August 1-4, 2025: The moon waxes eastward passing Scorpius. This is August’s Scorpion Moon.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
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Scorpion Moon
As August opens, the evening moon is in the southern sky after sunset, waxing as it is farther eastward each night, passing Scorpius – a Scorpion moon.
The celestial scorpion resembles its terrestrial namesake. Antares marks its heart and Dschubba, the head. It’s claws, Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali, now part of Libra, reach westward. The arachnid’s body curves downward toward the horizon then upward ending at Shaula and Lesath.
The bright moon washes out the dimmer stars, though they are visible through a binocular. It is at the evening half phase, known as First Quarter, on August 1st at 7:41 a.m. Central Time, when it is below the horizon in the Americas.
The Highlights
Here’s what to see at hour after sunset:
- August 1: The slightly gibbous moon, 55% illuminated, is nearly 20° above the south-southwest horizon, 5.6° to the lower left of Zubenelgenubi, the southern claw, and 24.0° to the lower right of Antares, Scorpius’ brightest star.
- August 2: The moon, 65% illuminated, is over 20° above the south-southwest horizon, 5.3° to the right of Pi Scorpii (π Sco on the chart) and 12.1° to the lower right of Antares. Tomorrow, the moon occults or eclipses this star from Indonesia
- August 3: The gibbous moon, 74% illuminated, is 20° up in the south, 1.4° to the lower right of Antares. The lunar orb occults this star for sky watchers at the southern tip of South America and New Zealand.
- August 4: The moon, 82% illuminated, is 12.4° to the lower left of Antares. Look carefully for Shaula and Lesath, sometimes known as the “Cat’s Eyes” and identify the Scorpion’s stinger and curved tail, 8.2° to the lunar orb’s lower left. Tonight, the moon is in front of Ophiuchus.
The moon reaches its Full phase on the 9th at 2:55 a.m., the night of the Sturgeon moon.
Watch the phase grows as the moon moves farther eastward and passes Scorpius – A Scorpion Moon.
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