July 8, 2025: Before sunrise, brilliant Venus and the V of Taurus, made by Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluster, fit into the same binocular field of view.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:24 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:28 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
Venus and Taurus
Step outside an hour before sunrise and take along a binocular. Brilliant Venus shines from the eastern sky. It is nearly 20° above the horizon.
The Morning Star steps eastward in front of Taurus, 7.5° to the lower right of the Pleiades star cluster and 6.7° to the upper right of Aldebaran.
Binocular View – Venus and V of Taurus
This morning Venus and the “V” of Taurus, outlined by Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluster, fit into the same binocular field of view.
Place Venus near the upper right edge of the field. Aldebaran appears near the lower left edge along with the Hyades’ checkmark outline above it and to the right.
The stellar bundle has hundreds blue-white and yellow-white stars. It is relatively young, about 600 million years, compared to other clusters, though the Pleiades is thought to be younger. At 65 light years and less than half the distance to the Hyades, Aldebaran is not part of the cluster. This is a common mistake because of the convenient shape these stars make to outline Taurus’ head.
For about the next week, Venus appears in the same field of view as it moves eastward. Check its progress each morning.
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