July 26, 2025: Venus passes Zeta Tauri in the eastern sky before sunrise, near the Crab Nebula. Winter’s bright stars return with Jupiter, Saturn, and the slow-forming planetary display.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:39 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:15 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 Approaches Jupiter, Passes Zeta Tauri
Venus, Jupiter, and the bright stars that are prominent during winter’s evenings are in the eastern sky before sunrise. Outshining all stars and planets, brilliant Venus is nearly 20° above the east-northeast horizon at one hour before daybreak.
The Morning Star passes 0.7° to the upper right of Zeta Tauri, Taurus’ southern horn. A binocular helps with the view.
Crab Nebula
The planet is in the same region as the Crab Nebula, the remnant of the supernova of 1054. The nebula continues to expand from the shattered star. The cloud glows from synchrotron radiation—accelerating subatomic particles in a magnetic field. A rotating neutron star at the center emits radio waves. Because of its importance in the study of stellar cycles, one astronomer stated that astronomy is divided into two parts: the Crab Nebula and everything else.
Through a backyard telescope, the nebula appears as a green oval to the unaided eye. It is not easily seen at this level of morning twilight when Venus passes Zeta.
Crab Supernova in Rock Art?
There is considerable controversy whether ancestral Puebloans in the American Southwest recorded the supernova and the crescent moon in their rock art. One such record is on an overhang in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. Today’s scholars think the 11th-century Puebloans did not record specific events in their artwork.
The rock art could have been a record of the crescent moon with Venus, Jupiter, or any other bright star. Perhaps, the artwork represents nothing astronomical.
One of the challenges of today’s research is applying the precision of modern events to cultural expressions of the past. Absolute pronouncements that any ancient culture interpreted sky events in a specific way to match our views of the sky is an absurd position. Rather than a separate interpretation by an astronomy expert, any piece of rock art is part of the specific culture and its practices.
This morning Venus is overtaking slow-moving Jupiter, over 16° to the lower left. Their conjunction occurs on August 12th.
Orion Returns
Orion continues its return. This morning Betelgeuse and Bellatrix are easier to see. Use a binocular to find the belt stars as well as Rigel, one of the Hunter’s knees. Its first morning appearance without optical assistance, known as the heliacal rising, occurs in a few mornings.
Saturn in South
Saturn, about halfway up in the southern sky, is the third bright planet visible this morning. Considerably dimmer than Venus and Jupiter, the Ringed Wonder is brighter than most stars this morning. It is to the upper right of Deneb Kaitos, Cetus’ tail, and to the upper left of Fomalhaut, the mouth of the Southern Fish.
Uranus and Neptune are in the sky this morning, though a binocular’s optical assist is needed to see them. Planet Uranus is in the same field with the Pleiades star cluster while Neptune is near Saturn.
Mercury Nears Inferior Conjunction
In less than a week, Mercury is at inferior conjunction, between Earth and Sun. Then it moves into the morning sky for a six-planet show before sunrise, though all are not visible simultaneously. Mercury is visible during bright twilight when the approaching dawn’s light is brighter than Uranus and Neptune.
Evening Crescent Moon with Regulus
The crescent moon returns to the evening sky. Use a binocular to find the moon, 6% illuminated, only 5° up in the west, 2.1° to the upper left of Regulus. Mars is over 20° to the moon’s upper left and challenging to see at this level of twilight without the binocular’s assist.
Mars is the lone bright planet in the sky after sundown. The planet is only 12° above the west horizon fifteen minutes later. Dimmer considerably from its brightest in January, use a binocular to initially locate the Red Planet in the western sky after sunset.
Mars is 11.7° to Denebola’ lower left, the Lion’s tail, and over 30° to Spica’s lower right, Virgo’s brightest star.
Saturn rises about 30 minutes after Mars sets and around the midnight hour.
Before sunrise, brilliant Venus is in front of Taurus, passing close to Zeta Tauri, one of the Bull’s horns. The planet is near the Crab Nebula, the remnant of the supernova of 1054. While some claim ancestral Puebloan rock art depicts the event, scholars think such interpretations are unlikely. Venus continues to approach Jupiter for their August 12th conjunction. Orion’s bright stars are returning to view, and Saturn is high in the southern sky. Uranus, Neptune, and soon Mercury adds to the planetary gathering, though Mars remains alone in the evening sky.
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