September 8, 2026: A thin crescent moon is above Jupiter before sunrise with earthshine visible on the lunar night portion. The close conjunction previews a Jupiter occultation during October’s Harvest Moon lunation.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:24 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:12 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
Jupiter-Moon Conjunction
Before sunrise, a Jupiter-Moon conjunction preludes next month’s occultation of the solar system’s largest planet.
Step outside an hour before sunrise and take along a binocular. Bright Jupiter is over 15° above the east horizon. The thin crescent moon, 9% illuminated, is 4.1° to Jupiter’s upper right, closer in North America’s western time zones.
Binocular View
The Jovian Giant and lunar crescent easily fit into the same binocular field of view. If held steadily, Jupiter’s four largest moons might be visible, three west of the planet and one to the lower left or east of the planet.
Earthshine is visible on the moon’s night portion. This gentle light is sunlight reflected from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land. While visible to the unaided eye, the binocular improves the view.
Daytime Occultation
Later today the moon occults or eclipses the planet during the daytime. The moon begins to cover Jupiter at 1:50 p.m. Central Time. The pair are nearly 45° above the southwest horizon. They are challenging to see, but the event is visible through a spotting scope or at low power through a telescope. This daytime event is visible across eastern North America.
Moon Occults Jupiter, October 6
During the next lunation that includes the Harvest Moon, the moon occults Jupiter on the morning of October 6. The occultation begins at 2:26 a.m. local time in Boston, 3:22 a.m. in Chicago, 2:15 a.m. in Atlanta, and 3:19 a.m. in Kansas City. This is an event not to miss.
Mars
Today, during morning twilight, Mars is to Jupiter’s upper right. The Red Planet is less than halfway from the east horizon to overhead, over 27° to Jupiter’s upper right. It marches eastward in front of Gemini, 9.8° to Castor’s lower right. As it continues its eastward movement, it passes Castor in four mornings, Pollux on September 17, and Jupiter on November 16.
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