atmosphere due to intense friction and pressure indiatoday.in. Such bright fragmenting meteors are rare, especially over a major metropolis. “While meteors are not uncommon, a bright event visible to such a large population is considered rare,” notes India’s Science Desk indiatoday.in. Fortunately, no damage was reported (most meteoroids vaporize before reaching the ground in events like this) indiatoday.in indiatoday.in.

Fireballs like the India bolide can happen randomly, but interestingly, fall is known for an uptick in fireball reports – often attributed to the Taurid meteor streams. The Southern Taurids active now (and Northern Taurids next month) are famed for producing a “Halloween fireball” season. So the timing in late September fits, though it’s impossible to say if the Delhi meteor was a Taurid or a random stray. Regardless, it was a “once-in-a-lifetime” sight for those who caught it indiatoday.in indiatoday.in. Keep your eyes open – isolated fireballs can blaze out of the blue on any night! The American Meteor Society (AMS) encourages reporting such sightings on their website to help track these spectacular events imo.net.

Meteor Watching Tips: For the best chance to see meteors, find a dark location away from city lights, lie back and give your eyes ~30 minutes to adapt to the dark. Peak meteor rates occur in the predawn hours (when Earth’s rotation puts your location “face first” into the oncoming meteor streams). Dress warmly and be patient – you never know when a brilliant fireball might silently streak across the stars.

Aurora Alerts & Northern Lights Watch

If you’re in high latitudes, get your cameras and alerts ready – the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis might put on a show around the equinox. The Earth’s magnetic environment is currently quiet to unsettled, but conditions may change rapidly this weekend due to incoming solar activity.

What’s happening? A coronal hole on the Sun has sent a stream of fast solar wind toward Earth, predicted to arrive by Sept 22 spaceweather.com. By itself this solar wind stream is modest and might only cause minor auroras. However, the timing is key: the autumnal equinox (on Sept 22) is a known catalyst for geomagnetic activity. During equinox, the Russell–McPherron effect can amplify the impact of even small solar disturbances on Earth’s magnetic field spaceweather.com. Essentially, our planet is more vulnerable to geomagnetic disturbances around the equinoxes, so auroras that normally stay confined to polar regions can expand to lower latitudes.

Forecast: NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a watch for a possible G1-class geomagnetic storm (Kp ~5) around Sept 22 as the solar wind stream arrives spaceweather.com. This corresponds to a minor geomagnetic storm. If it materializes, Northern Lights could be visible farther south than usual – potentially dipping into the northern tier of U.S. states (e.g. Maine, Michigan, Montana) and across northern Europe (Scotland, Scandinavia, etc.) during the local night. The Southern Lights could likewise be seen from southern Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.

Currently, the auroral oval is quiet. The Kp index (a global geomagnetic activity measure) has been in the 1–3 range (quiet to active) recently space.com. NOAA’s short-term forecast shows a 30% chance of minor storm levels in the next 24 hours at mid-latitudes, rising to 40% at high latitudes spaceweather.com as we approach the 21st–22nd. In fact, at high latitudes the outlook suggests up to a 20–40% chance of a severe (Kp 7+) storm over the weekend spaceweather.com – which would bring very strong auroras if it occurs.

Why Equinox Matters: “Autumn could begin with a storm,” Spaceweather.com quipped, explaining that during equinoxes, small solar wind disturbances can trigger outsized auroral effects spaceweather.com. This is due to a semiannual geomagnetic phenomenon that boosts aurora likelihood around the first day of fall/spring. So even a glancing blow from a solar wind stream can light up the skies.

Where to see the aurora: If a G1 storm happens, the aurora Northern Lights may be visible over Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe, and Siberia directly overhead, and possibly as a faint glow on the northern horizon as far south as the U.S. northern plains, northern UK, Germany, etc. In the Southern Hemisphere, auroras could dance over Antarctica, southern New Zealand, and Tasmania. If the activity is stronger (Kp 6–7), auroras might creep further toward mid-latitudes – e.g. glimpsed in the northern U.S. states or central Europe. Keep an eye on local aurora alerts (services like SWPC Aurora Dashboard or Aurora Service).

