2025, January 5:  Moon is Guide to Neptune

January 5, 2025:  The moon is a guide to dim Neptune this evening.  While the moon phase is crescent look for planet Uranus in Jupiter’s region.

2020, March 7: Venus is 2.3° to the right of Uranus.
Photo Caption – 2020, March 7: Venus is 2.3° to the right of Uranus.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:18 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 4:35 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Moon is Guide to Neptune

Moon is Guide to Neptune
Chart Caption – 2025: January 5: Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon are visible in the southwestern sky after nightfall.

Dim planets Uranus and Neptune are visible tonight with the bright planet display during evening hours.  Tonight, the moon is a guide to Neptune, while Uranus is somewhat near Jupiter.

Begin by spotting brilliant Venus and Saturn in the west after sunset.  The Evening star outshines all other starlike bodies in the sky.  Find it in the southwestern sky as darkness falls.  It is visible as early as 30 minutes after sunset.

Dimmer Saturn is 11.9° to Venus’ upper left and nearly 20° to the lower left of the crescent moon, 39% illuminated.

Use a Binocular to View Neptune

Moon is Guide to Neptune
Chart Caption – 2025, January: Through a binocular, Neptune and the crescent moon are in the same binocular field.

When twilight ends, about 90 minutes after sunset, planet Neptune is 5.0° to the lower right of the moon and in the same binocular field with the lunar crescent.  The planet is in front of a dim starfield, without a named star. The most-distant planet in the modern solar system model is challenging to see without the moon’s presence. This moon phase adds to the complexity.

Find the moon through the binocular and move it toward the upper left from the field’s center. Neptune is toward the lower right.  Stars 20 Piscium (20 Psc on the chart) and 24 Piscium (24 Psc) make a triangle with the bluish planet that resembles a dim star.

A telescope with a large aperture mirror is needed to see the planet’s globe.

Planet Uranus in Jupiter’s Region

Moon is Guide to Neptune
Chart Caption – 2025, January 5: Bright Jupiter is in the eastern sky after sundown. Planet Uranus is near the Pleiades star cluster.

After spotting Neptune, look for Uranus.  First, find bright Jupiter about halfway from the horizon to overhead.  After Venus, it is the second brightest starlike body and it dominates the eastern sky. 

The Jovian Giant retrogrades in front of Taurus, 5.5° to Aldebaran’s upper left, the Bull’s brightest star.

Next look for the Pleiades star cluster, a dimmer bundle of stars that looks like a tiny dipper, nearly 15° to Jupiter’s upper right.  It is 8° to the left of Uranus.  They are too far apart to fit into the same binocular field of view.

Put the cluster into the field of view then move the binocular to the right until the cluster just disappears outside the field of view.  The binocular field now has planet Uranus in it. Use the accompanying chart to identify 13 Tauri (13 Tau on the chart) and 14 Tauri (14 Tau), both about the same brightness as aquamarine Uranus.  Then locate stars Tau Arietis (τ Ari), 63 Arietis (63 Ari), and 65 Arietis (65 Ari).  The planet is 2.4° to the lower right of 63 Arietis.  A telescope is needed to see the planet’s globe.

Binocular View

Moon is Guide to Neptune
Chart Caption – 2025, January 5: Through a binocular, Uranus is in a starfield that includes stars in Taurus and Aries

Tonight, the moon is guide to find Neptune. Otherwise, it is a challenge to locate. Uranus is visible for a few more nights until moonlight overwhelms the starfield with the planet until the moon wanes after the Last Quarter phase.  Look for these two dimmer worlds.

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