October 27, 2025: Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and the moon are visible during the night. Use a binocular to see the moon with Sagittarius after sunset.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:17 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 5:51 p.m. CDT. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Related Articles
Venus Summary Article
Three bright planets and the waxing crescent moon are visible during the nighttime hours.
Venus, Jupiter, Bright Stars
Before sunrise, Venus and Jupiter outshine all the stars in the sky, including Sirius, Arcturus, Capella, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Procyon, Aldebaran, and Regulus — eight of the ten brightest stars visible from the mid-northern latitudes.
The Morning Star retreats into morning twilight as it moves toward its solar conjunction early next year. At mid-twilight, about 45 minutes before sunrise, it is less than 20° above the east-northeast horizon.
Look for Arcturus, over 30° to Venus’ upper left. As the second brightest star visible from mid-northern latitudes, it shines with only about 3% of Venus’ brightness.
At this hour, bright Jupiter is high in the south, near Pollux, one of the Gemini Twins. It moves eastward, 6.7° below that star. The Jovian Giant rises before midnight and climbs higher in the sky during the new calendar day.
Venus passed Jupiter on August 12 and quickly stepped away. This morning, their separation is over 80°, with Venus far to Jupiter’s east.
After sundown, the crescent moon, 34% illuminated, is nearly 20° above the west-southwestern horizon in front of Sagittarius. Even at this phase, the moon lights the ground and casts faint shadows.
Use a binocular to spot the stars of Sagittarius near the moon. The lunar orb is near Tau Sagittarii (τ Sgr).
Saturn
Saturn is easily visible in the east-southeast as night falls. Noticeably dimmer than Venus and Jupiter, it is the brightest starlike object in that region. Through a telescope, the rings appear nearly as a line — an edge-on view that occurs about every 15 years as Saturn progresses through its nearly 30-year orbit. During the night, the Ringed Wonder crosses the southern sky before midnight and sets in the west before morning twilight begins.
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, September 13-14: Crescent Moon Returns to Venus in Evening Twilight
September 13-14, 2026: The young crescent moon returns to the evening sky near brilliant Venus. Watch the lunar crescent, Venus, and possibly Spica low in the west-southwest after sunset. - 2026, September 12: Mars Passes Castor Before Sunrise While Closing on Jupiter
September 12, 2026: Before sunrise, Mars passes Castor in a wide conjunction while continuing its eastward march in front of Gemini. Jupiter shines lower in the eastern sky as Mars slowly closes the gap for their November conjunction. - 2026, September 11: Venus in Evening Twilight, Saturn Nears Opposition, Jupiter and Mars Before Sunrise
September 11, 2026: Brilliant Venus appears deeper into evening twilight while Saturn approaches opposition. Before sunrise, Jupiter and Mars shine from the eastern sky as Mars closes the gap to Jupiter. - 2026, September 10: New Moon Skies Reveal Uranus and Neptune
September 10, 2026: With the moon at the New phase, dark skies help sky watchers locate Uranus near the Pleiades, search for Neptune near Saturn, and understand where Pluto appears in front of Capricornus’ stars. - 2026, September 9: Moon-Regulus Conjunction Before Sunrise Confirms Star’s Return to Morning Sky
September 9, 2026: A thin crescent moon appears near Regulus before sunrise while Jupiter and Mars brighten the eastern sky. The conjunction signals Regulus’ return to morning visibility after its solar conjunction.