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.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:15 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:27 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
- Venus Nears Spica
- Saturn-Moon Conjunction
- Jupiter, Mars Before Sunrise
Venus Nears Spica
Brilliant Venus approaches Spica, Virgo’s brightest star in the west-southwest after sunset. At 45 minutes after sundown, find a clear horizon and take along a binocular to find the planet less than 10° above the horizon and 2.2° to Spica’s lower right. The Venus-Spica conjunction occurs in two evenings.
Saturn, Moon
The moon is visible after sunset and before sunrise. It is near Saturn before sunrise and closer after sunset.
An hour before sunrise, the moon, 95% illuminated, is nearly 40° above the southwest horizon and over 10° to Saturn’s lower right.
Three hours after sunset, the lunar orb, 90% illuminated, is 20° above the east horizon and 5.5° to Saturn’s upper left, a Saturn-Moon conjunction.
Saturn rises about 90 minutes after sunset and it is in the sky nearly all night. It is a pretty sight through a telescope. The rings are easily visible with the pale clouds in the southern hemisphere that are whipped parallel to the planet’s equator.
Jupiter, Mars
Before sunrise, farther east of the Saturn and Moon pairing in the southwest, bright Jupiter and Mars are in the eastern sky. Jupiter continues to emerge from bright morning twilight, appearing 10° above the east-northeast horizon.
Mars, nearly 40° above the east-horizon and over 30° to Jupiter’s upper right, marches eastward against Gemini. It’s eastward change from morning to morning is easy to observe. This morning, the Red Planet is 12.6° to Castor’s upper right, one of the Twins.
Look for Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Moon during the nighttime hours.
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