August 3, 2025: Before sunrise, watch brilliant Venus close in on Jupiter in Gemini’s starfield while Sirius approaches its first morning appearance. Don’t miss this planetary pairing.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:47 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:06 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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Sirius at Cosmic Rising
At Chicago’s latitude, Sirius rises with the sun today. This is known as the star’s cosmic rising, a little-known term preluding the first morning appearance, known as the heliacal rising. This is occurring in the 30-35° north latitude range.
Venus-Jupiter Conjunction Approaches
As Sirius first appearance is occurring, brilliant Venus is overtaking bright Jupiter in the eastern sky during morning twilight. Step outside an hour before sunrise. Brilliant Venus is 20° up in the east-northeast and 8.6° to the upper right of bright Jupiter. Together they are the brightest planets and the third and fourth brightest celestial bodies, following the sun and moon.
Both planets are moving eastward in front of Gemini. Jupiter is about 13° to the upper right of Castor and Pollux, the Twins. Use a binocular to see Venus 0.5° to Propus’ lower right, Castor’s toe.
Each morning, watch Venus close the gap to Jupiter, passing by on the 12th. Afterward, their separation widens again as Venus moves away.
Be ready to spot a rare gathering of Venus, the crescent moon and Pollux on the 20th. They are not this close again until 2039!
Meanwhile other brighter stars, such as Betelgeuse, Rigel, Aldebaran, and Capella are easily visible. Orion’s appearance near the eastern horizon is an indicator that Sirius’ heliacal rising is near.
Saturn in South
A third bright planet, Saturn is in the south-southwest during morning twilight. Rising earlier each evening, the planet is in the southern sky. The Ringed Wonder is brighter than most stars in the sky this morning, though it is considerably dimmer than Venus and Jupiter.
Find Saturn about halfway up in the southern sky. It slowly retrogrades in front of Pisces’ dim stars. The Ringed Wonder is above Deneb Kaitos, Cetus’ tail and Fomalhaut, the mouth of the Southern Fish.
Morning Predawn Planet Parade
Mercury is quickly moving into the morning sky. It reaches its farthest extent from the sun, known as greatest elongation, on the 19th. For several days during mid-month, Mercury joins, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn in the predawn sky. When Mercury is visible during brighter twilight, the sky is too bright to see Uranus and Neptune.
Evening Moon and Antares
After sundown, the gibbous moon, 74% illuminated, is 20° up in the south, 1.4° to the lower right of Antares, Scorpius’ brightest star. The lunar orb occults or eclipses the star from southern South America and New Zealand.
Mars in West
Mars, the lone bright planet in the evening sky, is in the west. An hour after sunset, the Red Planet is 10° up in the west, 0.7° to Zavijava’s upper left, also known as Beta Virginis. The planet is dimming from its growing distance from our world and the filtering affects from our air, which dims and blurs celestial bodies. Use a binocular to look for the planet and the star.
Spica, Virgo’s brightest star, is less than 20° above the southwest horizon and less than 30° to Mars’ upper left. Mars sets less than two hours after nightfall, about 10 minutes before Saturn rises.
Be sure to look for Venus and Jupiter in the predawn sky as their slow-motion conjunction unfolds before sunrise.
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