December 4, 2021: Before sunup the thin crescent moon guides us to dim Mars. In the evening sky, Evening Star Venus, Saturn and Saturn shine from the southern sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:02 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:20 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.
Mars is climbing into the morning sky after its solar conjunction about two months ago. The planet is now unexpectantly dim. It is over 230 million miles away. Additionally, the planet is small and it only reflects about 20% of the sunlight that strikes its surface. Mars is bright when close to Earth. This occurs about every two years when Earth moves between Mars and sun. Otherwise, Mars presents itself as a somewhat bright star that moves eastward compared to the starry background.
This morning the thin crescent moon, 5% illuminated, is to the upper right of Mars. Here’s how to look for the Red Planet. At 45 minutes before sunup, find the thin lunar slice, about 13° up in the southeast. With a binocular place the moon in the upper right edge of the field of view. Mars is 6.6° to the lower left of the moon, near the edge of the binocular field.
Evening Sky
The three evening planets, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter, are in the southern sky after sunset. Exceedingly brilliant Venus is low in the south-southwest, easily mistaken for lights on an airplane.
Bright Jupiter is about one-third of the way up in the south. Saturn, dimmer than the other two planets, is between Jupiter and Venus.
In two evenings, Venus and the thin crescent moon appear together after sundown.
RECENT PODCASTS
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, October 14: Waxing Crescent Moon Appears Beside Antares This Evening
October 14, 2026: The waxing crescent moon returns to the evening sky and appears near Antares. Look for earthshine and photograph the pair after sunset. - 2026, October 13: Mars Targets Jupiter Before Sunrise Before Their November 16 Conjunction
October 13, 2026: Mars marches toward Jupiter before sunrise while remaining near the Beehive star cluster. Watch the planets close the gap ahead of their November 16 conjunction. - 2026, October 12: NASA Opens Applications for Next Class of Flight Directors
October 12, 2026: NASA opens a search for a new class of flight directors to lead America’s space missions. - 2026, October 11: Mars Appears in the Beehive Star Cluster Before Sunrise
October 11, 2026: Before sunrise, Mars appears in the Beehive star cluster while closing the gap to Jupiter. View the planets and the famous stellar bundle through a binocular. - 2026, October 10: New Materials for Energy Supply
October 10, 2026: Oregon researchers developed a new family of materials to convert light into energy.