August 26, 2026: The Sturgeon Moon nears a partial lunar eclipse while Venus approaches Spica. See Jupiter and Mars before sunrise and Saturn shining most of the night.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:10 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:34 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
- Sturgeon Moon Nears EclipseToday’s Highlights
- Brilliant Venus Approaches Spica
- Jupiter and Mars in East
- Saturn in Sky Most of Night
Bright Sturgeon Moon
After sunset, the bright Sturgeon Moon, 99% illuminated, is in the southeast, 3° to the upper right of Deneb Algedi, Capricornus’ tail. In this moonlight, use a binocular to see the star.
Tomorrow, a partial lunar eclipse occurs. Visibility extends across the western hemisphere. The partial eclipse begins at 9:33 p.m. Central Time, reaches maximum eclipse (93%) at 11:12 p.m., and ends at 12:52 a.m. on the 28th. The penumbral phase ends at 2:03 a.m.
Evening Star
Farther westward, Venus approaches Spica in the west-southwest. At 45 minutes after sunset, the Evening Star is less than 10° above the west-southwest horizon. Find a clear horizon looking in that direction. A hilltop or high floor in an elevated structure can help with the view. Venus is 5.2° to Spica’s lower right. They easily fit into the same binocular field of view. Venus passes Spica on September 1. Watch the gap close each evening.
Jupiter, Mars Before Sunrise
Before sunrise, bright Jupiter continues to emerge from bright morning twilight, rising a few minutes earlier each morning. It slowly rambles eastward in front of Cancer, nearly 10° above the east-northeast horizon. Jupiter is the brightest starlike body in that region of the sky.
Marching eastward in front of Gemini, Mars is about 30° above the east horizon one hour before sunrise. This morning it is 1.7° to Mebsuta’s lower right. Use a binocular to see the starfield. Watch Mars continue its eastward march, passing Castor and Pollux, the Twins, before overtaking Jupiter on November 16. This morning, the Jupiter–Mars gap is nearly 33°.
Saturn in Southwest
At this hour, Saturn is about 45° above the southwest horizon. It retrogrades in front of a non-descript Pisces starfield. The Ringed Wonder rises less than two hours after sunset, appearing higher in the eastern sky before midnight. It is an ideal telescope target where the rings and several moons are easily visible with the planet’s globe.
Look for the bright moon and four bright planets at night.
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