Home > Concepts, Ephemeris Program > Ephemeris: 12/26/2025 – Conjunctions, eclipses, transits and occultations, oh my!

Ephemeris: 12/26/2025 – Conjunctions, eclipses, transits and occultations, oh my!

December 26, 2025

This is Ephemeris for Friday, December 26th. Today the Sun will be up for 8 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 5:08, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:19. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 12:13 tomorrow morning.

Tonight the Moon will pass north of the planet Saturn. That will mean in that location in the southwestern sky, the planet will appear just below and left of the Moon. When two solar system objects appear to pass each other, it’s called a conjunction. To astronomers, it’s no big deal unless one passes directly in front of the other. If a smaller appearing one crosses the disc of a larger one, it’s called a transit, If one is completely hidden by another it’s an occultation. Occultations and transits of Jupiter and its satellites are common. Also, Jupiter’s satellites are eclipsed by passing through the planet’s shadow. We are in a period now when Jupiter’s moons occult and eclipse each other occasionally.

The astronomical event times given in this blog are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (Lat 44.7° N, Long 85.7° W; EST, UT – 5 hours) unless stated otherwise. Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

The conjunction of Saturn and the Moon at 8 PM tonight, December 26th from Northern Michigan.
The conjunction of Saturn and the Moon at 8 PM tonight, December 26th from Northern Michigan. The position of the moon in relation to Saturn will change for your 8 PM depending on where you are because the Moon moves its own diameter in about an hour against the stars, and of course Saturn, If you are east of my location 8 PM comes earlier so the Moon would be farther to the lower right than this image. If you are east of me, it will be to the upper left. The farther you are away east or west, the farther the Moon will be from this, based on your time zone and location. Created using Stellarium.
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