Skywatchers brave enough to get up early on Monday morning will get the rare sight of a bright Venus close to one of the most beautiful open clusters of stars in the night sky. Earth’s sister planet will dominate the pre-dawn night sky, with the Beehive Cluster — also called M44 — visible in the same field of view in a pair of binoculars. Here’s how to see them together.
Where And When To Look
On Sunday, Aug. 31, be outside about 90 minutes before sunrise, facing east. In a clear sky, you’ll see Venus — now 84%-lit, as seen through a telescope — shine as by far the brightest object in that part of the sky (-3.8 magnitude). Close to its lower-right will be the Beehive Cluster, easily visible through binoculars.
Although Venus will shine brightly until sunrise, the Beehive Cluster will disappear from view as dawn breaks, so don’t delay — you need to see this match-up in darkness.
What You’ll See
If you’ve not seen Venus for a while, it’s worth admiring in the pre-dawn sky — particularly because it’s now past its best and will continue to shrink and lessen in brightness for the rest of the year. It will dominate the night sky, yet it’s rare for it to get so close to the Beehive Cluster, which, by contrast, will be a more tenuous sight. It’s in the faint constellation Cancer, between two bright stars — Regulus in Leo and Pollux in Gemini — and a pale yet dense cloud of stars.
Observing Tips
While Venus is best seen with the naked eye (it’s only worth seeing in a telescope when it’s a slim crescent), the Beehive Cluster is one of the main reasons why experienced stargazers prioritise binoculars, not telescopes. Use any pair for this duo, placing them below and to the left of Venus, preferably when the sky is dark, before dawn strikes.
What’s Next In The Night Sky
A five-planet “parade” is happening in the east an hour before sunrise this week. It’s dominated by Jupiter and Venus, with Saturn in the south, all three of which are visible to the naked eye. Neptune (close to Saturn) and Uranus require a telescope to see.
Although the Beehive Cluster becomes a fabulous binocular object in spring evenings, its next conjunction comes on Oct. 5, 2026, when a crescent moon will pass through it in the east before dawn.
For exact timings, use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are, Stellarium Web for a sky chart and Night Sky Tonight: Visible Planets at Your Location for positions and rise/set times for planets.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