High latitude skywatchers (e.g. in Scotland, Iceland, Canada, Alaska, Norway) should definitely watch the skies on both Sept 20 and 21 nights in case auroral bands become visible. Even without a full storm, there could be periods of active aurora (Kp 4) which bring beautiful curtains of green/red light overhead in those areas. Already this month, auroras have been photographed dancing under moonless dark skies in places like Finland and Alaska on quieter nights.

Aurora Australis hunters in the far southern hemisphere (Tasmania, NZ’s South Island, or South Africa’s Cape) should likewise be alert in the hours around local midnight. The equinox aurora effect is global – both poles are equally likely to have enhanced auroral activity.

Aurora Viewing Tips: Get away from city lights and find a location with a clear view of the northern (or southern) horizon. Auroras can start as a diffuse white or greenish glow low on the horizon, which can be mistaken for light pollution or thin clouds. Long-exposure camera shots can help confirm if it’s aurora (they will show green/purple colors if so). If a storm hits, auroras may climb high in the sky and show dynamic forms – arcs, curtains, and rays that rippling and dance. Late evening to early morning (10 p.m. – 2 a.m. local time) is usually prime aurora time, but they can occur anytime it’s dark.

Fun fact: On Sept 22, day and night lengths equalize – and intriguingly, auroras have a habit of flaring up around the equinox. As Spaceweather notes, a minor solar wind that “normally would not be enough to trigger a storm” might do so in late September due to geomagnetic alignments spaceweather.com. So we could get a surprise light show. Sign up for aurora alert services (email or text alerts) if you don’t want to miss it spaceweather.com.

Lastly, the Sun itself has been relatively quiet in terms of flares (only low-level flares, 35% chance of M-class, 1% of X-class in the next day spaceweather.com). However, the Sun’s disk is speckled with sunspots, including an unusual ring-shaped sunspot (AR4220) observed on Sept 19 spaceweather.com. No major eruptions from it yet, but oddly shaped sunspots bear watching as they “are the ones most likely to explode” spaceweather.com. Any significant solar flare or CME this weekend could further enhance aurora chances, but none is specifically forecast at the moment. Keep watch on space weather updates – things can change quickly on the Sun!

Partial Solar Eclipse on Sept 21, 2025

One of the most exciting events of the weekend is Sunday’s partial solar eclipse. This eclipse is visible primarily in the Southern Hemisphere, sweeping across remote areas of the South Pacific Ocean. If you’re in the right place (or tuning in online), you’ll witness the Moon covering a large portion of the Sun, turning our star into a brilliant crescent shape in the sky.

Where & When: The partial eclipse occurs on September 21, 2025 (UTC). It will be seen from New Zealand, a thin strip of far eastern Australia, several Pacific Islands (like parts of Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, etc.), and sections of Antarctica timeanddate.com. Timing varies by location: in universal time, the partial phase begins around 17:29 UTC on Sept 21 and ends by 21:53 UTC earthsky.org. The moment of maximum eclipse is at 19:41 UTC when the Moon covers about 85% of the Sun’s diameter (magnitude 0.855) earthsky.org. That peak is only seen from the center of the eclipse path (over open ocean near Antarctica), but many locations will see a substantial partial cover.

