March 22, 2025: Venus passes between Earth and Sun today, known as inferior conjunction, becoming the Morning Star. Two bright evening planets, Jupiter and Mars, are visible during the evening.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:50 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:06 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Venus Summary Article
VENUS AS A MORNING STAR, 2025
Venus at Inferior Conjunction
Venus passes between Earth and Sun, known as inferior conjunction, though the planet is north of the ecliptic and already rising nearly 40 minutes before the sun, appearing over 6° above the eastern horizon at sunrise.
Venus becomes the Morning Star, shining brightly from the eastern sky. The first morning to look for it is March 26th when the waning crescent moon is in the eastern sky. Sky watchers wanting to see Venus before the should use a binocular to look for it as the sun rises.
It quickly appears higher in the eastern sky during morning twilight. By mid-April, the Morning Star rises 90 minutes before the sun, appearing less than 10° up in the east 45 minutes later.
Morning Last Quarter Moon
Earlier this morning, an hour before sunrise, the half-full moon, known as Last Quarter, is less than 20° above the south-southeast horizon. It is in front of Sagittarius’ dim stars.
Look for Shaula and Lesath at the Scorpion’s tail, over 10° to the lunar orb’s lower right.
Saturn and Mercury
Saturn is slowly making its way back into the morning sky, although it rises shortly before sunrise. It is not visible until the end of next month.
Mercury reaches inferior conjunction in two mornings and it quickly moves into the morning sky. Its visibility at greatest elongation in a month is very unfavorable for northern hemisphere sky watchers.
Evening Planet Jupiter
Jupiter and Mars are visible after sundown. The Jovian Giant, the brightest starlike body in the sky this evening, is over halfway up in the west-southwest an hour after nightfall. It rambles eastward in front of Taurus toward the Bull’s horns, Elnath and Zeta Tauri. It is 6.8° to Aldebaran’s upper right, the constellation’s brightest star.
Mars, high in the south, is east (or to the upper left) of Jupiter. It marches eastward in front of Gemini, a constellation that resembles two side-by-side stick figures.
Yesterday, Mars passed Castor in a wide conjunction. Tonight, it is 7.2° below the star. Mars passes Pollux on the 31st. Tonight, the planet is 4.6° to the star’s lower right. The Red Planet continues to fade in brightness as Earth moves away from the slower moving outer planet.
Venus’ visibility begins its cycle as a Morning Star as it passes inferior conjunction. This morning, find the half-full moon, while Jupiter and Mars shine brightly after nightfall.
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