October 23, 2025: Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn shine during nighttime hours. Use a binocular to find Uranus near the Pleiades and Neptune near Saturn.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:13 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 5:57 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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Today’s Almanac for Sun, Moon, and Planets
Sun: In Chicago, daylight lasts 10 hours, 44 minutes. The sun is overhead at noon for latitude 12° south.
Moon: The moon reached the New phase yesterday. Northern hemisphere sky watchers have a poor view of the solar system in the western sky. The moon is 5° up in the southwest at sunset, setting 45 minutes after the sun. Tomorrow evening, it is low in the southwest at 45 minutes after sundown.
Inner Planets
Mercury: Like the moon, Mercury’s visibility suffers from a poor view of the solar system at the western horizon. It sets about the same time as the moon.
Venus: The Morning Star continues to retreat into morning twilight, rising 96 minutes before sunrise, a few minutes before twilight begins. At 45 minutes before daybreak, it is less than 10° up in the eastern sky. The sun treks southward along the horizon, and Venus mirrors the southerly movement.
Outer Planets
Mars: Like Mercury, Mars is hidden in bright evening twilight. It heads for its solar conjunction early next year.
Jupiter: The Jovian Giant rises around midnight and is high in the south before sunrise. It rambles eastward, 6.7° below Pollux, one of the Gemini Twins.
Saturn: The Ringed Wonder is in the east-southeast as darkness falls and is well placed for telescopic viewing. The rings are nearly edge-on, appearing like the rim of a dinner plate. Saturn is south before midnight and sets about two hours before daybreak.
Uranus: While the moon is out of sight, use a binocular to find it near the Pleiades star cluster from about two hours before midnight until around 5 a.m.
Neptune: A challenging sight through a binocular in the same field with Saturn. It is best viewed around midnight when it is highest in the south.
Summary: Look for three bright planets – Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn – during nighttime hours. Optical assistance is needed to view Uranus and Neptune. The moon returns to the sky tomorrow evening.
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