The sky over Wembley when Queen played Live Aid
Live Aid was a concert held on 13 July 1985 to raise money for people facing famine in Ethiopia. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure organised it, with shows at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on the same day.
Television carried both concerts live around the world. At Wembley, in the early evening, Queen played a short set that many people still call the best live performance in rock history.
The sky above Wembley, London, England on 13 July 1985
The sun was above the horizon, so daylight hid the stars. The chart shows where they were. There was a waning crescent Moon, 18% lit, but it was below the horizon.
The sun is above the horizon at this moment, so daylight hides the stars and the planets. The tables show where they are in the sky.
- Local time
- 18:41
- Time in UTC
- 13 July 1985 at 17:41 UTC
- Sun
- Daylight
- Sun position
- 21° above the horizon
- Moon phase
- waning crescent Moon
- Moon lit
- 18%
- Moon position
- 8° below the horizon
| Planet | Visible | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | No | west | 32° |
| Venus | No | north-west | -6° |
| Mars | No | west | 22° |
| Jupiter | No | east | -32° |
| Saturn | No | south-east | 17° |
| Uranus | No | south-east | 1° |
| Neptune | No | south-east | -8° |
| Star | Constellation | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcturus | Boötes | south-east | 55° |
| Vega | Lyra | east | 34° |
| Capella | Auriga | north-west | 21° |
| Spica | Virgo | south | 27° |
| Pollux | Gemini | west | 27° |
| Deneb | Cygnus | north-east | 22° |
| Regulus | Leo | south-west | 37° |
| Castor | Gemini | west | 29° |
| Alioth | Ursa Major | north | 85° |
| Mirfak | Perseus | north | 16° |
33 constellations are above the horizon. Highest in the sky: Canes Venatici, Ursa Major, Coma Berenices, Boötes, Draco, Ursa Minor, Leo Minor, Corona Borealis, Leo, Lynx, Hercules and Virgo.
What happened that evening
Queen had about 20 minutes on stage. Freddie Mercury opened at the piano with 'Bohemian Rhapsody', then led the crowd through songs that included 'Radio Ga Ga', 'We Will Rock You' and 'We Are the Champions'.
The Wembley show went on into the night. It ended with the whole cast singing 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'.
Why people remember it
Live Aid raised millions of pounds for famine relief, and it showed how music and television could bring people together for one cause.
A star map of that evening suits a Queen fan, a music lover, or anyone who was in the crowd or watched at home.
Questions about this night
It shows 6:41pm British Summer Time on 13 July 1985, when Queen began their set at Wembley.
At Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, on 13 July 1985. This map uses Wembley.
Yes. Open the map in the editor, search for Philadelphia, and set the date and time you want.