April 24, 2025: On the morning before a picturesque gathering, Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon appear in a loose arrangement, previewing tomorrow’s tighter view.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:58 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:41 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Related Articles
Venus Summary Article
VENUS AS A MORNING STAR, 2025
Morning Preview
Before sunrise, brilliant Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon show a preview of tomorrow morning’s close gathering.
Step outside 45 minutes before sunrise, brilliant Venus is about 10° up in the eastern sky. It is 10.3° to the left of the crescent moon which is 16% illuminated.
Saturn, considerably dimmer than the Morning Star, is 4.2° to Venus’ lower right. Use a binocular to see it at this level of morning twilight.
Tomorrow morning, Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon are close together, fitting into a circle 5.8° across and easily inside a binocular field. See them tomorrow at this time interval before sunrise.
After Sunset, Jupiter in West
After sunset, bright Jupiter is about 30° up in the west. It rambles eastward below Taurus’ horns, 6.3° to Elnath’s lower left and 5.3° to Zeta Tauri’s lower right.
Mars Marches Eastward in front of Cancer
Mars, marching eastward in front of Cancer, is high in the southwest over 40° to Jupiter’s upper left. It is 10.4° to Pollux’s left, a Gemini Twin.
Cancer is a dim group of stars between Gemini and Leo. Within its boundaries is a star cluster, known as the Beehive, easily visible from the countryside. It fits into the same binocular field with the Red Planet. Use the binocular to look each clear evening as Mars approaches, passes by, and moves away from the star cluster.
Set an alarm to look for the gathering of Venus, Saturn and the crescent moon at 45 minutes before daybreak.
RECENT PODCASTS
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, June 9: Venus-Jupiter Conjunction Occurs in the West-Northwest with Mercury Nearby
June 9, 2026: See Venus and Jupiter in a close evening conjunction after sunset with Mercury lower in the west-northwest sky. Includes observing tips and future conjunction dates. - 2026, June 8: Venus Threads Between Jupiter and Pollux Before Brilliant Evening Conjunction
June 8, 2026: See Venus and Jupiter only 2 degrees apart after sunset with Mercury nearby in Gemini. Find the bright planets and moon before sunrise with Saturn and Mars. - 2026, June 7: Venus Closes in on Jupiter Before June 9 Conjunction
June 7, 2026: Venus moves within 2.3° of Jupiter after sunset while Mercury joins the evening sky lineup low in the west-northwest before the June 9 conjunction. - 2026, June 6: Venus Nears Jupiter Before Their Evening Conjunction
June 6, 2026: Venus closes to within 3.1° of Jupiter after sunset while Mercury joins the evening planet lineup low in the west-northwest sky. - 2026, June 5: Venus and Jupiter Tighten in the Western Sky After Sunset
June 5, 2026: Venus closes to within 4° of Jupiter after sunset while Mercury joins the evening planet lineup low in the west-northwest sky.