August 3, 2024: Look for a 1%-illuminated moon at daybreak. Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn are visible in the morning, and Saturn in the evening sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:47 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:06 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Disappearing Moon
Sky watchers seeking a challenge should attempt to see the 1%-illuminated moon at 30 minutes before daybreak. One day before the New moon phase, the lunar orb is over 5° above the east-northeast horizon. A binocular and favorable weather are needed to see it.
The star Pollux is 7.2° to the moon’s upper right, too far away to fit into the same binocular field with the thin crescent.
Morning Sky
Morning Planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Mars
Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn are in the sky during morning twilight. Rising over four hours before daybreak, bright Jupiter is 35° above the eastern horizon at one hour before daybreak. It plods eastward in front of Taurus, 6.7° to Aldebaran’s lower left, the Bull’s brightest star, and over 10° to Elnath’s upper right, the Bull’s northern horn.
Jupiter outshines all other celestial bodies this morning, although it is dimmer than Venus, now beginning its appearance as the Evening Star.
Mars, marches eastward, toward a Jupiter conjunction on the 14th. This morning, the Red Planet is 5.6° to Jupiter’s upper right and 5.0° to Aldebaran’s upper left.
Mars’ Binocular View
Through a binocular, Mars appears near the Hyades star cluster. Along with Aldebaran, the stellar congregation outlines the “V” of Taurus’ head. Mars passes Aldebaran tomorrow morning, remaining in the same binocular field with the V through tomorrow.
Saturn
At this hour, Saturn is less than halfway up in the sky in the south-southwest. It retrogrades in front of Aquarius’ dim stars.
Fomalhaut, part of a neighboring constellation, is nearly 25° to Saturn’s lower left.
As Mars closes in for its Jupiter conjunction, it passed Saturn on April 10th. Nearly four months later, it opened a large gap to the Ringed Wonder. This morning the separation is over 80°. The Jupiter-Saturn gap is 86.3° after their great conjunction in 2020.
Evening Sky
Mercury
Mercury plunges into brighter evening twilight. The planet is overtaking our world, passing between Earth and Sun on the 19th. Then it races into the morning sky next month.
Venus
Venus emerges from bright twilight in the west-northwest after sunset. At 30 minutes after sundown, the Evening Star is less than 5° above the horizon. Unlike the other planets, Venus can be seen during bright twilight. Find it initially through a binocular.
Saturn’s Evening View
Saturn rises earlier each night, 93 minutes after sunset. By three hours after nightfall, the Ringed Wonder is 15° above the east-southeast horizon. During the night, from Earth’s rotation, it appears farther westward. Tomorrow morning, it is in the south-southwestern sky.
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