March 19, 2025: Planet Uranus is visible through a binocular in the western sky about 2 hours after sunset. It is in the same region as Jupiter.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:55 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:02 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Evening Planets
Two planets, Jupiter and Mars are easily seen in the night sky as Venus and Mercury depart the western evening sky shortly after nightfall.
Planet Uranus is reaching the end of easy visibility for its current appearance. After the moon brightens the evening sky again during early April, the planet and dimmer starfield is washed out by bright moonlight. Soon, the distant world disappears into western evening twilight, reappearing before sunrise. later in the year. Venus passes it on July 4th in the predawn sky.
In the darkest skies, away from the perpetual sky glow from outdoor lighting, the planet is visible to the unaided eye as an aquamarine star. From suburban backyards a binocular is needed to see it.
Jupiter and Uranus with Taurus
Begin looking at the end of evening twilight over 90 minutes after nightfall. Thirty minutes later, begin to look for the planet. First, find bright Jupiter, over halfway up in the west. The planet rambles eastward in front of Taurus, 6.6° to Aldebaran’s upper right, Taurus’ brightest star. It is generally moving toward the Bull’s horns, Elnath and Zeta Tauri, over 10° above the planet.
Use a binocular to explore the “V” of Taurus, made by Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluster, which fits snugly a single binocular field.
Next, move to the Pleiades, a star cluster resembling a miniature dipper that rides on the Bull’s back. Notice the blue-white stars against the dark, velvet background.
Find Uranus through a Binocular
Planet Uranus is nearly in the same binocular field with the Pleiades. After exploring the cluster’s wonders, move the stellar bundle toward the upper right portion of the field. Then look for the stars 13 Tauri (13 Tau on the chart) and 14 Tauri (14 Tau) to the lower left. Shift the binocular down slightly so that the two stars appear to the upper left in the field. Next identify Tau Tauri (τ Tau), 63 Tauri (63 Tau), and 65 Tauri (65 Tau). About the same brightness as these stars, Uranus is 2.3° to the lower left of 63 Tauri.
A telescope with higher magnifications is needed to see the planet’s globe.
Find Planet Uranus after the end of evening twilight through a binocular in a dark sky. View it before it disappears into evening twilight.
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