June 7, 2024: As night falls, a thin crescent moon is in the west-northwest. Before sunrise, Mars and Saturn are in the eastern sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:16 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:24 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Here is today’s planet forecast:
Morning Sky
Mars and Saturn in Eastern Sky
Of the five planets visible without optical assistance, only Mars and Saturn are visible. At one hour before sunrise, they are in the eastern sky. Find Mars about 15° up in the east. It moves eastward along its orbital track faster than Saturn. Outrunning the Ringed Wonder, the Red Planet has opened a wide gap to the more-distant planet.
This morning the star Hamal, Aries’ brightest star, is about 15° to Mars upper left.
The star Deneb Kaitos, the Sea Monster’s tail, appears over 5° above the east-southeast horizon, to Saturn’s lower left.
Saturn is almost 30° above the horizon and nearly 40° to Mars’ upper right.
Jupiter and Mercury
Jupiter, rising nearly 50 minutes before the sun, is still veiled in brighter twilight. It makes its first morning appearance in less than two weeks.
Mercury is moving toward solar conjunction in a week, followed by a disappointing evening appearance.
Evening Sky
Venus
Venus is moving toward a wonderous evening appearance. It first appears in the western sky during August. This evening it sets only a few minutes after the sun.
Evening Crescent Moon
Find the crescent moon, only 3% illuminated, less than 10° above the west-northwest horizon. Look carefully for it. A binocular is helpful to see the thin crescent and earthshine on the night portion.
Capture earthshine with a tripod-mounted camera and exposures up to a few seconds.
The Gemini Twins, Castor and Pollux, are about 15° to the lunar crescent’s upper left.
This evening the moon sets nearly two hours after sundown.
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