August 17, 2026: Saturn retrogrades in front of Pisces while Jupiter returns to the morning sky. Mars marches against Gemini, and Venus shines beside the crescent moon and Spica after sunset.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:01 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:48 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
Today’s Highlights
- Saturn Retrogrades
- Mars Near Castor’s Foot
- Jupiter Returns
- Venus, Moon, and Spica After Sunset
Before Sunrise
Saturn, rising over two hours after sunset, is nearly 50° above the south-southwest horizon during morning twilight. After local midnight, it is high enough in the southeastern sky for telescopic observing. The Ringed Wonder retrogrades in front of a dim Pisces starfield. Through a telescope, the view is toward the planet’s southern hemisphere and the southern side of the rings.
Earth passes between Saturn and the sun, known as opposition, during early October. At that time the planet is opposite the sun in the sky, visible from sunset until sunrise, and closest to Earth for this apparition.
Farther eastward, Mars marches eastward in front of Gemini near Castor’s foot. One hour before sunrise, find the Red Planet over 30° above the east horizon, 1.0° to Propus’ upper left, the Twin’s toe, and 2.0° above Tejat Posterior, the heel.
Mars is not as bright as might be expected. The planet is nearly 180 million miles from Earth. It brightens throughout the remainder of the year as Earth moves closer before next year’s opposition. This morning it is slightly brighter than Castor, nearly 20° to the lower left, and about the same color as Betelgeuse, 17° to the lower right.
At this hour, Jupiter is above the east-northeast horizon. After solar conjunction earlier this summer, the Jovian Giant reappears in the morning sky to begin a new apparition. Wait about 15 minutes. With a clear view toward the east-northeast, Jupiter is nearly 5° above the horizon. It is one of the few celestial bodies that can be easily identified at this low altitude.
Mars steadily closes the gap to Jupiter as both planets move eastward against the starry background. This morning their separation is over 36°.
After Sunset
Forty-five minutes after sunset, brilliant Venus shines low in the west-southwest. Its greatest brilliancy occurs in about a month, and it continues to brighten through late September. The Evening Star’s visibility is affected by the shallow angle the ecliptic, the plane of the solar system, makes with the western horizon at this season. Through a telescope, Venus is a thick evening crescent, over 45% illuminated.
The crescent moon, 30% illuminated, is less than 15° above the southwest horizon, 8.2° to Spica’s lower left, Virgo’s brightest star, and 21° from Venus.
Venus continues closing the gap to Spica ahead of their September 1 conjunction, while the moon appears farther eastward each evening, passing in front of Libra, Scorpius, and Sagittarius during the next several nights.
Find the bright planets and the moon during nighttime hours.
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