• In New Zealand, the eclipse happens at sunrise on Monday, Sept 22 local time. For example, in Auckland and Wellington, the Sun will rise that morning already partially eclipsed (weather permitting). By shortly after sunrise, around 6:41 am NZST, the eclipse will reach its maximum there with roughly 70–80% of the Sun covered, then the Sun climbs and the Moon’s shadow moves off timeanddate.com timeanddate.com. Imagine the dawn sky with a crescent Sun – a spectacular and rare sight! (New Zealand gets this treat because the eclipse occurs just after daybreak in that time zone.)
• In Eastern Australia, only the far southeast catches the eclipse near sunrise on the 22nd. For instance, Sydney is right at the edge of visibility but will see a tiny partial eclipse at dawn (only a few percent of the Sun obscured) timeanddate.com. Locations like Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island get a better view (up to ~30–40% Sun covered) timeanddate.com timeanddate.com. Further south, parts of Tasmania (e.g. around Hobart) will also see a small partial eclipse after sunrise timeanddate.com.
• In the Pacific Islands, places such as Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Fiji, Vanuatu are in the late afternoon of Sept 21 local time when the eclipse hits. For example, in Apia, Samoa, the eclipse will occur near sunset on the 21st, with up to ~70% of the Sun eclipsed before sunset. Many of these islands will see the Sun set while still partially eclipsed – a very cool sight, but one that requires clear westward horizons. A selection of cities and islands that get an eclipsed Sun include Funafuti (Tuvalu), Fakaofo (Tokelau), Apia (Samoa), Nuku’alofa (Tonga), Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and more timeanddate.com timeanddate.com.
• In Antarctica, several research stations (like McMurdo Station and Mario Zucchelli Station) will see a deep partial eclipse in their evening hours timeanddate.com. The Sun is low on the horizon there as winter transitions to spring. An 85% eclipsed Sun over the icy Antarctic landscape could make for amazing photos for the few overwintering personnel and wildlife present!

For anyone outside these regions, the eclipse won’t be visible directly. But don’t worry – you can watch it live online. The science outreach team at TimeAndDate, in partnership with the Dunedin Astronomical Society in NZ, is providing a free livestream of the eclipse on YouTube space.com. Coverage begins at 2 p.m. EDT (18:00 GMT) on Sept 21 space.com, featuring real-time views from New Zealand and expert commentary by astrophysicist Graham Jones and others space.com. So grab a coffee Sunday afternoon (if in the Americas/Europe) or Monday morning (Asia/Oceania) and tune in to witness the Moon’s shadow live.

What to Expect: At maximum, the Sun will resemble a brilliant crescent in the sky – as if a giant cosmic cookie took a bite out of it. In fact, space media have been playfully billing it as “the Moon takes a ‘bite’ out of the Sun” space.com. This is a partial solar eclipse, not total, so daylight will only dim somewhat (like a very overcast day or late evening light) even at peak. But never be fooled by the reduced sunlight – looking at the Sun is dangerous without protection even when most of it is covered! The small exposed portion of Sun can cause eye damage in seconds. Thus, the number-one rule for observing is to use proper solar filters earthsky.org. Certified eclipse glasses or viewer cards are a must for direct viewing. Alternatively, project the Sun’s image using a pinhole or binocular projector onto a screen. Welders glass (shade 14) also works in a pinch. Regular sunglasses do not suffice.

As EarthSky’s experts remind, eye safety is paramount: “The number one rule for solar eclipse observing is to make sure you protect your eyes by using an appropriate filter.” earthsky.org If you need eclipse viewers, they are available from science stores and even some hardware stores (plan ahead!).

During the eclipse, you might also notice crescent-shaped shadows on the ground under trees (the gaps between leaves act like pinhole cameras), and strange lighting effects. In areas near the edge of the eclipse visibility, the Sun will only be slightly dented – so the effect will be subtle. Closer to the center (like New Zealand’s South Island or parts of Antarctica), the deep partial eclipse will create an eerie “dusk at midday” ambiance.

Expert Quote: “This is a deep partial eclipse,” says Marcy Curran of EarthSky earthsky.org earthsky.org. Even though it’s not total, about 85% of the Sun will be hidden behind the Moon at maximum. That’s enough to noticeably dim the daylight and give the Sun a dramatic crescent appearance. It’s also the last eclipse of 2025 earthsky.org, coming after a total lunar eclipse earlier in the month, so eclipse-chasers won’t want to miss it.

If you’re within the viewing zone, plan ahead: find a clear view toward the Sun (east at sunrise for NZ/Australia on the 22nd, west at sunset for Pacific islands on the 21st). Use proper filters on cameras and telescopes. For everyone else, the webcasts are your ticket to enjoy this celestial event safely.

