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Bright moon and Jupiter headline New Year’s Eve night sky

Written by Brie CarterPublished dez. 31 2025Last Updated dez. 31 2025

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Millions welcoming 2026 will be treated to striking celestial sights alongside fireworks and drone displays.

Several unusually bright objects will dominate the sky on the final night of 2025.

Skywatchers should look east around an hour after sunset for a prominent waxing gibbous moon.

The moon will appear about ninety percent illuminated as it passes close to the Pleiades star cluster.

The Pleiades are often called the Seven Sisters despite containing thousands of stars.

Astronomers say at least three thousand stars across the sky were born within the Pleiades.

The cluster is considered one of the most beautiful sights in the northern night sky.

Rising in the south will be the three aligned stars of Orion’s Belt.

Those stars are Alnitak Alnilam and Mintaka which are easily recognisable.

Following Orion’s Belt toward the horizon leads to Sirius.

Sirius is also known as the Dog Star and is the brightest star visible from Earth.

Located just eight point six light years away Sirius appears exceptionally luminous.

Atmospheric turbulence causes Sirius to twinkle rapidly in multiple colours.

Above Sirius and below the moon the planet Jupiter will shine intensely.

Jupiter is currently visible throughout the entire night.

The planet rises at sunset and sets around sunrise.

Jupiter will reach opposition on January ten making it closest to Earth for the year.

At magnitude minus two point seven Jupiter is near its brightest possible appearance.

Observers can see Jupiter’s full disk because Earth lies almost directly between it and the sun.

Binoculars can reveal Jupiter’s four largest moons in a straight line.

These moons are Ganymede Europa Callisto and Io.

They were discovered by Galileo Galilei in sixteen ten.

A small telescope can also reveal Jupiter’s cloud bands.

The first full moon of twenty twenty six will rise on January three.

It will appear between Jupiter and the star Pollux in Gemini.

The bright moonlight will hinder views of the Quadrantid meteor shower.

Around ten shooting stars per hour are expected at the shower’s peak.

Skywatchers are also advised to note major celestial events later in twenty twenty six.

A total lunar eclipse will be visible across North America on March three.

A rare triple conjunction of Jupiter Venus and Mercury will occur on June nine.

A total solar eclipse will cross parts of Greenland Iceland and Spain in August.

Mars and Jupiter will appear unusually close together in mid November.