July 30, 2026: The Buck Moon remains bright while Saturn shines before sunrise, Mars approaches Taurus’ horns, and brilliant Venus dominates the western evening sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:43 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:11 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 Highlights
Today’s Highlights
- Buck Moon Still Bright
- Morning Saturn
- Mars Nears Bull’s Horns
- Brilliant Venus in Western Evening Sky
Morning Sky
The Buck Moon is over 15° above the southwest horizon an hour before sunrise. Near the Full phase, the lunar orb is in the sky nearly all night. Rising in the eastern sky after sunset, it is south near local midnight and in the southwest during morning twilight. The moon is farther eastward in front of Capricornus, 8.4° to Deneb Algedi lower right, the Kid’s Tail. The moon is now moving away from opposition and appears farther eastward each evening. Compare the moon’s location against the starfield this morning with its position after sunset this evening.
Saturn is in the south-southeast during morning twilight. Rising before local midnight, the Ringed Wonder is in the southeast when twilight begins, a pretty target through a telescope. Saturn remains an excellent telescopic target throughout morning twilight. The view continues well into mid-twilight — an hour before sunrise — when Saturn is over 45° above the south-southeast horizon.
Mars is farther eastward from Saturn, over 25° above the eastern horizon. Noticeably dimmer than Saturn, it marches eastward in front of Taurus, 5.5° to Elnath’s lower right and 3.9° to Zeta Tauri’s upper right, the Bull’s horns. Mars is now noticeably closer to the Bull’s horns than it is to Aldebaran, the constellation’s brightest star. The Red Planet passes Elnath tomorrow morning as it moves between the two stars, crossing the gap in four mornings. While looking for Mars, use a binocular to find Orion near the eastern horizon. The Hunter’s belt stars are nearly vertical as the constellation rises into the morning sky.
Evening Sky
Venus nears the Leo-Virgo border. One hour after sunset, the Evening Star is less than 10° above the western horizon. The planet brightens each week, even while it appears lower in the sky. The flattening angle of the ecliptic — the plane of the solar system — causes Venus to appear lower each evening even while it moves farther from the sun. Use a binocular to find Denebola, the Lion’s Tail, over 12° to Venus’ upper right.
The Buck Moon rises nearly an hour after sunset. An hour later, it is 10° above the southeast horizon. The moon is still in front of Capricornus, 2.2° to the upper left of Deneb Algedi. Use a binocular to locate the star in the bright moonlight. Compare the moon’s position relative to Deneb Algedi from morning to evening to see its eastward motion against Capricornus.
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