August 7, 2025: Venus and Jupiter appear within 5° before sunrise in the east-northeast, culminating in a close conjunction on the 12th. Venus passes Pollux on the 20th as six planets align across the sky. Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are visible, and Mars sets in the evening.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:51 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:01 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-Jupiter Conjunction Nears
The spectacular Venus-Jupiter conjunction continues to unfold in the east-northeast before sunrise. This morning Venus moves to within 5° of Jupiter. The two brightest planets are appearing close together. Their conjunction occurs on the morning of the 12th, when Venus passes 0.9°, nearly the diameter of two full moons, to the lower right of the Jovian Giant.
Here’s how to see the two planets: Step outside an hour before sunrise. Venus is about one-fifth of the way from the east-northeast horizon to overhead. Simply stated, it is that bright star in the eastern sky during morning twilight. Bright Jupiter is to its lower left.
Both planets are moving eastward in front of Gemini. Jupiter is over 12° to the upper right of Castor and Pollux, the Twins.
Venus continues to overtake, pass by on the 12th, and move away from Jupiter. On the morning of the 20th, Venus passes the star Pollux. The crescent moon joins the pair, forming a rare gathering of the three celestial bodies. A similar grouping does not occur again until 2039!
Saturn
Saturn, considerably dimmer than the bright worlds in the east-northeast, slowly retrogrades in front of Pisces’ dim stars. Find it about halfway up in the south-southwest. It is above Deneb Kaitos, Cetus’ tail, and Fomalhaut, the mouth of the Southern Fish.
Faint Uranus and Neptune are in the sky this morning, though a binocular is required to see them. Uranus is in the same field of view with the Pleiades star cluster, while Neptune is near Saturn. Neptune is a challenging view. It should be observed before morning twilight begins, about two hours before sunrise.
Mercury Soon Joins Morning Planets
In addition to the activity with Venus and Jupiter, a six-planet display is developing as well. Mercury speeds into the morning sky. This morning it rises 35 minutes before the sun. Around mid-month, Mercury is the eastern planet in a display that stretches to Saturn. The six planets are not visible simultaneously. When Mercury is visible during brighter twilight, morning’s light is brighter than Uranus and Neptune.
Bright Evening Moon
In the evening sky, the bright moon, 98% illuminated, is low in the southeast. It is in front of Capricornus, 12.2° to the lower right of Algedi – the kid. The constellation’s stars are faint and even more difficult to see with this moonlight and outdoor lighting. Use a binocular.
The moon reaches the Full moon phase on the 9th at 2:55 a.m. Central Time. This month’s bright moon, the second of the season is named the Sturgeon Moon.
Mars Slips into Evening Twilight
With six planets in the morning sky, Mars is the lone bright planet in the sky after sunset. Look for it through a binocular less than 10° up in the west and to the upper left of Zavijava, also known as Beta Virginis. It passes behind the sun early next year and then reappears in the morning sky later in the year. It is not visible again without a binocular’s optical assist until later next spring.
Mars marches eastward in front of Virgo, less than 25° to the lower right of Spica, the constellation’s brightest star. A Mars-Spica conjunction occurs on September 13th in bright twilight.
Saturn-Mars Opposition Tomorrow
Saturn begins to replace Mars as the bright planet in the evening sky. Tomorrow, the Ringed Wonder rises as the Red Planet sets, a Saturn-Mars opposition. When this occurs after sunset, the two planets appear in the sky simultaneously, though in opposite directions. By month’s end Saturn can be seen low in the eastern sky, and Mars is visible through a binocular in the west.
Saturn’s Opposition with Sun
As the season progresses, Saturn rises earlier. On September 20th, Saturn is at opposition when Earth is between the sun and the planet. Rising at sunset, the planet is in the sky all night.
Continue to watch Venus approach Jupiter in the morning sky, as their slow-motion conjunction unfolds.
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