2026, March 30: Venus and Jupiter Shine After Sunset While the Moon Nears Full with Leo

March 30, 2026: Venus shines low in the west after sunset while Jupiter stands high in the south-southwest. The moon nears full in front of Leo, with Regulus and Denebola marking the Lion’s outline. Mercury and Mars remain hidden in bright morning twilight.

March 21, 2018: The 4.5-day old crescent moon appears 38 degrees above brilliant Evening Star Venus during evening twilight
Photo Caption – March 21, 2018: The 4.5-day old crescent moon appears 38 degrees above brilliant Evening Star Venus during evening twilight

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:37 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:14 p.m. CDT.  Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.

Venus as an Evening Star

Almanac for Sun, Moon, and Planets

Sun, Moon

Sun: At Chicago’s latitude, daylight lasts 12 hours, 37 minutes. In Miami, it is 14 minutes shorter. In Anchorage, daylight spans 13 hours, 13 minutes and increases by about six minutes each day as the sun appears farther northward. The sun is overhead at local noon near 4° north latitude. South of the equator, daylight lasts 11 hours, 46 minutes in Auckland, at a latitude comparable to Nashville, but in the Southern Hemisphere.

Moon, Leo, March 30, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, March 30: One hour after sunset, the nearly Full moon is to Regulus’ lower left and to the right of Denebola.

Moon: The moon is approaching the Full (Pink) Moon, the first bright moon of the season, on April 1 at 9:12 p.m. Central Time. As darkness falls, the moon, 96% illuminated, is over 30° above the east-southeast horizon in front of Leo. It is over 15° to Regulus’ lower left, the constellation’s brightest star, and about 15° to the right of Denebola, marking the tail. The constellation’s outline is visible through a binocular.

Planets Not Visible

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)

Mercury and Mars are west of the sun and rise before daybreak. Mercury rises less than an hour before sunrise, and its visibility is poor because of the low angle of the ecliptic with the eastern horizon as the planet reaches greatest elongation on April 3. This morning, 30 minutes before sunrise, Mercury is only 5° above the east-southeast horizon. Nearly three months after solar conjunction, Mars rises only 36 minutes before sunrise and is hidden in bright morning twilight.

Saturn and Neptune are similarly positioned west of the sun after their solar conjunctions, but they are too faint to be seen in bright sunlight.

Planets after Sunset

Venus: The Evening Star shines from low in the western sky after sunset. It appears farther northward along the horizon, mirroring the changing sunset position. At 45 minutes after sunset, Venus is about 10° above the western horizon, shining through the colors of evening twilight. Find a clear view toward the west. Venus steps eastward in front of Aries, over 10° to Hamal’ lower left, the constellation’s brightest star.

Jupiter: The bright Jovian Giant is high in the south-southwest in front of Gemini near the Twins, Castor and Pollux. It moves slowly eastward in front of those stars. Jupiter is about 75° to Venus’ upper left. A Venus–Jupiter conjunction occurs on June 9.

Binocular View - Uranus
Chart Caption – 2026, Late March: Uranus is in the same binocular field with the Pleiades star cluster, near the stars 13 and 14 Tauri

Uranus: The planet can be found through a binocular through the bright moonlight near the Pleiades and nearby stars, including 13 and 14 Tauri (Tau). It appears lower each night and is dimmed by the thicker atmosphere near the horizon.

Watch daylight length increase in the Northern Hemisphere as the sun appears farther northward. The moon is near Leo, while Venus and Jupiter are visible after sunset. The other planets are not visible due to their proximity to the sun, and Uranus is difficult to observe in moonlight.

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