Fun note: This eclipse belongs to Saros cycle 154 and is number 7 in that series earthsky.org. It’s part of the second eclipse “season” of the year – it was preceded two weeks earlier by a total lunar eclipse on Sept 7, 2025 earthsky.org. So September 2025 delivered a one-two punch of eclipses (lunar then solar). The next solar eclipse after this will be in 2026, so enjoy this one!

After the eclipse, the Moon will move on to its next phase (young waxing crescent) and night sky observers will regain the Moon as a sliver in the evening sky later next week. But for this weekend, the dark moon is aiding our next big highlight…

Planetary Highlights: Saturn at Its Brightest & Planets on Parade

Skywatchers, get ready for Saturn’s big night! On the night of Sept 20–21, Saturn reaches opposition, which is the best time all year to observe the ringed planet. Opposition means Saturn is directly opposite the Sun from Earth’s perspective (essentially, the Sun–Earth–Saturn are in a straight line) people.com. When a planet is at opposition, it rises at sunset, is highest around midnight, and sets at sunrise – so it’s visible all night long. It’s also when the planet is closest to Earth, making it appear a bit brighter and larger in telescopes than at any other time of year livescience.com livescience.com.

Saturn at Opposition (Sept 21): This year’s opposition is extra special because it coincides almost exactly with the New Moon (which occurred on the 21st). That means no moonlight to interfere – dark skies will make it easier to find Saturn and enjoy fainter sights like its rings and moons. On the night of September 21 (Sunday), Saturn will shine at about magnitude +0.5 to +0.6, its brightest of 2025 livescience.com. Look for it appearing in the east at sunset; it will climb higher in the southeast through the evening. Saturn is currently in the constellation Pisces (near the Pisces-Aquarius border) earthsky.org, not far from the Great Square of Pegasus asterism. It appears as a yellowish “star” that doesn’t twinkle much. As People Magazine put it, “Saturn can be spotted without a telescope between Sept. 20 and 21” – it’s true, you just need clear skies and a general idea of where to look people.com people.com.

At opposition, Saturn is about 1.28 billion km from Earth earthsky.org people.com. That’s closer than usual, so through a telescope, Saturn’s disk is a bit larger (about 19 arcseconds across not counting rings earthsky.org). While 19 arcsec is tiny to the naked eye, in a telescope at 100x it looks impressive. And yes, the rings are visible even in a small telescope – they’re the crown jewel of Saturn observing! Right now the rings are nearly edge-on (tilted only ~2° toward Earth earthsky.org), so they appear as a thin line through Saturn’s middle, rather than the wide open tilt they had a few years ago. In fact, earlier in 2025 we actually crossed the ring plane (in March) and the rings for a time were almost invisible in small scopes earthsky.org. By September they’ve opened just slightly. If you view Saturn with a steady scope, you might also spot Titan, Saturn’s largest moon (magnitude ~8.5), and a few smaller moons like Rhea, Tethys, and Dione on a clear night.

One cool phenomenon at opposition is the Seeliger Effect – Saturn’s rings surge in brightness for a few days around opposition livescience.com. Essentially, when the Sun is directly behind us relative to Saturn, the ring particles reflect sunlight straight back (minimizing shadows between particles), making the rings appear extra bright and whitish for a short period livescience.com. If you see Saturn this weekend, note how bright the rings look compared to the planet – that’s the opposition glow in action!

Viewing tips for Saturn: Unlike the twinkling stars, planets shine with a steady light. Saturn will be one of the brighter points in the evening sky (Jupiter is brighter, but rises later at night). To find Saturn, you can use a stargazing app or simply face south-southeast around midnight – Saturn will be the brightest “star” about ~35° above the horizon in that direction people.com. Another tip: the constellation Aquarius is just to the west of Saturn and Pisces just to the east; Saturn is roughly between Jupiter (farther east, rising late) and Fomalhaut (a bright star low in the south). If you have binoculars, using them will make Saturn’s golden color stand out, though you won’t resolve the rings with binoculars (it will just look like an oval or tiny elongated dot in steady binocs). A telescope at 30x or more will clearly show the rings separated from the planet.

