Abrams Planetarium
Night Sky Notes

The Night Sky Notes is a place on our web site that we use to keep skywatchers up to date on what's up in the sky. Check back often to find out what's new and visible in our ever changing sky. As we learn about something new, we'll post it to this page as soon as we can. If you like to subscribe to news feeds, click the RSS link below. The posts will automatically show up in your news aggregator or feed reader.

If you would like more detailed information including star charts, check out our Sky Calendar. For just $11.00 per year, you'll get 12 issues mailed to you. Proceeds from the Sky Calendar help support the Abrams Planetarium and Night Sky Notes.

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Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Full Moon passes through the outer part of the Earth's shadow causing a slight penumbral eclipse. The faint darkening of the edge of the Moon will not be noticeable to the eye. The Moon will have set before the penumbral eclipse ends for most of the east coast.

Monday, July 6, 2009
Jupiter and Mars are 90° apart, while Mars and Venus are 6° apart. Mars and Venus can be seen at dawn in the east. Jupiter can be seen in the South.

Sunday, July 5, 2009
Venus is 7° to the lower right the Pleiades star cluster. Mars is 5° to the upper right of Venus. Look for Venus, Mars and the star cluster in the east at dawn.

Saturday, July 4, 2009
Saturn and the Moon are easily visible in the evening sky. Saturn can be found in the west at dusk, about 20° from the horizon. The Moon is still a waxing gibbous but appears almost full. The Moon is low in the SSE at dusk. If you are watching fireworks tonight, sit NNW of the fireworks launch site to see the Moon as a backdrop for the fireworks show.

Friday, July 3, 2009
The Earth is at aphelion. Aphelion is the point in the Earth's orbit that is farthest from the Sun. Earth is now 1.017 AU from the Sun or 94,500,000 miles. That's about 1.6 million miles farther from the Sun than average.

Thursday, July 2, 2009
Venus and Jupiter are 90° apart in the morning sky. Venus is in the east while Jupiter is in the south. Venus is the brighter of the two planets.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Venus and Mars are 4° apart in the morning sky. Look for the two planets in the east. Mercury may be spotted 30° to the lower left of Venus.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Try looking for both Jupiter and Saturn at the same time. Look around 3 hours after sunset. Saturn and Jupiter are 160° apart. When Saturn is 5° away from setting in the west. Jupiter is 5° up and rising in the ESE.

Monday, June 29, 2009
The Moon is a waxing gibbous in the evening sky. The star Spica is to the upper left of the Moon. A telescope aimed at the Moon reveals the lunar Alps and the Alpine Valley. The Alpine Valley is an 80 mile long gash cut through the mountain range.

Saturday, June 27, 2009
The waxing crescent Moon is to the lower left of the planet Saturn. Look for the Moon and Saturn in the evening sky in the WSW. Theophilus crater is easily visible near the lunar terminator. Use binoculars to see this 60 mile wide, 2½ mile deep crater on the Moon.

Friday, June 26, 2009
The star Regulus is to the right of the crescent Moon. Saturn is to the upper left of the Moon. On the Moon, the Sea of Tranquility is partly in view along the terminator. The Sea of Fertility and the Sea of Crises are fully in view. Use binoculars to find the lunar seas. The Moon is in the western sky at dusk.

Thursday, June 25, 2009
Mercury is 6° to the left of the star Aldebaran. Look for Mercury 45 minutes before sunrise, very low in the ENE sky. The waxing crescent Moon is part of the evening sky. The star Regulus is to the upper left of the Moon.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The thin crescent Moon is visible low in the WNW sky at dusk. At dawn look for Venus and Mars. The two planets are still 2° apart. Mercury is 25° to the lower left of Venus.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009
A young waxing crescent Moon is very low in the WNW. Look for the very thin Moon a half hour after sunset. The Moon is to the lower left of the stars Castor and Pollux. The Moon is at perigee, the closest-to-Earth point in its orbit. This is the 3rd closest perigee this year.

Monday, June 22, 2009
Mercury is 24° to the lower left of Venus. Mars is 2° to the upper left of Venus. Venus and Mars are in the eastern sky at dawn. Overnight, Pluto is in opposition. Pluto is in Sagittarius. The once 9th planet is very dim, only 14th magnitude. A large telescope is required to see this dwarf planet.

Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Sun is at the solstice. Summer begins for the northern hemisphere at 1:46 a.m. EDT. The Sun is 23.5° north of the celestial equator. An old thin crescent Moon is very low in the ENE. Mercury is 6° to the lower right of the Moon. Look for the Moon and Mercury 45 minutes before sunrise.

Saturday, June 20, 2009
The waning crescent Moon is close to the Pleiades star cluster. Use binoculars to get a good look at the cluster to the lower left of the Moon. Some parts of the world will see the Moon pass over the cluster, but not North America. Venus is 2° to the lower right of Mars. Look for Venus, Mars, the Moon and the Pleiades in the morning sky, in the east and ENE.

Friday, June 19, 2009
The waning crescent Moon is to the upper left of Venus. Look in the morning sky. Venus is found in the east an hour before sunrise. Mars is 2°the upper right of Venus.

Thursday, June 18, 2009
The waning crescent Moon is to the upper right of Venus. Look in the morning sky. Venus is found in the east an hour before sunrise. Mars is 2° to the upper right of Venus.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Neptune is 0.8° WNW of Jupiter. This is the maximum distance apart for these two planets between their 1st and 2nd conjunctions. Jupiter is visible to the unaided eye in the SSE at dawn. Neptune can be seen in a telescope as a very faint 8th magnitude point of light.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The waning crescent Moon is visible in the morning sky. With a telescope, notice the crater Copernicus. It's a 60 mile diameter crater easily visible this morning near the lunar terminator. The crater was named after Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomer who in the 16th century put the Sun in the center of the universe rather than the Earth.

Monday, June 15, 2009
Jupiter begins moving retrograde. Usually planets move west to east against the background stars. For a while, when the Earth is passing an outer planet in its race around the Sun, the outer planet moves backwards or east to west against the background stars. Jupiter will be moving retrograde until October. Look for Jupiter in the SSE sky at dawn.

Sunday, June 14, 2009
Mercury is 7° to 8° south of the Pleiades star cluster today and tomorrow. Look for Mercury and the cluster with binoculars in the morning sky. Mercury is very low in the ENE. Look less than an hour before sunrise.

Saturday, June 13, 2009
Mercury is at greatest elongation. Mercury is 23° west of the Sun. This morning apparition of Mercury is the least favorable of the three that occur this year. Mercury will be easier to see in late September and early October. Look this morning for Mercury low in the ENE about an hour before sunrise.

Friday, June 12, 2009
Mercury is 22° to the lower left of Venus and will remain 22° to Venus' lower left until the 16th of June. Look for Mercury low in the ENE about an hour before sunrise.

Thursday, June 11, 2009
The waning gibbous Moon rises after midnight and is visible in the morning sky. The Sea of Tranquility is near the lunar terminator. Within the smooth area of the sea is Tranquility Base, the landing site of Apollo 11. The Eagle landed at Tranquility Base almost 40 years ago on July 20th 1969.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Mercury, Mars, Venus and Jupiter span 90° across the morning sky. Venus is the brightest "star" in the morning sky. Look for Venus in the east about an hour before sunrise. Jupiter is 67° to the upper right of Venus in the SSE. Mars is 4° to the left of Venus. Mercury is still a challenge to see 23° to the lower left of Venus in the ENE.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Moon rises about two hours after sunset. Just two days after the Full Moon, the Moon still looks almost full. When the Moon is near the horizon, watch for the Moon illusion, an optical illusion that makes the Moon appear larger near when it is near the horizon than it does when it's higher in the sky.

Monday, June 8, 2009
Mars is 4° to the lower left of Venus. Mercury is 20° to the lower left of Mars. Jupiter is 65° to the upper right of Venus. Look for all four planets in the morning sky. Venus and Mars are in the east and Jupiter is in the SSE. Mercury is very low in the ENE.

Sunday, June 7, 2009
The Moon is Full at 2:12 p.m. EDT. Tonight, look for the southern most Moon to rise about a half hour after sunset.

