February 8, 2026: Moon nears Spica before sunrise while Jupiter shines after sunset. Despite social media claims, only Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon are visible — not a planet parade.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:56 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:14 p.m. CST. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Almanac for Sun, Moon, and Planets
Sun and Moon
Sun: At Chicago’s latitude, the sun is in the sky for 10 hours, 20 minutes. In three days, daylight will again exceed darkness. Do not confuse this with the equinox, when daylight and nighttime are nearly equal. Darkness is measured from the end of evening twilight to the beginning of morning twilight the next day.
In Miami, daylight lasts 11 hours, 9 minutes. In Anchorage, it spans 8 hours, 58 minutes. In Alaska, the daylight-to-darkness comparison changes by about 10 minutes each day, reaching equality at 9 hours, 35 minutes on February 21. By month’s end, the difference is 70 minutes. Daylight is quickly returning to northern latitudes.
South of the equator, the sun is overhead at noon from 15° south latitude. In Auckland, daylight lasts 13 hours, 42 minutes.
Moon: Nearing the Last Quarter phase, the 60% illuminated lunar orb is in the south-southwest before sunrise, nearly 15° to Spica’s lower left, Virgo’s brightest star, and 9.0° to Zubenelgenubi’s lower right, the Scorpion’s southern claw. The moon reaches the morning half phase tomorrow at 6:43 a.m. Central Time.
No Upcoming Planet Parade
Important Note: Before the planets’ places are noted, social media is again calling for a planet parade—a line of all the planets and the moon visible simultaneously—at month’s end. The authors of these posts likely rely on charts or computer programs that place objects above the horizon, but do not realistically predict what can be seen in bright twilight.
- Mars is in deep sunlight and not visible after sunset. It rises about 20 minutes before sunrise and is only 12° from the sun — roughly the width of an outstretched fist held against the sky.
- Above the horizon at 30 minutes after sunset are Venus, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, and the moon. Being above the horizon does not imply visibility. Observability is determined by altitude, object brightness, and sky brightness.
- Venus is brilliant, about 5° above the west-southwest horizon, and visible across a clear natural horizon.
- Mercury is nearby, but at less than 1% of Venus’ brightness. It is extremely difficult to detect at this level of twilight, even through a binocular.
- Saturn is about 15° above the west-southwest horizon and suffers from the same brightness limitation as Mercury in bright twilight.
- Neptune lies near Saturn, but Venus is about 60,000 times brighter, rendering Neptune invisible at this time.
- Uranus is higher in the southwest, yet still too dim to be seen at this stage of twilight.
Farther eastward, the moon is easily visible in the eastern sky, and Jupiter can be found nearby. Observationally, while all these bodies are technically above the horizon, only three are visible to most observers: Venus, Jupiter, and the moon.
In the Sky Tonight
Inner Planets
Mercury: The Elusive World continues to emerge from bright evening twilight, brightening each evening. At sunset, it is over 10° above the west-southwest horizon. At 30 minutes after sunset, a careful binocular sweep may reveal the planet near the top of the field, but visibility is limited. Mercury reaches greatest elongation on February 19, when it will be easier to see as it climbs higher in the sky each evening. Afterward, as it retreats into brighter sunlight, the planet’s brightness fades, resulting in a poor view at month’s end.
Venus: The Evening Star emerges from bright twilight more slowly than Mercury. Tonight, it sets 37 minutes after the sun.
Bright Outer Planets
Mars: The Red Planet is near the sun, rising less than 15 minutes before sunrise. Its first morning appearance will occur in late spring.
Jupiter: Until Venus becomes prominent in the western sky, Jupiter is the brightest starlike object in the night sky. Through a telescope, its cloud tops and largest moons are visible. Step outside as darkness falls and look eastward for the bright star. The Jovian Giant retrogrades in front of Gemini, 9.5° to Pollux’s upper right and 10.6° to Castor’s lower right. Use a binocular to track Jupiter’s retrograde relative to Wasat.
Saturn: The Ringed Wonder is beginning its descent into evening twilight. An hour after sunset, it is about one-fourth of the way from the west-southwest horizon to overhead. The thicker air near the horizon blurs and dims the view of the planet. While its rings remain visible, Saturn is past the prime of this apparition.
Faint Outer Planets
Uranus: With the moon in the morning sky, the Tilted World is visible through a binocular in the same field as the Pleiades star cluster, which resembles a tiny dipper and is part of Taurus high in the south-southwest after twilight ends.
Neptune: The Distant Planet is in the same binocular field as Saturn but is extremely faint at this low altitude. Its viewing window may have already closed. Observers with exceptionally clear skies may still detect it.
During tonight’s skywatching hours, look for the moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. Ignore social media posts claiming a non-existent planet parade.
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