Welcome to the University of Texas Skywatchers Report for Monday December 22, 2025, through Sunday January 4, 2026.

The moon will grow from a waxing crescent phase to first quarter on December 27th and then will be in the waxing gibbous phase until it reaches full early on January 3rd. This full moon is known as the Wolf Moon and the Moon After Yule.

Mars and Venus both continue to move towards solar conjunction and are lost in the sun’s glare. The two planets will cross behind the Sun about a week into the new year and Mars will reemerge into the morning skies and Venus will reemerge into our early evening skies.

Saturn is still high in the south at sunset and is setting at 12:10 a.m. on December 22nd and at 11:15 p.m. on January 4th. Look for Saturn below the Moon on December 26th.

Jupiter is rising at 7 p.m. on December 22nd and is rising at 6 p.m. by the first week in the new year as it heads towards opposition in the second week in January. Look for Jupiter next to the moon on January 3rd.

In the morning skies, Mercury is rising at 6:10 a.m. on December 22nd and it will be rising at 6:50 a.m. by January 4th as it continues to move towards its next solar conjunction.

The Earth is at perihelion, our closest point to the sun in our orbit, on January 3rd when we will be 91.4 million miles from the sun. Compare that to aphelion in July, when we will be 94 and a half million miles from the sun.

Public viewing on UT campus telescopes has finished for the fall 2025 semester. Spring semester viewing will resume in the second half of January 2026.

Thank you for calling the University of Texas Skywatchers Report and Happy New Year!