Saturday, June 6, 2009
Mercury will be visible for the rest of June. Mercury is emerging 24° to the lower left of Venus. Look in the ENE about a half hour before sunrise. Mercury is at greatest elongation on the 13th of June. Overnight, the nearly Full Moon occults the star Antares for most of North America. The view is best for observers in the southeast USA.

Friday, June 5, 2009
Venus is at its greatest elongation from the Sun. Venus is now 46° west of the Sun. Venus rises about 2 hours before sunrise. Look for Venus in the east at dawn.

Thursday, June 4, 2009
This weekend, Jupiter and Saturn reach their maximum distance apart, 162°. Try and see both at the same time. Look about 4 hours and 20 minutes before sunrise. Look for Saturn is in the west and Jupiter is in the ESE. Both will only be about 5° from the horizon. These two planets pass each other every 20 years. The last time they were next to each other was in the year 2000. The next time will be 2020. Next year they will be as far from each other as they can get.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Venus and Jupiter are 60° apart. Both can be found in the morning sky. Venus is low in the east while Jupiter is higher in the southeast. Venus is brighter, shining at -4.3 magnitude while Jupiter is -2.3 magnitude. Jupiter is rising about 4½ hours before sunrise. Venus rises 2 hours ahead of the Sun.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Mars is 5° to the lower left of Venus and closing. The two planets will stay within 5° until July 4th. On June 21st, Venus and Mars will be just 2° apart. Look for the pair of planets in the east at dawn.

Monday, June 1, 2009
Saturn's rings are tilted 4° from edgewise. The tilt is shrinking and will be exactly edgewise on September 4th. Unfortunately, Saturn will be too close to the Sun at that time for easy viewing. Watch Saturn through a telescope during the summer and watch the rings almost disappear. Saturn is visible at dusk, high in the southwest.

Sunday, May 31, 2009
About 4 hours before sunrise. Both Jupiter and Saturn can be seen at the same time. Both are less than 5° from the horizon. Saturn is in the west while Jupiter is in the ESE. The two giant planets are 162° apart.

Saturday, May 30, 2009
The First Quarter Moon is to the lower right of Saturn. Saturn is high in the southwest at dusk.

Friday, May 29, 2009
The waxing crescent moon is near the star Regulus in Leo the Lion. Look on the Moon with a telescope for the remarkable trio of craters, Theophilus, Cyrillus and Catharina near the terminator tonight. All three craters are about 60 miles in diameter.

Thursday, May 28, 2009
Jupiter passes 0.4° below the planet Neptune. This is the first conjunction of a triple conjunction between these two planets. Look at Jupiter with a telescope. Neptune, at 8th magnitude, will look like a faint dot above Jupiter. Look for Jupiter in the predawn sky in the southwest.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Mars, Venus and Jupiter span 60° across the morning sky. Look for Jupiter in the southeast. Venus in the east is 54° to the lower left of Jupiter. Mars is 6° to the lower left of Venus. Venus is the brightest of the three. Mars is the faintest. In the evening sky, the crescent Moon is next to the twin stars Castor and Pollux.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Mars is 6° to the lower left of Venus. Jupiter is 54° to the upper right of Venus. All three can be seen an hour before sunrise. Mars and Venus are in the east. Jupiter is in the southeast.

Monday, May 25, 2009
Look for the very thin Moon. The young Moon is easily visible in the WNW an hour after sunset. This will be May's northern most moonset.

Sunday, May 24, 2009
A very young Moon is possible to see for observers west of the Mississippi. Near the center of the US, the hairline thin Moon will be above the horizon after sunset when the Moon is only 13 to 14 hours old. Use binoculars and look very low about 30° north of west. Look 20 to 30 minutes after sunset. The Moon will be a very thin crescent. This is close to the youngest the Moon can be seen. It will be a challenge to find.

Saturday, May 23, 2009
A very thin old waning crescent Moon is very low in the ENE at dawn. Binoculars will help in spotting this old Moon. Try looking 45 minutes before sunrise. If you see this Moon, try finding the Moon again on Sunday evening. That young Moon will be more of a challenge to find.

