Heads up stargazers! The moon will shine close to the bright star Antares at sunset on Sept. 27, while some lucky viewers — and plenty of penguins — will witness the lunar disk pass directly in front of the red supergiant, hiding it from view.
Look 15 degrees above the southwestern horizon at sunset on Sept. 27 to find the waxing crescent moon. Antares will glow less than 3 degrees to its right, surrounded by the stars of the constellation Scorpius. Remember: the width of your three middle fingers is equivalent to 5 degrees in the night sky.
Antares is a red supergiant located roughly 604 light-years from Earth. It boasts a diameter equivalent to 700 suns, yet has only 12 times its mass, giving the star a relatively low density. Antares is nearing the end of its life and is expected to collapse in on itself and explode in a dramatic supernova once it burns through the last of its remaining fuel.
The star’s light will shine next to a 33% illuminated crescent moon on the night of Sept. 27, just two days ahead of its first quarter phase, when the entirety of its right side will be lit by direct sunlight. A pair of 10×50 binoculars will reveal the broken, cratered terrain on the line separating night from day on the lunar surface, known as the terminator, along with the presence of dark basaltic plains where lava had flowed billions of years in the past.
For observers in New York, the moon will set shortly before 9:30 p.m., with Antares shining brightly to its right. But only a narrow slice of Earth will witness the occultation itself. Starting at 12:09 p.m. EDT (1609 GMT) the moon will pass directly in front of Antares as seen from parts of Antarctica and a few remote islands, offering a private show for the penguins and scientists crewing remote research stations.
Check out our picks of the best binoculars and telescope deals to get you exploring the lunar surface as the nights grow longer. While you’re at it, be sure to read our guide to photographing the moon and peruse our roundup of the best lenses for astrophotography available in 2025.
Editor’s Note: If you snap an image of the moon with Antares and want to share it with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s) along with your comments, name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
Author: Anthony Wood
Source: Space.com
Reviewed By: Editorial Team
