September highlights

Thursday 2 Dwarf planet Ceres reaches opposition in the constellation of Cetus, shining at mag. +7.6. Find further details on page 47. Friday ▶ 3 Tonight and the night of 17/18 October are good times

BEST TIME TO SEE: 6, 13, 21 and 29 October at the times shown With long, dark nights settling in and Saturn favourably positioned in the sky, now’s a great time to catch an unusual view of the ringed

BEST TIME TO SEE: 7 September 2025, from moonrise around 19:45 BST (18:45 UT) Remember the total lunar eclipse back in March? Unfortunately, for many observers across the UK, the weather wasn’t good,

Best time to see: 31 October, 05:15 UT Altitude: 58° Location: Gemini Direction: South Features: Complex atmosphere, moons Recommended equipment: 100mm or larger Jupiter skips opposition in 2025. Its

Best time to see: 21 September, 01:00 BST (00:00 UT) Altitude: 35° Location: Pisces Direction: South Features: Rings, subtle atmospheric features, moons Recommended equipment: 150mm or larger Saturn r

Planetary physicist Dr Sheila Kanani on why now is the time to spot shooting stars and a sunlit Saturn