May 19, 2025: The bright morning moon is in the southern sky, while Venus and Saturn are visible before sunrise. Jupiter and Mars shine after sundown.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:27 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:08 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
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Venus Summary Article
VENUS AS A MORNING STAR, 2025
Morning Moon
Before sunrise, the slightly gibbous moon, 62% illuminated, is over 20° above the south-southeast horizon. It is in front of Capricornus, 8.9° to the right of Deneb Algedi, meaning “the kid’s tail.” In this moonlight, use a binocular to see the star.
Venus and Saturn
Venus, nearly 10° up in the east, is nearly 60° to the moon’s lower left. The Morning Star steps eastward in front of Pisces. Through a telescope, the morning crescent phase is 42% illuminated.
Venus rising time interval before sunrise continues to mirror the seasonal changes of growing morning twilight. During the month, morning twilight grows 17 minutes, while Venus rising interval before sunrise increases 19 minutes. This means that Venus rises near the time that morning twilight begins and it is low in the eastern sky an hour before sunrise.
Saturn, nearly 15° above the east-southeast horizon, is almost 15° up in the sky. It rises 20 minutes before the beginning of morning twilight and at this time interval before sunrise, it is becoming easier to see without a binocular’s optical assist.
Mercury is retreating into bright morning twilight rising only 30 minutes before the sun.
Jupiter in West-Northwest
Jupiter and Mars are visible after nightfall. The Jovian Giant is slowly slipping into brighter evening twilight. This evening at one hour after nightfall, the bright planet is less than 10° above the west-northwest horizon. It is east (above) an imaginary line from Elnath, Taurus’ northern horn, to Zeta Tauri, the dimmer southern horn, Jupiter is 2.0° to Zeta’s upper right. Use a binocular to see the fainter star.
Mars
Mars is to Jupiter’s upper left and about halfway up in the west-southwest. It marches eastward in front of dim Cancer, over 15° to Regulus’ lower right, Leo’s brightest star. During the next several evenings, watch Mars close the gap to the bright star and pass by in about a month.
Look for Venus, Saturn and the gibbous moon before sunrise. After sundown, find bright Jupiter and Mars.
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