Morning Planetary Jewels – When the Curves Line Up

September 13, 2023: Search for Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn from the jap sky to the west-southwest throughout early morning hours.

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois:  Dawn, 6:29 a.m. CDT; Sundown, 7:04 p.m. CDT.  Examine native sources for dawn and sundown occasions. Instances are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA laptop program.

Summaries of Present Sky Occasions
Abstract for Venus as a Morning Star, 2023-24

Right here is at present’s planet forecast:

Morning Sky

Step exterior an hour earlier than dawn this morning.  Vivid stars and planets embellish the jap and southern sections of the sky.  Good Venus, this morning’s brightest starlike physique, is over 20° above the jap horizon.  Even whereas stepping towards the east, it seems larger within the sky every morning, gaining three minutes of rising time every day in comparison with dawn.

Venus is transferring eastward towards Regulus, Leo’s brightest star, over 17° to the decrease left of the sensible planet and about 10° above the horizon. Venus closes the hole to the star every morning, passing 2.3° from Regulus on October 9^th.

Venus and Sirius, evening’s brightest star, is about 40° to the precise of Venus, within the southeastern sky at about Venus’ altitude – peak above the horizon. Each our bodies seem at almost the identical altitude all through the month.

Sirius is simply too far-off from the ecliptic, the aircraft of the photo voltaic system the place the moon and planets seem to maneuver by the sky, for a detailed conjunction of the star with the planets or moon.  We will admire the view of the brightest planet and brightest star within the jap sky throughout morning twilight.

Procyon, that means “earlier than the canine” and often known as the Little Canine Star, is above an imaginary line from Venus to Sirius.  For sky watchers at mid-northern latitudes, it rises about half-hour earlier than the Canine Star.

Search for the moon, 2% illuminated, 4.7° to the decrease left of Regulus. A binocular is useful to see the scene. The pair is larger within the sky as morning twilight progresses towards dawn.  So it is a stability between seeing the moon and Regulus in a darker sky or seeing them larger above any obstructions.

Mercury is racing into the morning sky, though it isn’t excessive sufficient to be seen throughout early twilight.  It rises almost an hour earlier than dawn.  Twenty-five minutes later, it’s about 4° above the jap horizon, 7.4° to the decrease proper of the crescent moon.  The pair matches tightly right into a binocular discipline of view, however Mercury shouldn’t be very vibrant, possible washed out by brighter predawn gentle.

At an hour earlier than dawn, vibrant Jupiter is excessive within the south-southwest.  Noticeably brighter than Sirius, however dimmer than Venus, the Jovian Large stands towards the celebs of Aries, 13.5° to the decrease left of Hamal, the Ram’s brightest star, and 11.2° to the higher proper of Menkar, Cetus’ nostril.  Spot the Pleiades star cluster about 16° to the higher left of the planet.

Jupiter is retrograding, showing to maneuver westward in comparison with the distant starfield.  In the course of the subsequent a number of mornings, watch it transfer between Hamal and Menkar.

At 2:21 a.m. CDT, when Jupiter is excessive within the southeast, the planet’s Nice Crimson Spot is on the heart of the planet within the southern hemisphere by a telescope.  This long-lived atmospheric disturbance returns to the middle of the planet for sky watchers within the Americas, two Jupiter days later at 10:13 p.m. CDT when Jupiter is about 10° up within the jap sky, seen from Chicago.

Night Sky

Mars is slowly descending into vibrant twilight.  It’s dimmer than anticipated, setting about an hour after the solar.

Saturn is the western fringe of the planet parade, rising within the east-southeast earlier than the solar units.  Two hours after dusk, the Ringed Surprise is within the southeast.  Not as vibrant as dazzling Venus or Jupiter, it’s brighter than most stars this night.

Saturn retrogrades in entrance of Aquarius, 9.2° to the higher proper of Skat, the Aquarian’s leg, and 9.5° to the precise of Lambda Aquarii (λ Aqr on the chart).

In the course of the evening, the planet is farther westward, showing within the south round midnight. Jupiter follows alongside about two hours behind Saturn. About two and one-half hours earlier than dawn, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are alongside the imaginary arc of the ecliptic from the east to the west-southwest.  By thirty minutes later, Saturn is close to the horizon.

The Venus-Saturn opposition happens October 10, when Saturn units as Venus rises.  The 2 planets are 180° aside.  We don’t see them within the sky on the similar once more till Venus is in vibrant twilight subsequent March.

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