Many astronomy clubs and observatories host “Saturn viewing nights” around opposition because it’s such a crowd-pleaser. “Grab your telescopes, ’cause the ringed planet is putting on a show!” as one astronomy enthusiast wrote people.com. Indeed, seeing Saturn’s rings with your own eyes through a telescope is often a jaw-dropping experience for first-timers – it almost looks too perfect, like a sticker placed on the eyepiece. If you have a chance to attend a local skywatch or have a telescope of your own, now’s the time to point it at Saturn. You might also catch a transit or shadow of one of Saturn’s moons if you observe at the right time – for instance, on Oct 6 Titan will transit, but during opposition season various moons cast little shadows (as seen in the image above, where Titan’s shadow is the black dot on Saturn).

Even with the naked eye, Saturn is a pretty sight. It has a distinct golden hue. Compare it to Antares (the red heart of Scorpius) or Altair (white) or Jupiter (brilliant white, rising later) to appreciate the color difference. It’s also fun to think about what you’re seeing: that “star” is actually a gas giant 120,000 km wide, adorned with rings and dozens of moons, currently over a billion kilometers away – yet visible without any optical aid! That perspective can be mind-blowing.

Saturn’s Not Alone: This weekend is great for planetary gazing generally. Jupiter is also on the rise – it comes up by late evening (around 9–10 p.m. by mid-latitudes) and shines extremely bright (about mag –2.6) in the eastern sky by midnight. By dawn, Jupiter will be high in the southwest. If you stay up late after enjoying Saturn, turn your gaze to the east and you’ll find Jupiter blazing among the stars of Aries/Pisces. Through binoculars, you can often see 2-4 of Jupiter’s Galilean moons lined up. Jupiter’s own opposition is coming in November, so it’s getting bigger and brighter each week.

Venus has been a morning star for a while, and in September 2025 it’s still shining brilliantly before sunrise. In fact, NASA’s skywatching update highlights a lovely conjunction on Sept 19: in the pre-dawn of the 19th, the crescent Moon, Venus, and the star Regulus formed a striking trio low in the east science.nasa.gov. If you missed that (it was just before our weekend), don’t worry – on the 20th and 21st the waning Moon will have moved away, but Venus remains super bright (magnitude –4.5) in the morning twilight. Early risers an hour before sunrise can spot Venus easily and also look for Regulus (the brightest star of Leo) nearby, and perhaps Mercury much lower on the horizon (Mercury was near superior conjunction mid-month, so it’s not easily visible yet in the glare). Venus will continue to dominate the dawn sky for the rest of the year, though it’s slowly dimming as it gets further from Earth.

Mars is unfortunately out of view (it’s on the far side of the Sun). And Mercury might be glimpsed later in the month in the morning, but around the 20th it’s still too close to the Sun. Uranus and Neptune are up too: Neptune just passed its opposition on Sept 18, 2025 (in Aquarius), so with binoculars or a telescope you could hunt Neptune (~mag 7.8) near the Aquarius-Pisces border. Uranus (mag 5.7) in Aries is high in the later night. These ice giants require some sky charts to locate, but opposition season is the best time for them as well.

In summary, we have something of a “planet parade” in the sky: after Saturn rises at sunset, later in the night Jupiter rises, then by pre-dawn Venus is shining – meaning at least three planets (not counting Uranus/Neptune) can be seen in one night. In fact, on the morning of Sept 21, Saturn will still be up in the west while Venus is up in the east, with Jupiter high – three bright planets simultaneously visible. If you include Mercury (very low) and Neptune/Uranus (telescopic), one could theoretically observe six planets within this 24-hour period – an unofficial “planet parade.”

