September 12, 2025: Before sunrise, watch Venus approach Regulus while the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn complete a morning planet display. Uranus and Neptune fade in moonlight as the bright grouping unfolds this week.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:28 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:05 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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Venus Summary Article
With the bright morning moon, the two dim planets – Uranus and Neptune – in the parade of five are difficult to see. This morning the moon appears near the Pleiades star cluster, although the view is not a pleasing view through a binocular. The bright moon may create an after image in your vision, like seeing spots after a camera flash.
Uranus is in the same binocular field with the Pleiades, a very challenging view in this moonlight. Neptune appears near Saturn, a nearly impossible view with the bright moon.
The rare gathering of Venus, Moon, and Regulus continues to unfold as Jupiter and Saturn round out the planet display.
Before Sunrise
Here’s what to see 45 minutes before sunrise:
- The gibbous moon, 72% illuminated, is high in the south-southwest. The lunar orb is 7.1° to the lower right of the Pleiades – a tight fit in a binocular field. Look for Aldebaran, Taurus’ brightest star, to the left. After sunset tonight in Europe, northwestern Asia, and the Middle East, the moon eclipses or occults stars in the cluster.
- Jupiter is the bright star over halfway from the east-southeast horizon to overhead. It slowly treks eastward in front of Gemini, 7.6° to Pollux’s lower right, one of the Gemini Twins. The planet and constellation are about halfway up in the eastern sky.
- Brilliant Venus, over 30° to Jupiter’s lower left and about 20° up in the east, approaches Regulus, Leo’s brightest star. This morning’s gap is 8.8°. Watch Venus approach the star during the next week.
- The Moon-Regulus gap is over 95°. It is reduced by about 13° each morning with the moon’s eastward revolution.
- Saturn, the third bright planet in this morning’s sky, is over 15° up in the west-southwest. It is lower in the sky each morning as its opposition approaches on the 21st. On that date, it rises at sunset and sets at sunrise – opposite the sun’s positions at those events. This five-planet display ends when Saturn is no longer visible and certainly after the Venus-Saturn opposition during mid-October when Saturn sets before Venus rises.
- Mercury is at superior conjunction tomorrow, with the sun between Mercury and Earth. Afterward, the planet moves into the western evening sky next month, though it offers a very poor view for northern hemisphere sky watchers.
After Sunset
- Bright evening twilight interferes with a view of Mars. The Red Planet sets 75 minutes after sunset, before the end of twilight. It passes the star Spica tomorrow, though the view is not favorable.
- Saturn rises in the east about 25 minutes after sundown. About 90 minutes later, the Ringed Wonder is nearly 20° above the east-southeast horizon. It is south near midnight.
- The gibbous moon, 64% illuminated, rises nearly three hours after nightfall. An hour later it is low in the east-northeast, 4.1° to the Pleiades’ lower left.
The rare morning gathering of Venus, Moon, and Regulus continues to unfold. Watch the moon appear farther eastward each morning, waning on its way toward Venus and the star.
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