June 28, 2026: Mars approaches the Pleiades before sunrise while the Strawberry Moon nears Full Moon phase after sunset. Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus add to a sky filled with planetary sights.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:18 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
Planet View
While Mercury moves toward inferior conjunction on July 13, four bright planets and the moon are visible during the nighttime hours.
Saturn Before Sunrise
An hour before sunrise, golden Saturn stands over 30° above the east-southeast horizon. Not exceedingly bright, the Ringed Wonder outshines all the stars in the region. It slowly creeps eastward in front of Pisces’ fainter stars, further dimmed by the brightness of mid-twilight.
While better views are ahead, the rings can be seen through a telescope. They are slightly open compared to the nearly edge-on view before the planet’s conjunction with the sun.
Mars
Mars, fainter than expected, is nearly 15° above the east-northeast horizon. The Red Planet approaches a conjunction with the Pleiades star cluster tomorrow. The star cluster’s brightest star, Alcyone, is 4.4° to Mars’ upper left.
Tomorrow’s conjunction is the last one visible until 2034. Mars passes the cluster nearly every two years, but the next three occur during bright twilight or when the pair is near solar conjunction. The 2034 conjunction is nicely placed in the evening sky with Venus in the vicinity.
Mars and the star cluster easily fit into the same binocular field of view. After locating them, shift the binocular slightly so that the stellar bundle is near the top of the field of view. Uranus is in the view as well, if morning twilight does not overwhelm the planet’s brightness.
Find the stars 37 and 39 Tauri (37 Tau, 39 Tau) toward the lower left edge of the view. Star 37 is about the same brightness as some of the stars in the cluster. Star 39 is only one-fourth of star 37’s brightness. If it is visible, then look for aquamarine Uranus, 1.4° to the lower right. Like Saturn’s rings, better observational opportunities are ahead, especially on moonless nights during early autumn mornings and early winter evenings when Taurus and the Pleiades are high in the southern sky. In rural areas, away from outdoor lighting, the cluster might be visible without a binocular’s optical assist.
Strawberry Moon
After sunset, the bright Strawberry Moon is easily visible, nearing the Full Moon phase tomorrow evening. An hour after sunset, the lunar orb, 99% illuminated, is 10° above the southeast horizon and nearly 20° to Antares’ lower left, Scorpius’ brightest star. From a spot with a clear horizon, use a binocular to spot the Scorpion’s tail and stinger, Shaula and Lesath, nearly 10° to the moon’s lower right.
Venus, Jupiter
After the moon, Venus is the second brightest celestial body in tonight’s sky. At 45 minutes after sunset, it is nearly 20° above the western horizon. It steps eastward in front of Cancer’s dim stars. The Evening Star is nearly 20° to Jupiter’s upper left.
The Jovian Giant slides into evening twilight, moving toward a solar conjunction next month and reappearing in the east-northeast later in the summer. It slowly rambles eastward in front of Cancer, 8.8° to Pollux’s lower left, one of the Gemini Twins. Use a binocular to spot the star along with Castor over 5° above the horizon.
As the moon approaches the Full Moon phase, look for Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. Use a binocular to attempt to spot Uranus through morning twilight.
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