Mars continues to fade a little bit each night now that Earth has overtaken it and is pulling away. However, it fades out gradually; Mars remains brighter than the stars around it in February 2021. And Mars is high in the southwest–well placed for observing right as night falls. Jupiter and Saturn emerge slowly from the Sun’s […]
Mercury makes a rare appearance in the southwest at dusk. Pick a site with a clear southwestern horizon, and look right above the point of sunset. You can watch Mercury pass Saturn (on the 9th) and Jupiter (on the 10th and 11th) as it enters the evening sky. It returns to the Sun’s glare by […]
On December 21, 2020, the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn appear only one tenth of one degree apart in our sky. They have not appeared that close since July 10, 1623. Of course, Jupiter is not really next to Saturn. Saturn is in fact about 4.3 astronomical units (AU)–about 400 million miles–behind Jupiter. (One AU […]
Jupiter and Saturn are in the southwest at dusk this month. Look south-southwest in the early evening for the two planets which will be just over 2 degrees apart. You’ll see Jupiter noticeably closer to Saturn each week. By December 21, the two planets will be only six arcminutes (one tenth of one degree) apart in the sky. […]
Jupiter and Saturn are in the southwest at dusk this month. Look south-southwest in the early evening for the two planets which will be about 5 degrees apart. You’ll see Jupiter noticeably closer to Saturn each week; they are just over 2 degrees apart by November 30. (Saturn is moving too, but even more slowly than Jupiter). By […]
Jupiter and Saturn are in the south at dusk this month. Look south in the early evening for the two planets which will be about 6 degrees apart. Beginning now, you’ll notice Jupiter slowly approaching Saturn. (Saturn is moving too, but even more slowly than Jupiter). By December 21, the two planets will be only six arcminutes […]
Jupiter and Saturn are in the south at dusk this month. Look south in the early evening for the two planets which will be about 6 degrees apart. Jupiter outshines every star up at night. Mars is higher and brighter in the morning sky each day this month. Look high in the southwest at dawn. […]
Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast at dusk this month. Look southeast in the early evening for the two planets which will be about 6 degrees apart. Mars is higher and brighter in the morning sky each day this month. Look high in the south at dawn. Mars now outshines all the stars visible at night from Houston […]
In something of a surprise, we have a naked eye comet this month, comet NEOWISE! Astronomers discovered this comet on March 27, 2020 using the NEOWISE satellite. This satellite is the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer, later used to search for Near Earth Objects. After its discovery, Comet NEOWISE continued to approach the Sun. It […]
Mercury continues an excellent apparition for the first half of June. Look for it low in the sky at dusk, over the point of sunset. Mercury is highest June 4-5, then gets lower and dimmer until it is lost in the Sun’s glare by June 15. Mars is higher in the morning sky each day […]
