August 21, 2025: Six planets are visible before sunrise. The crescent moon points to Mercury in the eastern sky, while dim Neptune and Uranus are visible earlier with a binocular.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:06 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:41 p.m. CDT. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
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Morning Planet Parade
The parade of six planets before sunrise continues this morning.
About two hours before sunup, try for Neptune through a binocular. The distant world is in the same field with Saturn, now in the southwest. Even at this magnification, Saturn appears as a golden star. Neptune is very dim and requires persistence to identify.
Farther eastward, Uranus is easier to spot. It is visible without optical aid from dark countryside locations. From suburban settings, use a binocular. The aquamarine planet is near the Pleiades star cluster and part of the six-planet display.
Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Moon
Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury are in the eastern sky 45 minutes before sunrise. This morning, the crescent moon, only 4% illuminated, is nearby Mercury and serves as a guide to the elusive planet.
At that hour, brilliant Venus is over 20° up in the east, about one-fourth of the way from the horizon to overhead.
The Morning Star is 9.1° to Jupiter’s lower left and 7.2° to Pollux’s lower right. Mercury is 15° to Venus’ lower left, 4.7° to the moon’s lower right, and less than 10° above the east-northeast horizon.
Binocular View: Mercury and Moon
Find a clear horizon toward that direction. Use a binocular for initial identification of Mercury.
The innermost planet is one of the brightest starlike objects in the sky this morning, after Venus, Jupiter, and Sirius. However, it is dimmed by the dense air near the horizon and the rich colors of morning twilight.
Mercury continues to retreat into brighter twilight, though it brightens slightly. The planet is visible for about another week. Afterward, five bright planets remain in the predawn sky for several weeks.
Use the crescent moon this morning to find Mercury. Begin observations early to attempt sightings of Neptune and Uranus.
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