November 6, 2026: Find the crescent moon and Venus before sunrise, follow Mars toward Jupiter and Regulus, and observe Saturn through a telescope after sunset.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:29 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 4:39 p.m. CST. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Today’s Highlights
- Autumn’s Midpoint
- Crescent Moon Nears Venus
- Mars, Jupiter, Regulus in a Line
- Saturn After Sunset
Autumn’s Midpoint
Autumn’s midpoint occurs today at 4:28 p.m. Central Time. The season spans 89 days, 20 hours, 45 minutes. At Chicago’s latitude, daylight spans 10 hours, 10 minutes.
Crescent Moon Nears Venus
Before sunrise, the crescent moon, 8% illuminated, is over 15° above the east-southeast horizon. Look for earthshine, sunlight reflected from Earth’s clouds, oceans, and land that softly illuminates the lunar night. Photograph it with a steady camera and exposures up to five seconds. Long exposures capture earthshine while overexposing the lunar crescent.
An hour before sunrise, brilliant Venus is nearly 10° above the east-southeast horizon and 12° to the moon’s lower left. The Morning Star emerges from bright sunlight, appearing higher in the sky each morning. Find a view with a clear horizon toward the east-southeast.
Use a binocular to see Spica, Virgo’s brightest star, 1.5° to Venus’ upper left.
Mars, Jupiter, Regulus in a Line
At this hour, bright Jupiter and Mars are high in the south-southeastern sky. Jupiter is 3.8° to Mars’ lower left and 5.2° to Regulus’ upper right, Leo’s brightest star. Mars, Jupiter, and Regulus are nearly in a line, spanning 9°. An extended fist from thumb to pinky covers about 10°.
Both planets move eastward in front of Leo. Mars overtakes Jupiter on November 16, followed by a conjunction with Regulus 10 mornings later.
Saturn After Sunset
After sunset, Saturn is the lone bright planet in the sky. An hour after sundown, the Ringed Wonder is 25° above the east-southeast horizon. While not as bright as Venus or Jupiter, it is the brightest star in the region.
With early sunsets, the planet is well placed in the evening sky for telescopic viewing. The planet’s rings are tilted about 10° along our line of sight. The direct view is toward the southern hemisphere. Titan, the planet’s largest moon, is to the east (lower left) of the planet in the same plane as the rings.
Saturn is in the south about three hours after sunset and sets in the west three hours before sunrise.
Find the four bright planets and Moon during the nighttime hours.
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