February 15, 2025: Planet Saturn slowly ends participation in the evening planet parade which includes Venus, Jupiter, and Mars.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:46 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:24 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Saturn is slowly departing the evening sky and appearing as one of the four bright planets in the evening parade of distant worlds. Dimmest of the four bright planets, the Ringed Wonder is lower in the west-southwestern sky after sunset each evening.
Morning Moon
Before sunrise, the bright moon, 92% illuminated, is over halfway from Regulus, Leo’s brightest star to Virgo’s Spica, nearly 30° above the southwest horizon.
The morning sky has no bright planets. All are visible after sundown.
Evening Planet Parade
At 45 minutes after nightfall, step outside to see the planet parade. It is still there, but Saturn slides toward bright evening light.
Brilliant Venus stands about 30° above the west-southwest horizon. The Evening Star is nearing its greatest brilliancy in three nights. Under ideal conditions, the planet is bright enough to cast shadows.
Through a telescope, it displays a phase that is 26% illuminated, an evening crescent.
Saturn, nearly 20° below Venus, is almost 10° above the horizon. It is not as bright as usual because we see the icy, reflective rings nearly from the side. Trees and other obstructions easily block the view when a planet is at this altitude – height above the horizon.
Losing about four minutes of setting time each night, Saturn sets tonight at 106 minutes after sundown. In a week, the planet’s altitude is below 5°, and it is not visible from the atmosphere’s dimming and blurring effects. Look for it while you can.
As Saturn leaves our view, Mercury enters. Their conjunction occurs on the 24th, though in bright twilight. Mercury is visible through a binocular, but seeing Saturn is doubtful.
Tonight Mercury sets 22 minutes after sunset.
Hoax Alert
Prognostications for seeing seven planets after sunset are overly optimistic. Neptune, even dimmer than Saturn, is not visible at the level of twilight. The same occurs for Uranus, until about 90 minutes after nightfall, long after Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune set. All seven are in the sky simultaneously, but they are night visible simultaneously.
Jupiter and Taurus
Tonight, bright Jupiter is that bright star high in the south-southeast. It slowly moves eastward in front of Taurus, 5.2° to Aldebaran’s upper left, the constellation’s brightest star. The Jovian Giant’s retrograde ended earlier this month. It is now picking up eastward speed compared to the distant stars.
Jupiter is moving toward the Bull’s horns, Elnath and Zeta Tauri. It passes between them as it disappears into brighter evening twilight during May.
Mars and Gemini
Mars, the fourth bright planet tonight, is nearly 40° to Jupiter’s lower left and over halfway up in the east. It retrogrades in front of Gemini, 6.7° to Pollux’s upper right and 6.9° to Castor’s right. Mars’ illusion of retrograde continues through the 23rd.
As Earth rotates the planet parade marches westward. Venus sets nearly two hours after Saturn. Jupiter is south nearly when Saturn sets. The Jovian Giant sets after midnight and several hours before daybreak.
Moon before Midnight
Tonight, the moon rises over three hours after sundown. As the midnight hour approaches, it is 25° above the southeast horizon and nearly 15° to Spica’s upper right.
Mars is south about five hours after sunset, and disappears below the west-northwest horizon around the beginning of morning twilight.
During morning’s early light, the Moon is near Spica in the southwestern sky.
Continue to follow the evening planet parade and catch Saturn again before it disappears into brighter evening twilight.
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