August 4, 2026: Saturn, Mars, Mercury, and Venus are visible. Watch Mars march away from Zeta Tauri, Mercury after greatest elongation, Saturn with the moon, and Venus approaching Spica.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:48 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:05 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
Four bright planets and the bright gibbous moon are visible during the nighttime hours.
Before Sunrise
Saturn, Mars, Mercury, and the moon are visible before sunrise.
Golden Saturn rises before local midnight and climbs higher in the eastern sky during the morning hours. By three hours before sunrise, it is about halfway from the southeast horizon to overhead. The planet is not exceptionally bright like Venus or Jupiter, although it outshines all the stars in the region. It is an ideal telescopic target through mid-twilight, about an hour before sunrise. The rings remain easy to see through a telescope into mid-twilight.
This morning the gibbous moon, 69% illuminated, is nearly 60° above the south-southeast horizon and 8.3° to Saturn’s upper left. The moon continues its eastward motion after passing Saturn yesterday morning.
Mars is farther eastward, east of a line between Taurus’ horns, Elnath and Zeta Tauri. Do not confuse Mars with Aldebaran, the Bull’s brightest star, to the upper right, or Betelgeuse, Orion’s shoulder, to the lower right. Today Mars is nearest Zeta Tauri during its passage between Taurus’ horns. Their separation is 2.3°. The Mars–Elnath separation is 5.8°.
At this hour, Mercury is less than 5° above the east-northeast horizon, nearly 30° to Mars’ lower left. Mercury is near greatest elongation, yet remains difficult to see because of the shallow angle of the ecliptic with the morning horizon. The planet is challenging to see because of its low altitude above the horizon. Fifteen minutes later, Mercury is slightly higher, although it appears against a brighter twilight sky.
When looking for Mars, find Orion near the eastern horizon as it begins its annual morning appearance cycle that ends when the constellation disappears into western evening twilight next May. Orion’s belt points downward toward Sirius, which makes its first morning appearance, known as its heliacal rising, in about a week at the mid-northern latitudes. This occurs near latitude 35° this morning or tomorrow.
After Sunset
After sunset, brilliant Venus is low in the west-southwest. It steps eastward in front of Virgo. An hour after nightfall, find Zavijava, also known as Beta Virginis, 1.3° to the planet’s upper right. The Evening Star is over 12° to Porrima’s lower right. Venus reaches Spica on September 1. This evening the gap is over 25°. Spica is over 16° above the west-southwest horizon. Through a telescope, Venus is slightly gibbous, 54% illuminated. Watch Venus steadily close the gap to Spica during the remainder of August.
Whether observing before sunrise or after sunset, bright planets are visible. The gibbous moon brightens the morning view.
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