September 4, 2026: The Last Quarter Moon appears with Taurus near Aldebaran and Elnath before sunrise. Venus remains near Spica after sunset, while Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are visible.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:20a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:19 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, and Planets
Sun and Moon
Sun: At Chicago’s latitude, daylight spans 12 hours, 59 minutes, compared to 12 hours, 35 minutes in Miami. Farther north at Anchorage’s latitude, the sun is in the sky 13 hours, 57 minutes, losing 16 minutes since September 1. During the next 10 days, another hour is lost. The sun is overhead at local noon at latitude 7° north. South of the equator, Auckland’s daylight lasts 11 hours, 25 minutes compared to 12 hours, 49 minutes in Nashville. Both cities are nearly equidistant from the equator. The autumnal equinox occurs on September 22 at 7:05 p.m. Central Time.
Moon: The moon reaches the Last Quarter phase at 2:52 a.m. Central Time. An hour before sunrise, the lunar orb is over two-thirds of the way from the east-southeast horizon to overhead. In front of Taurus, it is 10.8° to Aldebaran’s upper left, the Bull’s brightest star, and 9.4° to Elnath’s upper right, the tip of the northern horn.
Inner Planets
Mercury: The Elusive Planet sets 22 minutes after sunset and is not visible. Mercury’s evening visibility suffers from the shallow angle the ecliptic, the plane of the solar system, makes with the western horizon. Even when the planet passes greatest elongation, its farthest separation from the sun, next month, visibility is poor, but excellent from the southern hemisphere where the ecliptic makes a high angle with the horizon.
Venus: The Evening Star steps eastward in front of Virgo, 2.8° to Spica’s lower left, the constellation’s brightest star. Use a binocular to find them at 45 minutes after sunset, about 5° above the west-southwest horizon. Venus continues to brighten, reaching its greatest brilliancy on September 23. Through a telescope, the planet’s phase is 36% illuminated, an evening crescent phase.
Bright Outer Planets
Mars and Jupiter: The two bright outer planets are in the eastern sky during morning twilight. An hour before sunrise, Mars is less than halfway from the east horizon to overhead. It marches eastward in front of Gemini, 10.7° to the right of Castor, one of the Twins. It is less than 30° to bright Jupiter’s upper right. The Jovian Giant is nearly 15° above the east-northeast horizon. Mars overtakes Jupiter on November 16.
Saturn: As the third bright outer planet, the Ringed Wonder rises 75 minutes after sunset, shortly before Venus sets. It is in the sky nearly all night as opposition approaches in a month, when the planet is closest to Earth and brightest in the sky. Tonight, it is farther west, reaching the southwestern sky during morning twilight. It nearly matches Mars’ altitude, angular height above the horizon. Through a telescope, the rings are easily visible, tilted at 10° along the line of sight, as well as a direct view of the southern hemisphere.
Faint Outer Planets
Uranus: The Tilted World is at the opposite edge of the binocular field from the Pleiades star cluster, which rides on Taurus’ back. Resembling a tiny dipper, the stellar bundle is high in the south-southeast, about 10° to the moon’s right at the beginning of morning twilight. With the moon in proximity, the planet is difficult to see, but worth the attempt. As the moon wanes through thinner crescent phases, look for it again.
Here’s how to find it. Once the blue-white stars of the cluster are inspected, move the cluster toward the top of the field of view. Uranus is at the bottom of the field, but this is a very tight fit. The stars 37 and 39 Tauri (37 Tau and 39 Tau) are to the lower left of center. Move the binocular again slightly so the stars Omega, 51, 53, and 56 Tauri (ω Tau, 51 Tau, 53 Tau, and 56 Tau) are visible toward the bottom left. If stars 39, 51, 53, and 56 are visible through moonlight’s veil, then find aquamarine Uranus about one-third of the way from Omega Tauri to 37 Tauri.
Neptune: The Distant Blue World is about 10° to Saturn’s lower right. The very dim planet is veiled by moonlight and very challenging to see.
As daylight’s length shortens, find the bright planets and moon during the night. Attempt to Uranus through a binocular, although the view is easier as the moon wanes.
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