June 15, 2024: The Pleaides star cluster emerges from bright morning twilight. Mars and Saturn are in the eastern predawn sky. The moon nears Spica.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:15 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:27 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Pleiades Reappear in Eastern Sky
The Pleiades star cluster is emerging from bright twilight into the eastern predawn sky. The stellar bundle has seemed to pass behind the sun after its disappearance earlier in the spring. The cluster is made of dimmer stars, and depending on local weather conditions and obstructions at the horizon, the stars appear without optical aid during the next several days.
At one hour before sunrise, the bright star Capella is over 10° above the northeast horizon. The cluster is slightly lower and about 30° to the star’s lower right. If it is not visible to the unassisted eye, locate it with a binocular. What is the first date you see it without the optical assist?
Here is today’s planet forecast:
Morning Sky
Mars and Saturn before Sunrise
One hour before sunrise, when the Pleiades are in the east-northeast, Mars is about 15° above the horizon and over 25° to the upper right of the star cluster.
The Red Planet is marching eastward in front of Aries, less than 12° to the lower right of Hamal, the constellation’s brightest star.
Saturn, slightly dimmer than Mars, is over 30° above the southeast horizon. It moves eastward in front of Aquarius’ dim stars. The planet’s rings and brighter, larger moons are visible through a telescope.
Jupiter
Jupiter is slowly emerging from bright twilight. Rising 70 minutes before sunrise, the Jovian Giant is over 5° above the east-northeast horizon 40 minutes later. At this hour, twilight is too bright to see the planet. Begin looking for it in five mornings.
Evening Sky
Venus and Mercury
Venus and Mercury are east of the sun, meaning they set after the sun and before midnight. The planet duo appears near the sun, setting shortly after nightfall. Mercury reaches greatest elongation next month, but the apparition is very unfavorable, especially with longer summer twilight.
Venus first appears for a pretty apparition later during the summer.
Moon Nears Spica
An hour after sundown, the gibbous moon, 68% illuminated, is less than halfway up in the south-southwest. The moon is approaching Spica, 8.2° to the lower left. Tomorrow, during the daytime in the Americas, the lunar disk occults or eclipses the star for sky watchers in western Asia.
Next month, the occultation occurs for observers in the Americas.
Tonight, the moon sets after midnight and about three hours before daybreak.
RECENT PODCASTS
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, May 18: Closest Venus–Moon Conjunction of the Evening Apparition Lights the Western Sky
May 18, 2026: See the closest Venus–Moon conjunction of this evening apparition as brilliant Venus shines beside the crescent moon after sunset. Learn when and where to look. - 2026, May 17-20: Waxing Crescent Moon Passes Venus and Jupiter in May Evening Sky
May 17-20, 2026: Watch the waxing crescent moon pass brilliant Venus and Jupiter after sunset. The May 18 Venus–Moon pairing is one of the prettiest sights of the planet’s 2026 evening apparition. - 2026, May 16: Three Bright Planets are in the Nighttime Sky as Venus Closes in on Jupiter
May 16, 2026: Saturn emerges from morning twilight while brilliant Venus advances toward Jupiter after sunset. Learn where to find the bright planets. - 2026, May 15: Venus Closes the Gap to Jupiter While Saturn Emerges Before Sunrise
May 15, 2026: Saturn emerges from bright morning twilight near a thin crescent moon, while Venus moves eastward between Taurus’ horns and closes in on Jupiter after sunset. - 2026, May 14: Venus Closes in on Jupiter While a Crescent Moon Guides Saturn Before Sunrise
May 14, 2026: A waning crescent moon points to Saturn before sunrise, while Venus moves past Taurus’ horns and closes the gap to Jupiter in the evening sky.