June 24, 2026: Saturn and Mars shine before sunrise while Venus, Jupiter, and Moon are visible after sunset. Follow Mars near the Pleiades and watch Jupiter sink into evening twilight.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:17 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:30 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, Four Planets
Four bright planets are visible during the nighttime hours. Saturn and Mars are in the eastern morning sky, while Venus and Jupiter are in the western evening sky and the gibbous moon is in the southern sky.
Before Sunrise
Before sunrise, Saturn and Mars are in the eastern sky. One hour before sunrise, the Ringed Wonder is over 30° above the east-southeast horizon. While not exceptionally bright, golden Saturn is the brightest body in the region as it slowly creeps eastward in front of Pisces’ fainter stars, further dimmed by morning’s light. As the planet rises earlier, its rings, now angled about 10° along our line of sight, are easier to see through a telescope.
Mars marches eastward in front of Taurus, near the Pleiades star cluster. Find them nearly 15° above the east-northeast horizon.
They fit into the same binocular field of view, with the Red Planet 5.7° to the lower right of Alcyone, the brightest Pleiad and the star in conjunction with the planet in five mornings. The cluster spans an area of the sky over twice the moon’s apparent diameter. Watch Mars approach, pass, and move away from the famous stellar bundle.
Evening Sky
After sunset, the bright gibbous moon, 80% illuminated, is nearly 30° above the southern horizon. In front of Libra, it is 7.9° to the lower right of Zubenelgenubi, the Southern Claw. Look for Spica, Virgo’s brightest star, over 15° to the upper right, and Antares, Scorpius’ brightest star, 30° to the lower left. The moon appears farther westward during the nighttime, setting about two hours after local midnight.
Farther westward, brilliant Venus continues to dominate the western evening sky and widen a gap to bright Jupiter. An hour after sunset, the Evening Star is nearly 15° above the west-northwest horizon and nearly the same distance to Jupiter’s upper left.
The Jovian Giant rambles eastward in front of Cancer, 8.2° to Pollux’s lower left, one of the Gemini Twins, now lower in the sky. Jupiter is still visible near the horizon, although a binocular improves the view. At the Venus-Jupiter conjunction a few weeks ago, Jupiter was higher in the sky, but it slowly slides into brighter twilight leading up to its conjunction with the sun on July 29.
Mercury is buried in evening twilight on its way to inferior conjunction. The Elusive Planet is overtaking Earth, passing between our world and the sun on July 12. Then it moves into the morning sky, although the apparition is not favorable.
Whether you are an early bird or a night owl, planets are visible during the nighttime hours. Find the moon after sunset until about three hours before sunup.
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