June 19, 2026: Brilliant Venus passes the Beehive Cluster after sunset while the waxing crescent moon appears near Regulus. Saturn and Mars remain visible before sunrise in the eastern sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:15 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:29 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
Moon, Regulus, Venus, Beehive
As the brighter evening planets slide into brighter twilight, brilliant Venus passes Cancer’s Beehive star cluster. The waxing crescent moon is near Regulus, while Saturn and Mars are in the eastern predawn sky.
Lunar Crescent, Regulus
Step outside an hour after sunset. The crescent moon, 31% illuminated, is nearly 30° above the west-southwest horizon and 6.4° to Regulus’ upper left, Leo’s brightest star. The moon is bright enough to cast shadows.
Venus, Beehive Star Cluster
Venus is nearly 30° to the moon’s lower right and 15° above the west-northwest horizon. It steps eastward in front of Cancer. Use a binocular to see it 0.8° above the Beehive star cluster. At mid-twilight, observing conditions are not ideal and only the cluster’s brightest stars are visible. The stellar bundle is also known as the Manger. Representing donkeys, Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australis are said to be feeding from the feeding box.
Jupiter, Mercury
Jupiter is 10° to Venus’ lower right and less than 10° above the west-northwest horizon. It is 7.8° to Pollux’s lower left, one of the Gemini Twins. The Jovian Giant is beginning to slip into brighter twilight, although it remains visible near the horizon when dimmer celestial bodies have faded from view.
Similarly, Mercury retreats into evening twilight. A binocular is now needed to see it. The planet fits into the same binocular field of view as Jupiter. See it before twilight overwhelms the view.
Before Sunrise: Saturn, Mars
Meanwhile, before sunrise, Saturn is easier to see, but Mars continues to emerge from bright morning twilight. An hour before sunup, golden Saturn is nearly 30° above the east-southeast horizon. While not as bright as Venus or Jupiter, the Ringed Wonder is brighter than the stars in its region. It slowly creeps eastward in front of Pisces.
Use a binocular to find Mars about 10° above the east-northeast horizon. Find an observing spot with a clear view toward the planet. A hilltop or a high floor in an elevated structure helps with the view. The Red Planet marches eastward in front of Aries, nearly 20° to Hamal’s lower left. Tomorrow, Mars crosses Taurus’ boundary and approaches the Pleiades star cluster.
After sunset, look for the crescent moon, Venus, and the bright planets. Track Saturn and Mars before sunrise.
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