2025, November 9: Morning Moon Near Jupiter; Venus, Spica, and Arcturus in Twilight

November 9, 2025: The waning gibbous moon shines in the west-southwest before sunrise near Jupiter and the Gemini Twins. Venus, Spica, and Arcturus sparkle in morning twilight, while Saturn and Neptune linger in the evening sky.

2018, November 10, Venus is 2 degrees to the lower left of Spica.
Chart Caption – 2018, November 10, Venus is 2 degrees to the lower left of Spica.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:33 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:35 p.m. CST.  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 AS A MORNING STAR, 2025

Here is today’s almanac for the sun, moon, and planets

Sun: In Chicago, the sun shines for 10 hours, 2 minutes. Farther southward in Miami, daylight lasts 10 hours, 59 minutes, while in Anchorage, daylight spans only 7 hours, 44 minutes. The sun is overhead at local noon at latitude 15.8° south, in the Southern Hemisphere.

Jupiter, Moon, November 9, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, November 9: Jupiter, near Gemini’s Pollux, and the moon are in the southwestern sky before sunrise.

Moon: The moon rises later each night, though it is high in the west-southwest during morning twilight. This morning the gibbous moon, 79% illuminated, is nearly 15° to Jupiter’s lower right.

Inner Planets

It’s small, it’s hot, and it’s shrinking. New NASA-funded research suggests that Mercury is contracting even today, joining Earth as a tectonically active planet.
Photo Caption – It’s small, it’s hot, and it’s shrinking. New NASA-funded research suggests that Mercury is contracting even today, joining Earth as a tectonically active planet. (NASA photo)

Mercury: The innermost planet is in bright western twilight after sunset, setting 45 minutes after the sun. Mercury quickly overtakes Earth along an orbital track closer to the sun. It reaches inferior conjunction, passing between Earth and Sun, on the 20th. Then it begins its best morning appearance of the year, peaking during early December.

Venus, Spica, Arcturus, November 9, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, November 9: At 45 minutes before sunrise, Venus is low in the east-southeast to Spica’s lower left. Arcturus is higher in the eastern sky.

Venus: The Morning Star retreats into bright morning twilight as it moves toward superior conjunction on the far side of the sun early next year. It rises this morning only 74 minutes before sunrise. About 30 minutes later, Venus is less than 10° above the east-southeast horizon, nearly 10° to Spica’s lower left, Virgo’s brightest star, and over 30° to Arcturus’ lower right, the second-brightest star visible from the mid-northern latitudes.

Outer Planets

2007, December 1: Late winter in the northern hemisphere shows clouds above the northern polar cap and some above the southern cap.
Photo Caption – 2007, December 1: Late winter in the northern hemisphere shows clouds above the northern polar cap and some above the southern cap. (NASA Photo)

Mars: The Red Planet hides in bright western evening twilight, setting about the same time as Mercury. Some calendars may show them in conjunction, though they are not visible. Mars’ conjunction with the sun occurs early next year.

Jupiter, Moon, Pollux, November 9, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, November 9: Five hours after sunset, the moon is nearly between Jupiter and Pollux.

Jupiter: The Jovian Giant rises in the east-northeast over four hours after sunset. An hour later, the moon is nearly between the planet and Pollux. During the night, watch the moon move slowly eastward compared to Jupiter and Pollux. Shortly after midnight and the start of the new calendar day, the moon passes between the pair.

Saturn, November 9, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, November 9: An hour after sunset, Saturn is in the southeast.

Saturn: The Ringed Wonder is the lone bright planet after sunset. It is in the southeastern sky as darkness falls. The planet is not as bright as Venus or Jupiter and is dimmer than average because its icy rings reflect sunlight away from Earth. Through a telescope, the rings appear as a thin line, seen from the edge.

Uranus
Photo Caption – Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope discovered a new moon orbiting Uranus. This image shows the moon, designated S/2025 U1, as well as 13 of the 28 other known moons orbiting the planet. Due to the drastic differences in brightness levels, the image is a composite of three different treatments of the data, allowing the viewer to see details in the planetary atmosphere, the surrounding rings, and the orbiting moons. Photo by NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, M. El Moutamid (SwRI), M. Hedman (University of Idaho)

Uranus: The Tilted World can be viewed from rural areas without optical assistance on moonless nights near the Pleiades star cluster. From suburban locations, a binocular is needed to see it through the veil of perpetual outdoor lighting. Tonight, moonlight spoils any reasonable attempt to easily see the planet. For best viewing, wait until the moon returns to the crescent phase.

This contrast enhanced color picture of Neptune was acquired by Voyager 2 at a range of 14.8 million kilometers (9.2 million miles) on August 14, 1989. (NASA photo)
Photo Caption – This contrast enhanced color picture of Neptune was acquired by Voyager 2 at a range of 14.8 million kilometers (9.2 million miles) on August 14, 1989. (NASA photo)

Neptune: The most distant planet in the modern solar system model is in the same binocular field with Saturn, although persistence is needed to see it. It is best viewed when it is in the south and highest in the sky, though the moon is nearby tonight. Like Uranus, the search is best when the moon is absent.

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