Friday, May 22, 2009
Both Jupiter and Saturn can be spotted 5° up from the horizon about 3½ hours before sunrise. The two giant planets are 161° apart. Look for Jupiter in the ESE and Saturn in the west. Jupiter and Saturn pass each other once every 20 years. The next conjunction between the two is in 2020. Next year, Jupiter and Saturn will be on opposite sides of the sky, 180° apart. A thin old crescent Moon is to the left of Mars and Venus. Look low in the ENE at dawn.

Thursday, May 21, 2009
A thin waning crescent Moon is to the upper left of Venus. Mars is below the Moon and 6.5° to the lower left of Venus. All three celestial objects make an attractive triangle in the morning sky. Look an hour before sunrise in the east.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The waning crescent Moon is to the upper right of Venus. Mars is 6.5° to the lower left of Venus. All three celestial objects can be seen in the morning sky in the east. Look an hour before sunrise.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The waning crescent Moon can be found between Jupiter and Venus in the morning sky. Aim a telescope at the Moon to see Sinus Iridum, also known as the Bay of Rainbows. Sinus Iridum is a 200 mile diameter crater on the edge of the Sea of Rains.

Monday, May 18, 2009
Mercury is at inferior conjunction today. The planet passes ½° below the Sun. Mercury can't be seen today. It reemerges from the glare of the Sun early in June in the morning sky.

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Jupiter can be found to the lower right of the last quarter Moon. Look at dawn in the southeast for Jupiter and the Moon. In the evening sky, Saturn can be found 15° to the east of the star Regulus. Saturn is ending its retrograde motion. Saturn is high in the SSW at dusk.

Saturday, May 16, 2009
Mars and Venus are 6.6° apart. Mars is to the lower left of Venus. This is the maximum distance apart that the pair will be between the 2nd and 3rd conjunctions of their triple conjunction. Look for the two planets in the east at dawn.

Friday, May 15, 2009
Neptune is less than 1° from Jupiter. The last planet will stay within one degree from Jupiter until the 21st of July. Jupiter and Neptune will be at their closest on May 28th (0.4°). Look for Neptune with a telescope to the left of Jupiter. Jupiter is easily visible in the predawn sky in the southeast.

Thursday, May 14, 2009
Jupiter and Venus are 45° apart. Venus can be found low in the east at dawn. Jupiter is higher in the southeast. Mars is 6.6° to the lower left of Venus.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Saturn's rings are tilted 4.15° from edgewise. This is the maximum tilt for the year. Now the angle of the ring tilt will decrease until the ring plane crossing in September. Unfortunately, the planet will be too close to the Sun for easy viewing at that time.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Jupiter and Saturn can both be seen about 5° from the horizon. Look for them around 3 hours before sunrise. Saturn will be in the west while Jupiter is in the ESE. The two gas giants are 160° apart.

Monday, May 11, 2009
The waning gibbous Moon will rise about 3 hours after sunset. Look for the Moon to rise in the southwest. The Moon is near the southern most part of its orbit. Look for the Moon to move low across the southern sky over the course of the night.

Sunday, May 10, 2009
Jupiter and Saturn are 160° apart. Both can be seen in the sky around 3 hours before sunrise. Look for Jupiter low in the ESE. Find Saturn low in the west.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
The Moon will rise about one hour after sunset. Look for the Moon to rise in the southeast. During the night, the Moon will move across the southern sky, staying west of the star Antares in the Scorpion.

Friday, May 8, 2009
The Moon rises around sunset. The Moon is full at 12:01 a.m. EDT on the 9th. Look for the Moon to rise in the ESE as the Sun sets in the WNW. When the full Moon is close to the horizon, it often look bigger than it does when it's high over head. Measure the angular size of the Moon by holding your thumb over the Moon when it is low and then again when it is high. Its angular size does not change.

