Morning Stars Venus and Jupiter and the moon shine in the predawn eastern sky this 30-second image made at 4:15 a.m. CDT from the Chicago area.
Planet Venus outshines all other stars in the sky. It has passed Pollux and Castor (Gemini) and is moving toward the Beehive star cluster (Cancer). Procyon (Canis Minor) appears to the right of Venus. Betelgeuse (Orion) appears higher in the sky.
The Last Quarter Moon (overexposed in the image) appears 47 degrees to the upper right of Venus. Bright planet Jupiter is one degree away from the moon. Aldebaran (Taurus) appears nearby. Capella (Auriga) appears at the upper left of the frame.
Each morning the moon appears farther toward the east, getting closer to Venus.
For our monthly sky watching posting, click here. Watch the planetary pair in the morning sky throughout the next several months. Read more about Venus as a Morning Star. (Click the image to see it larger.)