September 24, 2026: Brilliant Venus shines through bright twilight while the Harvest Moon approaches Saturn. Before sunrise, Jupiter dominates the morning sky and Mars aligns with Castor and Pollux.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:40 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 6:44 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 Into Bright Twilight
- Bright Harvest Moon
- Saturn Up Nearly All Night
- Jupiter and Mars Before Sunrise
Venus Into Bright Twilight
Brilliant Venus disappears into bright evening twilight. At 25 minutes after sunset, find it 3° above the west-southwest horizon. It is bright enough to shine through the brighter twilight. The Evening Star reaches inferior conjunction in a month, passing between Earth and Sun before rapidly moving into the east-southeast morning sky.
Bright Harvest Moon
The bright moon, 97% illuminated, rises over an hour before sunset. At one hour after sunset, the Harvest Moon is nearly 20° above the east-southeast horizon. The Full Moon phase occurs on September 26 at 11:49 a.m. Central Time.
Saturn Up Nearly All Night
When looking for the moon, Saturn is 30° to the lunar orb’s lower left and 5° above the eastern horizon. The planet nears opposition on October 4, when it is in the sky nearly all night. The Full Harvest Moon is nearby in two nights. Saturn is south after local midnight and about 20° above the west-southwest horizon during morning twilight.
Jupiter and Mars Before Sunrise
Farther eastward, at one hour before sunrise, bright Jupiter is nearly 30° above the eastern horizon and nearly 12° to Regulus’ upper right, Leo’s brightest star. The Jovian Giant slowly rambles eastward in front of Cancer.
Mars is over halfway from the horizon to overhead in the east and over 20° to Jupiter’s upper right. The Red Planet marches eastward in front of Gemini, 7.2° to Pollux’s lower right. Tomorrow morning, Mars appears along an imaginary line that begins at Castor and extends through Pollux.
Look for Venus low in the west during bright twilight while the Harvest Moon nears Saturn. Before sunrise, bright Jupiter dominates the morning sky while Mars approaches an alignment with Castor and Pollux.
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