July 24, 2026: Brilliant Venus gleams in the western sky after sunset while Mars advances against Taurus and Saturn nears retrograde before sunrise. Includes moon, Mars, Saturn, and Venus observing notes.
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 View
After Sunset
Moon: The gibbous moon, 82% illuminated, is in the southern sky after sunset. It is 2.8° to Antares’ lower left, Scorpius’ brightest star, and 0.8° to Al Niyat’s upper left. In this moonlight, use a binocular to locate the stars.
Venus: The Evening Star dominates the western evening sky after sunset. One hour after sunset, it is about 10° above the horizon. It is noticeably lower in the sky and farther southward along the horizon than it was a month ago. Venus is lower because the ecliptic is flattening against the western horizon. Regulus, Leo’s brightest star, is near the horizon to Venus’ lower right. The star disappears into brighter evening twilight.
Before Sunrise
Mars: The Red Planet is nearly 25° above the eastern horizon and 9.5° to Aldebaran’s lower left, Taurus’ brightest star. Notice that Elnath, the Bull’s northern horn, is 7.4° to Mars’ left, while Zeta Tauri, the second horn, is 7.6° to the lower left. Mars is now nearly midway between Aldebaran and the Bull’s horns and continues toward its passage between Elnath and Zeta Tauri on August 3. Watch Mars march eastward against Taurus. A binocular assists in locating the planet and following its changing position against the distant starfield from morning to morning. Note that Orion appears below Taurus in the eastern sky and climbs higher each morning.
Saturn: The Ringed Wonder rises in the eastern sky before local midnight. By the beginning of morning twilight, Saturn is about halfway up in the southeast, making it an easy telescopic target. Even at mid-twilight, the rings are visible, tilted about 10° along our line of sight. At this time, the planet is over 45° above the south-southeast horizon. Saturn begins to retrograde in two nights.
Before sunrise, Saturn and Mars are prominent targets, while Venus and the moon are easy to find after sunset.
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