Saturn Fun Fact: Saturn’s oppositions happen about every 378 days, a little over a year apart earthsky.org. In 2024 Saturn’s opposition was on Sept 8, and in 2026 it will be Oct 4 earthsky.org. Each year it comes about 2 weeks later due to Earth needing to “catch up” in its orbit. So if you miss Saturn this time, it will be around for months in the evening sky, gradually setting earlier by spring. But it won’t be this bright again until next year – so do try to see it now. As NASA’s September sky guide says, “Saturn will be putting on an out-of-this-world performance this month… Saturn shines throughout the month.” science.nasa.gov science.nasa.gov Indeed, Saturn is the star of the September sky – enjoy the show!

Comets and Asteroids: A Bright Comet Approaches

Beyond the planets, keep watch in the early morning for a fuzzy visitor: Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is on its way into the inner solar system, and it’s garnering attention from astronomers as possibly the brightest comet of 2025.

Comet Lemmon was discovered in January 2025 by the Mt. Lemmon survey in Arizona (hence its name) earthsky.org. It has an extremely long orbit (~1,396 years) earthsky.org, meaning the last time it passed by was around the year 629 AD! It won’t return for another 14 centuries after this, so this is literally a once-in-a-millennium comet for us earthsky.org. As of late August, Comet Lemmon has undergone an outburst in brightness – jumping from a dim magnitude ~16 to about mag 11 earthsky.org. That puts it within reach of backyard telescopes and even large binoculars under dark skies. Observers have reported a small fuzzy coma.

Currently (mid/late September), Comet Lemmon is visible in the pre-dawn sky. It’s been moving through the constellation Gemini, not far from where Venus is in the sky before sunrise earthsky.org. By September 20, finder charts show it situated near the twin stars Castor and Pollux (in Gemini) low in the east before dawn earthsky.org. You will likely need at least a 6-inch telescope or good binoculars to spot it at this stage. The comet is likely around magnitude 10–11 now (still below naked-eye visibility). It appears as a diffuse patch of light.

The exciting possibility is that Comet Lemmon might continue brightening. Estimates vary: Some experts (like Japanese comet observer Seiichi Yoshida) have optimistically projected it could reach magnitude 5 or even 4 at its peak earthsky.org. If so, under very dark rural skies it could become just visible to the unaided eye (the threshold for human naked-eye sight is around mag 6). Other predictions are more conservative, suggesting it may only get to about mag 7–8 earthsky.org, which would still be a fine binocular comet but not naked-eye. Comets are notoriously unpredictable – they can fizzle out or surprise us with sudden flares. EarthSky cautions that the recent brightening could have been a temporary outburst earthsky.org. The only way to know is to keep watching in the coming weeks.

Mark your calendars: October 21, 2025 is when Comet Lemmon makes its closest approach to Earth (about 0.53 AU away) earthsky.org, and around early November it reaches perihelion (closest to the Sun) earthsky.org. Conveniently, during October the comet transitions to the evening sky after sunset for the Northern Hemisphere, which might make it easier to spot for more people. By late October, it will be low in the northwest after sunset, potentially putting on its best show then. But for this weekend (Sept 20–21), the best time to try spotting Comet Lemmon is just before dawn in the east. Use a star chart – find bright Venus, look a bit higher and slightly north (left) toward Gemini. If you have a GoTo telescope, you can input its coordinates.

If you do find it, note any tail or color – right now it likely looks like a faint fuzzy star with maybe a slight hint of a tail in photos. As it brightens, it could develop a visible tail. This comet’s path and orbit suggest it’s a first-time visitor (or at least hasn’t been in a very long time), so it may have lots of volatile material to shed (which creates the tail).

Aside from Comet Lemmon, there are a couple of other comets on the horizon (literally). Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) is expected to brighten by late year (closest in November 2025) earthsky.org. And notably, Comet 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet – the third ever discovered that comes from outside our solar system earthsky.org. 3I/ATLAS is being observed by astronomers right now; it should remain visible in larger telescopes through September science.nasa.gov before it gets too close to the Sun to see. It will make its nearest approach to Earth in December. While these other comets won’t be obvious to casual observers yet, they’re part of a mini comet boom that has astronomers excited.

