October 31, 2026: Halloween’s Moon is 65% illuminated near Pollux before sunrise. Find Jupiter, Mars, and Venus in the morning sky and Saturn after sunset.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:22 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 5:46 p.m. CDT. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Halloween Imagery
Black cats! Flying witches! Jack-o-lanterns! Ghosts! Haunted mansions! And a Full moon! All are parts of modern Halloween imagery. This Halloween has no Full moon, but the moon is nearly at the morning half phase, or Last Quarter.
A Halloween Full moon occurs about every 19 years. The moon’s cycle of phases recurs on the same date in that time interval. The last Halloween Full Moon occurred in 2020, followed by the next one in 2039.
This Halloween Moon
This morning the moon, 65% illuminated, is over 70° above the west-southwest horizon, 5.4° to the lower right of Pollux, a Gemini Twin. The lunar orb is over 40° above Sirius, the night’s brightest star, although Jupiter in the southeast is brighter.
Tonight, the moon rises at least five hours after sunset, long after those little goblins have completed their trick-or-treat rounds and are snuggly in their beds with sugar highs.
Jupiter, Mars, Regulus Before Sunrise
Before sunrise, bright Jupiter is over halfway from the southeast horizon to overhead and over 30° to the moon’s lower left. It slowly rambles eastward in front of Leo, 5.9° to Regulus’ upper right, the Lion’s brightest star.
Mars marches across the Leo border today, 6.0° to Jupiter’s right. Notice that the Red Planet, Jupiter, and Regulus are nearly equally spaced. Mars overtakes and passes Jupiter on November 16 and Regulus on November 26.
Early View of Venus
Venus is re-entering the predawn sky in the east-southeast. Venus aficionados can find the planet about 3° above the horizon 30 minutes before sunrise. The planet rises earlier each morning.
Saturn After Sunset
Saturn is well-placed after sunset for telescopic inspection. One hour after sundown, the Ringed Wonder is over 20° above the east-southeast horizon. As twilight ends, the planet is higher in the sky, where the rings and muted cloud bands are visible. Saturn is south nearly two hours before local midnight, setting in the west 2.5 hours before sunrise.
Before sunrise, look for the Halloween moon near Pollux. Jupiter and Mars are to the moon’s lower left, and Venus is low in the east-southeast during bright morning twilight. Saturn, the solar system’s crown jewel, is in the east-southeast after sunset.
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, November 15: Jupiter-Mars Conjunction and Bright Planets
November 15, 2026: See Mars and Jupiter close together before sunrise, find Venus near Spica and Mercury low in the east-southeast, and observe the waxing Moon and Saturn after sunset. - 2026, November 14: Jupiter-Mars Conjunction Approaches as the Moon Visits Sagittarius
November 14, 2026: Watch Mars approach Jupiter before sunrise, find Venus near Spica and Mercury low in the east, and explore the Dog’s Kingdom near the waxing crescent moon after sunset. - 2026, November 13: Mars Approaches Jupiter as Venus Loops Around Spica
November 13, 2026: Watch Mars approach its November 16 conjunction with Jupiter, while Venus appears near Spica before sunrise. Find the waxing crescent moon, earthshine, and Saturn after sunset. - 2026, November 12: Venus Near Spica, Mars Approaches Jupiter, and the Evening Crescent Moon
November 12, 2026: Find Venus near Spica and Mercury low before sunrise. Watch Mars approach Jupiter, see the evening crescent moon with earthshine, and observe Saturn after sunset. - 2026, November 11-15: The Evening Crescent Moon and Earthshine
November 11-15, 2026: Watch the crescent moon move through Ophiuchus, Sagittarius, and Capricornus. Find the Teapot, observe earthshine, and follow the Moon toward First Quarter.