2025, September 28: Moon and Scorpion’s Tail

September 28, 2025: During evening twilight, the crescent moon shines near Scorpius’ Cat’s Eyes stars, Shaula and Lesath. Before sunrise, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune create a planetary display across the sky.

Scorpius in the southern sky
Chart Caption – Look south during summer evenings to see the Celestial Scorpion.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:45 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 6:37 p.m. CDT.  Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.

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The display of three bright planets, along with dimmer Uranus and Neptune, continues early during morning twilight. Look for Venus in the east, Jupiter high in the east-southeast, and Saturn low in the west.

Evening Moon

Moon above Cat's Eyes, September 28, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, September 28: The thick gibbous moon is above the Cat’s Eyes, Shaula and Lesath, at the Scorpion’s tail.

After sundown, the crescent moon, 40% illuminated, is about 20° above the south-southwest horizon. It is nearly 15° to Antares’ upper right, Scorpius’ brightest star.

The lunar orb is about 8° above Shaula and Lesath, at the Scorpion’s tail. They are about 10° above the horizon, so find a clear view looking toward them. Sometimes these stars are known as the Cat’s Eyes because they appear near each other.

Shaula and Lesath

Here are some details about them:

  • Shaula: Name means “the cocked-up part of the scorpion’s tail;” distance, 374 light years*; brightness, 2,500 suns.
  • Lesath: Name means “the scorpion’s sting;” distance, 570 light years; brightness, 830 suns.

Shaula is the 17th brightest star in the sky at mid-northern latitudes. It is slightly brighter than Bellatrix, one of Orion’s shoulders.

Not among the brightest stars, Lesath is about one-third of Shaula’s brightness. It is similar in brightness to Zubenelgenubi in Libra, Alcyone, the brightest Pleiad, and Pi Scorpii (π Sco), as comparative examples.

As the moon moves toward the evening half-full phase, or First Quarter (tomorrow at 6:54 p.m. Central Time), look for the Cat’s Eyes.

*Various sources have vastly different distances for the stars. One states that they are only five light years apart. The distances shown in this article are computed from their apparent brightness in the sky and their absolute magnitudes, the distance if placed at 10 parsecs (32.6 light years).

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