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| October 21, 2023: Trio of Brilliant Planets and the First Quarter Moon |
Chicago, Illinois Sky Events: Sunrise and Sunset Times
Discover the celestial wonders above Chicago, Illinois, with our comprehensive guide to sunrise and sunset times. These times are calculated precisely by the US Naval Observatory's MICA computer program. Remember to check local sources for the most up-to-date sunrise and sunset times in your area.
Summaries of Current Celestial Events
Here's the latest update on the celestial phenomena happening in your morning sky.
Morning Sky
Early risers have a celestial treat awaiting them in the morning sky. Venus and Jupiter, two of our neighboring planets, are readily visible during the morning twilight. The radiant Venus shines brilliantly, appearing nearly 30° above the east-southeastern horizon one hour before sunrise. Even as daylight begins to break, Venus remains visible.
Currently, Venus is positioned against the backdrop of the distant stars of Leo. It's worth grabbing a pair of binoculars to spot the fainter star Rho Leonis (ρ Leo on the chart), located 4.7° to the upper right of Venus.
Venus is approaching its greatest elongation, a point where it's at its maximum angular separation from the sun as observed from Earth. Due to Venus's orbit being interior to Earth's, it never strays too far from the sun. However, after inferior conjunction, Venus starts moving away from our planet, becoming increasingly prominent and rising earlier. Eventually, it reaches a peak when it rises high in the sky before gradually rising later as it orbits the sun. This dynamic journey resembles a dog on a chain, extending toward the farthest part of its orbital path. The greatest elongation will occur in just two mornings, coinciding with Venus passing Chertan, known as Leo's "two small ribs," in a wide conjunction.
In today's sky, Venus rises just five minutes shy of four hours before sunrise, setting nearly an hour after Saturn disappears from view.
Jupiter, although not as bright as Venus, graces the western morning sky. This gas giant is currently retrograding in front of Aries, positioned approximately 12.1° to the left of Hamal, the brightest star in the constellation.
For telescope enthusiasts in the western hemisphere, Jupiter's Great Red Spot will make two appearances in the planet's southern hemisphere today. The first sighting will be at 3:39 a.m. CDT, followed by the second at 11:30 p.m. CDT, with an interval of two Jupiter days between them.
Mercury, fresh from its superior conjunction, is now making its way into the western evening sky. This evening, you can catch a glimpse of Mercury shortly after sunset, as it sets only five minutes after the sun. Mars follows, setting eighteen minutes later.
As night falls, the moon reaches its half-full (First Quarter) phase at 10:29 p.m. CDT, gracing the southern sky an hour after sundown.
Saturn, on the other hand, is positioned farther eastward, approximately 35° to the upper left of the moon and almost 30° above the southeastern horizon. This Ringed Wonder is currently retrograding in front of Aquarius and is located approximately 6.8° to the left of Deneb Algedi. Both can be comfortably viewed within the same binocular field of view.
In the early evening, Jupiter can be spotted low in the east-northeastern sky. If you wait another hour, you'll find it rising about 15° above the eastern horizon. As the midnight hour approaches, Jupiter will be positioned about halfway up in the southeast and will once again be visible in the west before sunrise tomorrow.
Stay tuned for more updates on the mesmerizing celestial events unfolding in the skies above Chicago, Illinois.
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