September 2, 2023: The moon approaches Jupiter earlier than dawn and once more after sundown. Venus seems within the east throughout morning twilight close to Procyon and Sirius.
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by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Dawn, 6:17 a.m. CDT; Sundown, 7:23 p.m. CDT. Verify native sources for dawn and sundown occasions. Occasions are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA pc program.
The five-planet morning parade continues with Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn simply seen. Uranus is simple to find via a binocular between Jupiter and the Pleiades star cluster. The difficult view, even via a binocular, is finding Neptune in a dim Pisces starfield, over 20° to the higher left of Saturn. For sky watchers desirous about seeing the 2 extra distant planets, see the instructions within the August 27th article.
Right here is right this moment’s planet forecast:
Morning Sky
One hour earlier than dawn, the brilliant gibbous moon, 92% illuminated, is sort of 40° up within the southwest and over 30° to the decrease proper of Jupiter.
The Jovian Big is slowing its eastward gait to look to reverse its route in two nights. Earth is overtaking Jupiter on an interior orbital path, passing between the solar and Jupiter throughout November. This morning the planet is 13.6° to the decrease left of Hamal, Aries’ brightest star, and over 16° to the decrease proper of the Pleiades star cluster, a part of Taurus. Use a binocular to see the stellar bundle on this moonlight.
This morning, the moon is greater than midway from Jupiter to Saturn that’s about 5° above the west-southwest horizon. This is among the final mornings that the Ringed Surprise is seen at the moment interval earlier than dawn. It’s not as vivid as Venus or Jupiter. As soon as it’s beneath about 5° above the horizon, the earth’s ambiance blurs, dims and reddens stars and planets, giving the solar and moon their flattened shapes and distinctly orangish colours when rising or setting.
Saturn is well noticed earlier throughout the night time. Discover it within the east-southeast after sundown after which farther westward throughout the night time.
Venus continues its grand entrance within the jap sky. The good Morning Star is about 10° up within the east at the moment interval earlier than dawn. It’s over 40° to the decrease left of Sirius, night time’s brightest star, that’s practically 15° up within the southeast.
Venus doesn’t move carefully to Sirius. The star is simply too removed from the aircraft of the photo voltaic system, referred to as the ecliptic, the place the planets appear to maneuver. No planetary physique in our photo voltaic system seems close to the star.
Starting in a few week, Venus and Sirius are about the identical altitude – top above the horizon throughout morning twilight. This happens every morning all through the month.
Discover Procyon, the Little Canine Star, above a line from Venus to Sirius.
Night Sky
Mercury and Mars are hiding in vivid night twilight. Mercury is 4 days from inferior conjunction, between Earth and Solar. Then it strikes into the predawn sky for its finest morning look of the yr.
Mars is dimmer than is perhaps anticipated and awash in night twilight. It units about an hour after sundown. It’s on a really gradual slide towards its photo voltaic conjunction throughout November.
An hour after sunset, Saturn is about 10° up within the east-southeast. Look an hour later when the background stars are simpler to see. Then the planet is over 20° above the southeast horizon.
Saturn is retrograding in entrance of Aquarius, 8.7° from Skat, that means “the leg,” and Lambda Aquarii (λ Aqr on the chart), making an equilateral triangle.
Right now, the brilliant moon, 87% illuminated, is low within the jap sky. An hour later, three hours after sundown, the gibbous moon is greater within the east, whereas Jupiter is sort of 5° above the east-northeast horizon.
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