July 6, 2025: Tonight, the moon eclipses or occults a bright star in Scorpius.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:23 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:28 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Related Articles
Venus Summary Article
VENUS AS A MORNING STAR, 2025
Occultation Tonight
Tonight, the moon occults a star in the constellation Scorpius, temporarily blocking it from view as the moon moves across our line of sight.
The star, without a proper name, is known as Pi Scorpii (π Sco on the chart). It is to the right (west) of rosy Antares – the Scorpion’s brightest star – forming a vertical line with Graffias and Dschubba.
An hour after sunset, the moon, 86% illuminated, is over 20° above the southern horizon. Use the binocular to spot Pi, 0.8° to the lunar orb’s left.
Binocular View
Through the binocular, with Pi at the center, Dschubba is near the top, and Rho (ρ Sco on the chart).
During the night the moon revolves eastward and approaches the star. Additionally, the moon and stars seem to move westward from Earth’s rotation. Across a large swath of North America, the moon occults or eclipses the star.
As the moon moves eastward, its eastern dark edge or limb, covers the star. About an hour later, the star reappears at the western sunlit limb.
Disappearance Times
Here’s a list of disappearance times for selected cities:
| Location | Disappearance Time (Local Time Zone) |
| Washington, D.C. | 12:57 a.m. (July 7) |
| Atlanta | 12:47 a.m. (July 7) |
| Montreal | 12:58 a.m. (July 7) |
| Chicago | 11:40 p.m. |
| Austin | 11:13 p.m. |
| Denver | 9:56 p.m. |
| Winnipeg | 11:22 p.m. |
| Los Angeles | 8:17 p.m. (Occultation begins 10 minutes before sunset. Star reappears 9:45 p.m.) |
Mercury and Mars after Sunset
Mercury and Mars are in the western sky after sunset. Mercury retreats into bright evening twilight and fades as it overtakes Earth. The speedy planet passes between our world and the sun on the 31st and jumps into the eastern morning sky.
At 45 minutes after nightfall, Mercury is about 5° above the west-northwest horizon. It can be seen through a binocular.
Fifteen minutes later, when the sky is darker and stars are easier to see, the planet is 15° to the lower right of Regulus, nearly 15° up in the west.
Reddish Mars, marches eastward against Leo, over 11° to Regulus upper left. Tonight, Mercury sets 85 minutes after sundown, followed by Mars, less than three hours after nightfall.
Tonight, look for the moon eclipse the star Pi Scorpii.
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, August 22-25: Waxing Moon Previews the Harvest Moon
August 22-25, 2026: The August waxing gibbous moon previews the Harvest Moon effect as it stays at a similar altitude while moving eastward and rising later each night. - 2026, August 21: How to Find Uranus Near the Pleiades Star Cluster Before Dawn
August 21, 2026: Use the Pleiades star cluster, 37 and 39 Tauri, and nearby reference stars to locate Uranus before morning twilight. Follow this binocular guide to identify the Tilted World. - 2026, August 20: Venus and Spica – Evening Star Approaches September Conjunction
August 20, 2026: Brilliant Venus shines in the western evening sky, stepping eastward in front of Virgo toward Spica. Watch the Evening Star close the gap before their September 1 conjunction. - 2026, August 19: Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn Before Sunrise; Venus and Moon After Sunset
August 19, 2026: Mars marches past Gemini near Castor’s foot as Jupiter returns to the morning sky. Saturn retrogrades against Pisces while Venus and the First Quarter moon shine after sunset. - 2026, August 18-21: August Moon Passes Scorpius and Antares
August 18-21, 2026: Watch the waxing moon pass Scorpius during August evenings. The lunar orb moves from Libra’s claws toward Antares and then to Ophiuchus while waxing through its First Quarter phase.