Thursday, May 7, 2009
Mars is 6° to the lower left of Venus. Look for Venus and Mars, low in the east at dawn. Jupiter is 41° to the upper right of Venus. Of these three morning planets, Venus is the brightest. Mars is the faintest. Uranus and Neptune are also in the morning sky between Venus and Jupiter but are too faint to be seen without the aid of a telescope.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Moon, which will be full in two days, is near the star Spica. Spica is part of the constellation of Virgo the Maiden. One can find Spica by following the handle of the Big Dipper, arcing to the star Arcturus and then speeding along to the star Spica.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Eta Aquarid meteors peak in the overnight of the 5th into the predawn of the 6th. It's been reported that about 1/3 of the meteors of the Eta Aquarid shower leave a glowing train of debris for more than a second. The meteors of this shower are caused by left over bits of Halley's comet burning up as they hit the Earth's atmosphere.

Monday, May 4, 2009
Mars, Venus and Jupiter span 45° across the morning sky. Look to the east at dawn for Venus. Mars is 5½° to the lower left of Venus. Jupiter is 39½° to the upper right of Venus. Uranus and Neptune are between Venus and Jupiter but require a darker sky and telescope to be seen.

Sunday, May 3, 2009
The Moon is near Saturn. The Moon is in the waxing gibbous phase. A telescope aimed at the Moon shows the crater Copernicus. Copernicus is more than 50 miles in diameter and 12,000 feet deep.

Saturday, May 2, 2009
Venus is at its greatest illuminated extent. Venus is now 39 arcseconds across and 25% illuminated. In the coming weeks, Venus will appear to shrink in size as it moves farther from the Earth while its illuminated percent increases. The net effect is that Venus will dim in brightness over the next several months. Look for Venus in the east at dawn.

Friday, May 1, 2009
Mars is 5° to the lower left of Venus. Venus and Mars can be found low in the east at dawn. The crescent Venus is now ¼ illuminated. Venus is now quite bright. It's shining at -4.7 magnitude. Mars is much dimmer at +1.2 magnitude. Jupiter is higher in the southeast, almost 40° to the upper right of Venus.

Thursday, April 30, 2009
Mercury and Saturn are 105° apart. Mercury is low in the WNW. Saturn is high in the south. Both can be seen in the evening sky. Mercury will only be visible for about another week as its brightness fades. Mercury passes between us and the Sun, inferior conjunction, on the 18th of May. Saturn will stay easily visible in the evening sky until August.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Mercury is 1°-2° below the Pleiades star cluster. Look with binoculars for the star of the Pleiades. Mercury and the cluster are best seen about an hour after sunset in the WNW, low, close to the horizon. Mercury will fade rapidly in the coming days.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Pleiades star cluster is less than 2° above the planet Mercury. Look for Mercury and the star cluster in the WNW an hour after sunset. Mercury will set about 2 hours after the Sun. The waxing crescent Moon is high in the west at dusk. Scan the Moon's terminator with a small telescope and explore the many craters and mountains visible.

Monday, April 27, 2009
The thin crescent Moon sets in the northwest three hours after sunset. Look for earthshine. Earthshine is the faint glow of Earth-reflected sunlight onto the dark side of the Moon. The Moon is at the most northern part of its orbit.

Sunday, April 26, 2009
A young thin crescent Moon is easily visible in the WNW after sunset. The Pleiades star cluster is below the Moon. Mercury is below the Pleiades. Look one hour after sunset. Try and fit all three in the field of view of binoculars.

Saturday, April 25, 2009
Mercury is at greatest elongation. The messenger planet is now 20° east of the Sun. It will now appear to move closer to the Sun in the coming days. Mercury passes between Earth and the Sun on the 18th of May. Look for Mercury in the evening sky in the WNW an hour after sunset.

Friday, April 24, 2009
Mercury is 4° below the Pleiades star cluster. Look for Mercury in the evening sky in the WNW an hour after sunset. Saturn is visible at dusk, high in the SSE. Saturn's rings are now tilted 4.0° from edgewise.

