June 13, 2026: See all five bright planets during nighttime hours. Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury shine after sunset, while Saturn, Mars, and a thin crescent moon appear before sunrise.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:15 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:27 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
Five Bright Planets, Moon
The crescent moon, Saturn, and Mars are in the predawn sky, while Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury are in the evening sky.
Morning Sky
An hour before sunrise, Saturn, Mars, and the crescent moon are in the eastern sky. Saturn is the easiest of the three to see. The gold-tinted planet is over 20° above the east-southeast horizon, slowly creeping eastward in front of Pisces, although the dim background stars are washed out by morning’s light. Saturn is too low in the sky for ideal telescopic views of its rings. Wait until later in the summer when it is higher in the sky before morning twilight begins.
Mars, marching eastward in front of Aries, is nearly 36° to Saturn’s lower left and nearly 10° above the east-northeast horizon. From an observing spot with a clear view of the horizon, use a binocular to see the planet resembling a red-orange star. Hamal, Aries’ brightest star, is 10° to Mars’ upper right.
The crescent moon, 5% illuminated and over 10° to Mars lower left, is likely the talk of popular astronomy today. One celestial almanac headlines the event, “Moon in Pleiades!” Yes, the moon is in front of some of the star cluster’s members this morning, but the stars are faint and near the horizon, creating very unfavorable observing conditions. Unless the sky is exceptionally clear and the view of the horizon is unobstructed, this event is a challenging sight. Most observers are more likely to notice the crescent moon and Mars than the star cluster itself. Alcyone, the brightest Pleiad, is only one-fourth as bright as Mars. While not as close as this morning, a pretty view of the moon and star cluster occurs on the morning of August 7 when they are higher in the sky before morning twilight begins.
After Sunset
After sunset, Venus and Jupiter are still near each other. One hour after sunset, brilliant Venus is about 15° above the west-northwest horizon, 4.4° to Jupiter’s upper left. Venus steps eastward in front of Cancer, while Jupiter slowly rambles eastward in front of Gemini, 7.0° to Pollux’s lower left, one of the Gemini Twins.
Mercury is 9° to Jupiter’s lower right and less than 10° above the horizon. The Elusive Planet fades in brightness as it nears greatest elongation, the farthest we see the planet from the sun. Use a binocular to see it.
The five bright planets and the crescent moon are visible during nighttime hours, although not all at the same time. Find observing spots with clear views toward the respective horizons and take along a binocular.
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