March 14, 2025: Venus and Mercury are rapidly departing the western evening sky. Jupiter and Mars are easily visible after nightfall.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:04 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 6:57 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Mercury, Venus are Departing Evening Sky
Four bright planets are visible after sunset, though Venus and Mercury are rapidly departing evening sky. For those who have not seen Venus recently, it is only 5° up in the west at 45 minutes after sundown. Find a clear view toward the planet.
Mercury follows the Evening Star toward inferior conjunction. The planet dims rapidly. Use a binocular to see it 5.7° to Venus’ upper left.
Venus reaches inferior conjunction, between Earth and the sun on the 22nd, followed by Mercury two days later.
Through a telescope, Venus shows an evening crescent phase that is only 3% illuminated.
Venus is north of the ecliptic and the sun. It is already rising before sunrise. This morning it appeared in the east-northeast 10 minutes before daybreak. At inferior conjunction, it rises 35 minutes before the sun.
Jupiter
After Mercury and Venus fully depart the evening sky, this leaves bright Jupiter and Mars. The Jovian Giant rambles eastward in front of Taurus, high in the southwest. It is 6.2° above Aldebaran, the Bull’s brightest star. The planet is heading toward the horns, marked by Elnath and Zeta Tauri.
Mars
Mars marches eastward in front of Gemini, over 35° east of Jupiter. Tonight, it is 5.7° to Pollux’s right and 7.1° to Castor’s lower right. In a week, Mars has a wide conjunction with Castor, followed by a conjunction with Pollux on the 31st.
After this morning’s eclipse, the moon rises about 40 minutes after nightfall. By two hours after sundown, it is nearly 15° up in the east.
Find Mercury and Venus before they leave the evening sky and notice the eastward movement of Mars and Jupiter during the next several weeks.
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