June 23, 2025: Before sunrise, the thin waning crescent moon and the Pleiades are low in the east-northeast. Brilliant Venus is in the region.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:16 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:30 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
Moon, Pleiades before Sunrise
Before sunrise, the crescent moon appears near the Pleiades star cluster in the east-northeast.
An hour before daybreak, the thin crescent moon, 6% illuminated, is over 10° above the east-northeast horizon. Find a clear view in that direction. It is 4.2° to the lower left of the Pleiades star cluster, nearly 15° above the horizon.
Binocular View: Moon, Pleiades
The lunar crescent and star cluster fit nicely into the same binocular field of view.
Admire earthshine, sunlight reflected from Earth’s features, which lights up the lunar night. It can be photographed with a tripod-mounted camera or a camera phone, if held steadily.
Venus is over 15° above the horizon and nearly the same distance to the right of the star cluster. Compose the photo to include Venus, Moon, and star cluster.
Through a telescope, Venus displays a morning gibbous phase which is 60% illuminated. The planet’s size diminishes and the phase grows as the Morning Star zips into the distance.
On July 20th, the morning crescent moon occults the star clusters for sky watchers in the Americas.
Look for Venus, Moon and Pleiades star cluster in the eastern sky before sunrise.
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