Thursday, April 23, 2009
A very thin old crescent Moon is to the lower left of Venus in the morning sky. Look a little less than an hour before sunrise very low in the east for the hairline thin Moon. Mars is 4.3° to the lower right of Venus.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Venus passes behind the crescent Moon today. For observers on the west coast, the occultation occurs before sunrise. Look for Venus and the Moon near the eastern horizon. For observers in the central part of the U.S. and Canada, the occultation happens in the morning daylight sky. Observers along the east coast will see a near miss. Venus will be very close to the Moon but not behind it. Check the International Occultation Timing Association's web site for times in your area. http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/planets/0422venus.htm

Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Mars is at perihelion. Perihelion is the point in a planet's orbit when it is closest to the Sun. Mars is 1.4 AU or 128 million miles from the Sun and 2.1 AU or 197 million miles from the Earth. You can see Mars in the dawn sky, 4.5° to the lower right of Venus, low in the eastern sky.

Monday, April 20, 2009
Mars is within 5° of Venus for the rest of April. This morning, look for Mars to the lower right of Venus. Venus is rising about an hour and a half before sunrise. Venus and Mars are near the eastern horizon.

Sunday, April 19, 2009
The crescent Moon is near Jupiter. Look for Jupiter and the Moon in the southeast early morning sky. Jupiter is rising about two and a half hours before the Sun rises. Jupiter will be to the lower left of the waning Moon.

Saturday, April 18, 2009
Venus is 37° to the lower left of Jupiter. Look for Venus and Jupiter in the morning sky low in the east to southeast. Jupiter will stay about 37° from each other until the 26th of April. After the 22nd, the two planets will move apart from each other.

Friday, April 17, 2009
Mercury is 15° to the lower right of the Pleiades star cluster and closing. Look one hour after sunset in the WNW for Mercury. Mercury will pass the star cluster on the last day of April. Saturn is 120° from Mercury. Look high in the southeast at dusk for Saturn. The ringed planet is 16° to the lower left of the star Regulus in Leo the Lion. The rings of Saturn are tilted only about 4° from edgewise.

Thursday, April 16, 2009
Mars is 7° to the lower right of Venus. The two planets will stay within 7° of each other until July 10th. Look for Venus and Mars in the morning sky, low in the east. Venus is much brighter than Mars. Venus is shining at -4.4 magnitude while Mars is +1.2 magnitude. Look an hour before sunrise.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Uranus is less than a half a degree to the upper left of Mars. Both Mars and Uranus are above the horizon in the dawn sky but very low in the eastern morning twilight. Mars can be found 8° to the lower right of Venus. Binoculars will aid in finding Mars. Uranus may be too faint to be seen even with the use of a telescope. Jupiter is 38° to the upper right of Venus.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Mercury is visible in the WNW an hour after sunset. The Pleiades star cluster is 20° to the east (upper left) of Mercury. Mercury will pass the star cluster on the last day of April.

Monday, April 13, 2009
The waning gibbous Moon is near the star Antares in Scorpius. Observers in Hawaii may see the Moon occult the star in the predawn sky. The Moon will rise in the southeast after midnight Sunday and move closer to the star over the course of the early morning hours of Monday.

Sunday, April 12, 2009
Mars is 10° to the lower right of Venus. Look for Mars with binoculars, very low in the morning twilight 45 minutes before sunrise. Jupiter is 31° to the upper right of Mars. Venus and Jupiter will be much easier to spot than Mars. Venus appears as a thin 8% crescent when seen through a telescope.

Saturday, April 11, 2009
Mercury is 25° to the lower right of the Pleiades star cluster. Look for Mercury low in the WNW sky about 45 minutes after sunset. Mercury will be easier to see in the coming days as the swift moving planet gets closer to the Pleiades near the end of April.

Friday, April 10, 2009
Venus is 40° to the lower left of Jupiter. Mars is 12° to the lower right of Venus. Look for all three planets in the morning sky 45 minutes before sunrise. Venus and Mars are low in the east. Jupiter is a bit higher in the ESE sky.

Thursday, April 9, 2009
The Full Moon rises in the ESE very close to the star Spica in the constellation of Virgo the Maiden. With binoculars, look on the Moon for the lunar rays. Rays are spoke-like lines emanating from some of the Moon's craters. Rays are best seen when the Moon is near full. The crater Tycho has a very impressive set of rays. The rays are caused by debris blasted out of the crater at the time of impact.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Mercury will make an evening appearance over the next few weeks. This evening, Mercury sets 15° north of west, about 50 minutes after the Sun sets. Each night, Mercury will be a little higher in the evening sky. Mercury's greatest elongation from the Sun will be on the 26th of April.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Mars is 15° to the right of Venus and 28° to the lower left of Jupiter. Look for the three planets in the morning twilight low along the east to ESE horizon. Faint Mars will be easier to see with binoculars.

