2026, October 24: Jupiter, Mars, and Regulus Line Up; Hunter’s Moon Near Saturn

October 24, 2026: Find Jupiter, Mars, and Regulus lined up before sunrise. After sunset, the nearly full Hunter’s Moon appears near Saturn.

Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Regulus, October 25, 2015
Photo Caption – Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Regulus, October 25, 2015

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:14 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 5:56 p.m. CDT.  Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.

Today’s Highlights

  • Jupiter, Mars, and Regulus Line Up
  • Hunter’s Moon Near Saturn

Three bright planets and the Hunter’s Moon are visible during the nighttime hours.

Jupiter, Mars, and Regulus Line Up

Jupiter, Mars, October 24, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, October 24: Bright Jupiter, Mars, and Leo’s Regulus are in a line in the southeastern sky before sunrise.

An hour before sunrise, bright Jupiter is over halfway from the horizon to overhead. It is brighter than all the stars in the sky, including Sirius, visible in the south-southwest. It ranks as the third brightest celestial body after Sun and Moon until Venus appears in the east-southeast in about a week.

Jupiter slowly rambles eastward in front of Leo, 6.9° to Regulus’ upper right, the Lion’s brightest star. Look for the Sickle of Leo, a half dozen stars that look like a backwards question mark or a farmer’s harvesting tool.

Red-orange Mars marches eastward in front of Cancer, 8.6° to Jupiter’s upper right. It slowly overtakes Jupiter, passing by on November 16.

This morning Jupiter is nearly midway from Mars to Regulus. Watch Mars close the gap to the Jovian Giant during the next few weeks.

Hunter’s Moon Near Saturn

Saturn, Hunter's Moon, October 24, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, October 24: An hour after sunset, the bright Hunter’s Moon is to Saturn’s upper left.

After sunset, one night before the Full moon phase, the Hunter’s Moon is in the east. It is 8.8° to Saturn’s upper left.

Saturn slowly retrogrades in front of Cetus. About three weeks after its opposition with the Sun, the Ringed Wonder is a pretty target through a telescope. Its rings are slightly tilted along our line of sight, while the direct view is toward the southern hemisphere.

Saturn and Moon are in the south before local midnight. The planet sets about two hours before sunrise tomorrow. Moon sets about 80 minutes later.

Look for Jupiter and Mars before sunrise, while the Hunter’s Moon and Saturn are in the sky nearly all night.

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