What about asteroids? There are no especially bright asteroids at opposition this weekend – the brightest asteroid, 4 Vesta, had its opposition back in May. Currently Vesta is around mag 7–8 in Libra, observable in binoculars earlier this month but nothing noteworthy now. However, astrophotographers might capture some minor asteroids moving as tiny dots in wide-field shots of the zodiacal sky.

One subtle phenomenon related to comets and asteroidal dust is the Zodiacal Light, which we mentioned earlier. This time of year (fall in the north, spring in the south), the geometry of the ecliptic at dawn makes the zodiacal light stand out in the eastern pre-dawn sky. It’s basically sunlight scattering off dust grains left by countless comets over eons astronomy.com. If you’re out looking for Comet Lemmon before morning twilight and you’re far from city lights, you might notice a broad faint pyramid of light extending up from the horizon. That’s the zodiacal light – sometimes called the “false dawn”. It’s a reminder that space is dusty and those dust grains create a glow of their own.

In summary, no bright comet is yet visible to the naked eye this weekend, but Comet Lemmon is the one to watch, potentially becoming a nice comet in the coming weeks. We’ll keep you posted as it hopefully brightens. In the meantime, if you have a telescope, give it a try now for bragging rights that you saw it when it was still faint!

Satellites & “Rocket Jellyfish”: ISS, Starlink, and Launch Views

Besides natural celestial phenomena, human-made objects are also putting on shows in the sky:

• International Space Station (ISS): The ISS is observable as a bright moving star in the mornings and/or evenings (depending on your location’s pass schedule). This weekend, many locations have ISS passes during the evening hours shortly after sunset (for mid-northern latitudes) or pre-dawn hours (for mid-southern latitudes). For example, in Warsaw (where this report originates), the ISS is making visible passes around 8 PM local time. The ISS typically shines about as bright as Jupiter (mag –2 to –4) and takes 4–6 minutes to cross the sky. It does not blink (planes do) and moves steadily west-to-east. You can find exact times for your city on NASA’s “Spot the Station” website. Watching the ISS is always a delight – realizing that 3–7 astronauts are up there on that fast-moving point of light! No telescope needed, just your eyes and clear skies.
• Starlink Satellite Trains: SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 rockets carrying batches of Starlink satellites this week – one on Sept 18 and one on Sept 21 (the second launch happening at 5:20 a.m. EDT on Sunday) space.com. Each launch deployed 28 new satellites into low Earth orbit space.com. In the days immediately following a launch, the satellites can often be seen traveling together in a “train” of bright dots, especially about 1–3 days post-launch when they’re still in a relatively tight cluster. They look like a string of pearls moving across the sky. If you are in North America, for instance, the batch launched on Sept 18 (from Florida at 5:30 a.m. EDT) might be visible in the evening sky by Sept 20–21 as they catch sunlight after sunset. Europe might also catch some passes. There are websites (like Heavens-Above) where you can get predictions for Starlink passes (look for the group 10-61 and 10-27 identifiers for these particular missions).

The launch events themselves created a stunning visual effect. In the pre-dawn hours of Sept 18, people along the US East Coast from Florida up to Virginia saw a mysterious glowing plume in the sky – which turned out to be the Falcon 9 rocket’s exhaust illuminated by the rising Sun. A viewer video from Bedford, VA showed the ghostly white trail of the rocket high in the sky, even though it launched from Florida hundreds of miles away wset.com. As one meteorologist explained, once the rocket got a few minutes into flight, it was high enough that the curvature of Earth allowed the Sun’s rays to hit the vapor trail, making it glow brilliantly against the still-dark sky for observers farther north wset.com. This phenomenon is colloquially called a “space jellyfish” or “rocket jellyfish”, because the expanding exhaust cloud can look like a jellyfish or comet. The white-blue plume with a bright core (the rocket) was widely noticed around 5:35–5:45 a.m. ET on Sept 18.

