August 29, 2026: The bright Sturgeon Moon nears Saturn while Venus closes in on Spica. Before sunrise, Jupiter rises higher each morning and Mars continues its eastward march through Gemini.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:14 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:29 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
Almanac for Sun, Moon, Planets
Sun, Moon
Sun: At Chicago’s latitude, daylight spans 13 hours, 15 minutes, compared to 12 hours, 43 minutes in Miami. Farther northward, the sun is in the sky for 14 hours, 30 minutes, compared to 11 hours, 9 minutes in Auckland. The sun is overhead at local noon at latitude 9° north. In Nashville, at a latitude nearly equidistant from the equator as Auckland, daylight lasts 13 hours, 14 minutes. As the equinox approaches, notice how the daylight lengths in Chicago, Miami, and Nashville are converging.
Moon: The bright Sturgeon Moon, 96% illuminated, is in the sky nearly all night as it nears a conjunction with Saturn. During morning twilight, find the lunar orb nearly 30° above the west-southwest horizon, over 20° to Saturn’s lower right. See the evening location in the Saturn section.
Inner Planets
Mercury: The Elusive Planet passed inferior conjunction two days ago. It is moving into the evening sky, setting tonight nearly 15 minutes after sunset. This evening apparition suffers from a shallow angle the ecliptic – the plane of the solar system – makes with the western horizon after sunset for northern hemisphere observers, but is better placed in the southern hemisphere. It is farthest from the sun during early October.
Venus: The Evening Star shines from the west-southwest after sunset. It approaches Spica for a conjunction in three nights. Their separation is 2.8° tonight. Use a binocular to watch Venus move closer, then step away after the conjunction.
Bright Outer Planets
Mars and Jupiter are in the eastern sky before sunrise. At one hour before sunrise, bright Jupiter is nearly 10° above the east-northeast horizon. It continues to rise earlier each morning, appearing higher in the sky at this time interval before sunrise. Mars is nearly 30° above the east horizon and about the same distance to Jupiter’s upper right. The Red Planet marches eastward in front of Gemini, 13° to Castor’s upper right, one of the Twins. Mars overtakes and passes Jupiter on November 16.
Saturn: The Ringed Wonder is in the sky nearly all night. Rising about 90 minutes after sunset, it is over 15° above the east horizon three hours after sunset. During the night it is an excellent telescopic target where the view is toward the southern hemisphere and southern side of the rings.
Far Outer Planets
Uranus: The Tilted World is near the Pleiades star cluster, which is high in the east-southeast about two hours before sunrise. Moonlight affects the planet’s visibility. Use a binocular to attempt to find Uranus about one-third of the way from Omega Tauri (ω Tau) to 37 Tauri (37 Tau).
Neptune: The Distant Planet is about 10° to Saturn’s lower right. Its visibility is overwhelmed by moonlight. Even on the clearest nights away from city lights, the planet is very challenging to see.
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, August 30: A Venus-Spica Conjunction Nears
August 30, 2026: After sunset, Venus nears Spica before their conjunction in two nights. The moon passes Saturn, while Jupiter and Mars are visible before sunrise. - 2026, August 29: Moon Near Saturn, Venus Approaches Spica, and Jupiter Rises Before Sunrise
August 29, 2026: The bright Sturgeon Moon nears Saturn while Venus closes in on Spica. Before sunrise, Jupiter rises higher each morning and Mars continues its eastward march through Gemini. - 2026, August 28-31: Moon Approaches Saturn Before Sunrise and After Sunset
August 28-31, 2026: Watch the bright Sturgeon Moon approach and pass Saturn before sunrise and after sunset. Follow the changing Moon-Saturn separation. - 2026, August 27: Sturgeon Moon Eclipse
August 27, 2026: The Full Sturgeon moon is in eclipse tonight where about 94% of the moon is in Earth’s darker umbral shadow. - 2026, August 26: Sturgeon Moon Nears Lunar Eclipse While Venus Closes in on Spica
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.