July 23, 2026: Observe Saturn before retrograde begins, follow Mars against Taurus, locate Uranus near the Pleiades, and watch Venus dominate the evening sky near Leo.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:36 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:18 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 Watch
Saturn and Mars are easily observed in the predawn sky, while Venus dominates the evening sky.
Before Sunrise
An hour before sunrise, find golden Saturn over 45° above the south-southeast horizon. It is not as bright as Venus or Jupiter, but it outshines all the stars in the region. Rising before local midnight, the Ringed Wonder is nearly halfway up in the southeast when morning twilight begins.
Through a telescope, the planet’s rings are easily visible and tilted about 10° along our line of sight. Its visibility is best before morning twilight begins, at least two hours before sunrise.
Saturn begins to retrograde in three nights as Earth overtakes the outer planet in its faster orbit around the sun. While the planet’s normal motion against the starfield is eastward, Saturn appears to move backward against Pisces’ dim starfield.
Mars
Mars is farther eastward along the ecliptic, marching eastward against Taurus. During morning twilight, it is over 20° above the eastern horizon and 8.9° to Aldebaran’s lower left, the Bull’s brightest star. Both display a similar yellow-orange color, but the Red Planet is only about 65% of Aldebaran’s brightness.
Mars is not as bright as might be expected because it is about 190 million miles from Earth. Next year at opposition, Mars is much closer to Earth and shines about 10 times brighter than this morning’s visual intensity.
This morning, Mars is east of a line from Aldebaran to Elnath, the Bull’s northern horn.
Binocular View – Uranus
Uranus is relatively easy to see through a binocular before morning twilight begins. It is in the same field of view as the Pleiades star cluster, which rides on Taurus’ back. Look at the cluster before finding the planet. Then shift the binocular so the Pleiades are near the top of the field. Find stars 37 and 39 Tauri (37 Tau and 39 Tau) below the center of the field. Star 39 is about the same brightness as aquamarine Uranus near the bottom of the view. Reposition the binocular so the stellar pair is above the center of the field and Uranus is near the center.
After Sunset
After sunset, the bright gibbous moon, 74% illuminated, is over 20° above the southern horizon. It is nearly 10° to Antares’ lower right, Scorpius’ brightest star, and 2.7° to the lower right of Pi Scorpii (π Sco).
Venus
Farther westward, brilliant Venus outshines all the stars in the sky. An hour after sunset, it is about 10° above the western horizon. Find an observing spot with a clear view in its direction.
The Evening Star steps eastward against Leo. Regulus, the constellation’s brightest star, is over 15° to the planet’s lower right. Use a binocular to locate Regulus before it fades deeper into evening twilight. Denebola, the Lion’s tail, is nearly 15° above the planet.
Before sunrise, look for Saturn and Mars, while a binocular helps locate Uranus. Venus and the gibbous moon are in the evening sky.
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