February 5, 2024: The February crescent moon approaches Venus before sunrise. Jupiter and Saturn are visible after sundown.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:59 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:11 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Sunrise occurs before 7 a.m. CST in Chicago. The rising time is earlier through the summer solstice. When daylight time begins on March 10th and an hour is added to the clock, sunrise occurs at 7:10 a.m. At sunrise on the summer solstice, the time is 4:16 a.m. standard time before the daylight time’s hour is added. On the daylight saving clock, sunrise returns to 7 a.m. in Chicago on October 12th. When standard time returns November 3rd, the sun rises at 6:26 a.m. Sunrise occurs after 7 a.m. beginning December 3rd.
Summaries of Current Sky Events
Summary for Venus as a Morning Star, 2023-24
Here is today’s planet forecast:
Morning Sky
February Crescent Moon Approaches Venus
This morning, the crescent moon approaches Venus. At forty-five minutes before daybreak, the crescent moon, 25% illuminated, is less than 20° up in the south-southeast and 6.6° to the lower left of Antares, Scorpius’ brightest star.
The Scorpion’s tail, marked by Shaula and Lesath, also known as the Cat’s Eyes, are nearly 12° to the lower left of the lunar orb.
Notice earthshine on the moon between the moon’s horns or cusps. This soft glow is sunlight that is reflected from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land. This effect is visible to the unaided eye, but the view is improved with a binocular. Photograph it with a tripod-mounted camera and exposures up to a few seconds, depending on the camera’s settings.
Brilliant Venus is less than 10° up in the southeast and nearly 30° to the lower left of the lunar orb. The planet steps eastward in front of Sagittarius. Use a binocular to find the constellation’s brighter stars, such as Kaus Borealis and Nunki.
Mars, Mercury
Venus is overtaking Mars, nearly 8° to the lower left of Venus and not easily visible. The Morning Star passes the Red Planet on the 22nd.
Mercury retreats into bright morning twilight, heading toward its solar superior conjunction at month’s end. It is lost in the sun’s glare.
Evening Sky
Saturn
An hour after sundown, Saturn is less than 10° above the west-southwest horizon. The Ringed Wonder is beginning a slide into evening twilight. Saturn becomes more difficult to see each evening. This evening, it sets only one hundred minutes after nightfall. It passes behind the sun on the 28th, the same day when Mercury is at superior conjunction.
Jupiter
Bright Jupiter is high in the south-southwest. It is the brightest starlike body in the sky tonight. The Jovian Giant is noticeably, but slowly moving eastward in front of Aries. It is approaching an imaginary line made by Hamal, part of the Ram, and Menkar, Cetus’ nostril.
Jupiter sets in the west-northwest after midnight.
RECENT PODCASTS
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, October 10: New Materials for Energy Supply
October 10, 2026: Oregon researchers developed a new family of materials to convert light into energy. - 2026, October 9: Texas Researchers Modify OK’s Impact Date
October 9, 2026: University of Texas scientists modify the estimate of a meteorite impact in Oklahoma. - 2026, October 8: News From NASA’s Perseverance from Mars
October 8, 2026: NASA’s Perseverance spacecraft finds unexpected geological strata. - 2026, October 7: Predawn Alignment of Jupiter, Moon, and Regulus
October 7, 2026: Before sunrise, look for Jupiter, Regulus, and Moon align in the eastern sky. - 2026, October 6: Crescent Moon Occults Bright Jupiter in Predawn Sky
October 6, 2026: Watch the waning crescent moon occult Jupiter before sunrise. See disappearance and reappearance times for major North American cities.