September 23, 2025: Venus appears below the Sickle of Leo before sunrise. Neptune is at opposition. It is in the same binocular field with Saturn. See Five Planets.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:40 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 6:46 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
Neptune at Opposition
Neptune is at opposition at 7:53 a.m. Central Time. Appearing near Saturn, it rises at sunset and sets in the west at sunrise.
Morning Planets
Before sunrise, three bright planets are visible along the arc of the ecliptic from the east to the west.
At 45 minutes before sunrise, begin with Venus in the eastern sky. The Morning Star is 15° above the horizon and 4.7° to Regulus’ lower left.
Regulus is part of a backwards question mark shape known as the Sickle of Leo, representing a farmer’s cutting tool. Depending on the sky’s transparency, a binocular might be needed to trace the shape.
The binocular might be needed to see Rho Leonis (ρ Leo), 2.1° below Venus. While not one of the bright stars along the ecliptic, Rho serves as a milestone of a planet’s eastward motion. Venus passes the star in two mornings.
Jupiter
Jupiter is high in the east-southeast, nearly 45° to Venus’ upper right. The Jovian Giant rambles eastward in front of Gemini, 7.0° to Pollux’s lower right, one of the Twins.
Saturn
Farther westward, Saturn, considerably dimmer than Venus and Jupiter, is less than 10° above the western horizon – over 155° west of Venus. In a few days, at this hour, the planet falls behind the dimming and blurring effects of the air that thickens near the horizon.
In less than a month, Venus and Saturn are in opposite directions. Afterward Saturn sets before Venus rises, leaving two bright planets and Uranus in the predawn sky. After midnight, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter are visible.
Neptune Near Saturn
Neptune is near Saturn in the sky. They appear in the same binocular field, though the most-distant planet in the modern solar system model is extremely faint. Look for Neptune through a binocular, at least two hours before sunrise and before twilight begins. With Saturn at the center of the field, bluish Neptune – appearing as a very faint star – is above the Ringed Wonder.
Uranus Near Pleiades
Uranus is easier to see in the same binocular field with the Pleiades star cluster – resembling a tiny dipper high in the southern sky after midnight and before twilight begins. With the star cluster toward the top of the field of view, Uranus is about the same brightness as 13, 14, 32 and 37 Tauri (Tau) – distant stars that lie in the distant starfield.
Evening Sky
After sunset, Mercury and Mars are not visible. Mercury emerges from bright sunlight, though its evening visibility is very unfavorable for northern hemisphere’s sky watchers. Fading Mars is also washed out by western evening twilight.
No Moon Tonight
After the New moon phase on the 21st, the evening moon’s return is delayed by a poorly inclined ecliptic with the western horizon. It sets tonight only 35 minutes after nightfall.
Saturn
Saturn, with Neptune nearby, is low in the east-southeast an hour after sundown. They are south after midnight.
Tomorrow morning, look for the five planets before twilight begins.
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