SpaceX’s Sept 21 launch was also at pre-dawn (around 5:20 a.m. ET) space.com, so it likely produced a similar spectacle for early risers along the Southeast coast. If you saw something like a fast-moving UFO cloud before sunrise Sunday – that was it! Such views are becoming more common with frequent rocket launches at dawn/dusk.

Within about an hour after launch, the Starlink satellites deploy and start spreading out. Observers have already reported seeing a line of 5–6 bright dots moving in unison (these are the satellites reflecting sunlight) in the evening sky a day or two after launch. Over weeks, the satellites use ion thrusters to raise their orbits and disperse, so the “train” effect is temporary. Catch it while you can; it’s quite a sight if you’ve never seen it. (There are many videos online if you’re curious.)

• Other Satellite Flares: The new Starlink satellites are designed to be dimmer to reduce their impact on astronomy, but some older satellites or debris occasionally produce flares – sudden bright glints when their panels reflect sunlight directly to you. The classic ones were Iridium flares, but those satellites are mostly retired now. Still, keep an eye out for any one-off flash in the sky. It could be a satellite catching the Sun briefly.
• Rocket Launches / Reentries: Aside from SpaceX, other launches around this time include a SpaceX Falcon 9 from California (Vandenberg) on Sept 22 (carrying a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office) spacex.com, and earlier, a Northrop Grumman Antares launch on Sept 14. These might not be visible unless you’re nearby. However, one thing to watch for is rocket stage reentries: sometimes, a used rocket stage will reenter the atmosphere uncontrolled and produce a bright, slow-moving fireball breaking apart (often mistaken for a meteor). No known reentry is scheduled exactly for 20–21 Sep, but it’s always possible. In fact, just a couple weeks ago, people in the western US saw a train of fireballs which turned out to be a reentering Falcon 9 second stage. So, if you see a series of slow fireballs in a line, it could be space junk reentering.

To tie it together: our skies are busier than ever, not just with natural wonders but with human-made satellites. Space.com reports that SpaceX’s Starlink constellation is now the largest ever assembled, with nearly 8,400 active satellites in orbit space.com. The downside is satellites can photobomb astro-photos or add light pollution, but the upside is casual observers are getting to witness peculiar sights (like the Starlink trains and rocket glows) that previous generations rarely saw. It’s a new dimension to skywatching.

If you’re a visual observer, none of these satellites compare to the splendor of, say, Saturn’s rings or the Milky Way. But they’re a reminder that space is becoming accessible, and they can spark conversations about what’s up there. Just be ready to explain to your friends when they ask, “What was that weird line of lights I saw last night?!” — it’s not aliens, it’s Elon’s satellites (or another rocket heading to orbit).

Enjoy the Sky! This weekend (Sept 20–21, 2025) offers a buffet of celestial and atmospheric phenomena: from a solar eclipse by day to Saturn and meteors by night, with a chance of auroral fireworks and even a comet on the horizon. Whether you’re an avid astronomer or just occasionally look up, there’s something for everyone:

• If you’re in the South Pacific region, don’t miss the eclipse on Sunday (and please do so safely).
• Anywhere on Earth, look for Saturn after sunset – show your friends that “star” in the sky is actually the ringed planet.
• In the quiet hours of pre-dawn, scan for shooting stars and maybe the comet, and enjoy the stillness of the late-night sky.
• And if you live under auroral latitudes, this could be your chance for the Northern Lights to cap off the summer.

As always, check your local weather forecast – a clear sky is the key ingredient. If clouds foil your plans, you can hop online for live views (many astrophotographers stream their night sky). The universe is putting on a grand show this weekend, so try to catch a glimpse. Clear skies!

Sources: Official forecasts and expert insights were drawn from NASA and NOAA space weather updates, the International Meteor Organization and American Meteor Society outlooks, and trusted astronomy resources like EarthSky and Spaceweather imo.net spaceweather.com earthsky.org livescience.com. Eyewitness reports (e.g. the India fireball) were reported by major news outlets indiatoday.in, and launch visibility came via local news and SpaceX coverage wset.com. Wherever you are in the world, take a moment to look up – there’s a lot happening above us this weekend!