November 24, 2026: See the Beaver Moon on November 24, four bright planets before sunrise, Venus at greatest brilliancy, and Saturn after sunset.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:51 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:24 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 Notes
Chart Caption – 2026, November 24: An hour after sunset, the Beaver Moon is in the east-northeast. It is in the sky all night, setting in the west-northwest after sunrise. 
Chart Caption – 2026, November 24: Before sunrise, Venus, at greatest brilliancy, is in the southeastern sky. Mercury is to the lower left near the east-southeast horizon. 
Image Caption – 2026, November 24: An hour before sunrise, bright Jupiter, Mars, and Regulus are high in the south. 
Chart Caption – 2026, November 24: Saturn is in the east-southeast after sunset.
Swipe to see the charts for these notes
- The moon reaches the Full moon phase at 8:54 a.m. CST, after it sets across most of the western hemisphere. This month’s seasonal moon is named the Beaver Moon. It is in the sky nearly all night, rising in the east-northeast around sunset and setting after sunrise in the west-northwest.
- See four bright planets before sunrise – Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars. See them before Mercury leaves the morning sky.
- An hour before sunrise, brilliant Venus is over 20° above the southeast horizon and 2.6° to Spica’s upper left, Virgo’s brightest star. It is at its greatest brilliancy for this apparition. Through a spotting scope or small telescope, it displays a morning crescent, 22% illuminated.
- Mercury is retreating into brighter morning twilight, nearly 10° above the east-southeast horizon and over 18° to Venus’ lower left. It is bright, but initially find it through a binocular.
- Mars is two days from its conjunction with Leo’s Regulus. An hour before sunrise, bright Jupiter, noticeably dimmer than Venus, is high in the south. The Red Planet is 1.8° to Regulus’ upper right. The Jovian Giant is 3.7° to Regulus’ upper right and 3.2° to Mars’ lower right. The three bodies easily fit into the same binocular field of view.
- Saturn is in the southeast after sunset. Not as bright as Venus or Jupiter, it is well placed for telescopic observation. It is south before midnight and sets in the west over four hours before sunrise.
See the Beaver Moon that is in the sky all night. Look for the four bright planets before sunrise as Venus reaches greatest brilliancy.
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