Monday, April 6, 2009
The Moon is below Saturn overnight. The Moon is a fat gibbous 92% illuminated. The bright crater Aristarchus is visible along the Moon's terminator. Look for Aristarchus with binoculars or a telescope. Aristarchus is a relatively young formation, maybe only 450 millions years old.

Sunday, April 5, 2009
Mars and Saturn are at opposition to each other, 180° apart in celestial longitude. Try and see both at the same time. Saturn will be setting in the west while Mars is rising in the east. Mars is 18° to the right of Venus. Jupiter is 27° to the upper right of Mars.

Saturday, April 4, 2009
Venus and a much fainter Mars rise together one hour before sunrise. Look for Venus in the east. Mars is 19° to the right of Venus. Mars is shining at 1.2 magnitude while Venus is much brighter at -4.1 magnitude.

Friday, April 3, 2009
From the 3rd to the 7th of April, Venus rises just over 11 minutes before Saturn sets as seen from latitude 40°. Try and see both planets at the same time. The viewing window shifts about 4 minutes earlier each day. This observing challenge will require clear views to opposite horizons. Look for Venus very low in the east while Saturn is very low in the west. Today in the evening sky, the waxing gibbous Moon is near the Beehive star cluster.

Thursday, April 2, 2009
Venus rises 45° to the lower left of Jupiter. Look for Venus very low in the east 45 minutes before sunrise. Mars is 21° to the right of Venus and 25° to the lower left of Jupiter.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Jovian-Plutonian gravitational effect happens today. Due to the annual alignment of Jupiter, Pluto and the Earth, gravity will be slightly reduced today. This effect was first discovered by Sir Patrick Moore in 1976. Try jumping up and down today and you may notice a small floating sensation. Jupiter, shining at -2nd magnitude, can easily be seen low in the southeast sky at dawn. Pluto, shining at 14th magnitude, is 46° to the upper right of Jupiter and can only be seen with a rather good telescope.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009
This week you can see four planets in the morning sky. Try and see all four planets at the same time. Forty minutes before sunrise, look for Venus very low in the east, Mars very low in the ESE, Jupiter low in the southeast and Saturn very low in the west. You'll be able to see Venus rising and Saturn setting 4 minutes earlier each day this week.

Monday, March 30, 2009
Venus rises 46 minutes before the Sun. Venus is 9° from the Sun and can be seen above the rising Sun. Look with binoculars. As always, be careful when using binoculars or a telescope when the Sun is in the sky. Never look at the Sun through a pair of binoculars or a telescope. Mars is 25° to the right of Venus and Jupiter is 23° to the upper right of Mars. Look for all three planets 30 minutes before sunrise in the east to southeast sky.

Sunday, March 29, 2009
The crescent Moon is west of the Pleiades star cluster tonight and east of the cluster tomorrow. Look for the Moon and the Pleiades in the west at dusk. Saturn is in the ESE sky at dusk.

Saturday, March 28, 2009
The thin waxing crescent Moon is in the west at dusk. Look for earthshine. Earthshine is sunlight reflecting off the Earth and onto the Moon. It's also known as the old Moon in the young Moon's arms.

Friday, March 27, 2009
Venus is at inferior conjunction. A planet is at inferior conjunction when it's between the Earth and the Sun. Usually planets can't be seen when near inferior conjunction, but this time as Venus passes between us and the Sun, it's orbit is tilted in such a way as to cause Venus to pass 8° above the Sun. This causes Venus to rise before sunrise and set after sunset as seen from the northern hemisphere. Observer in the southern hemisphere would have Venus rise after the Sun and Set before it. Today, look for Venus to rise 37 minutes before sunrise and set 10 minutes after sunset. A young thin crescent Moon is visible in the WNW evening twilight.

Thursday, March 26, 2009
Venus rises 33 minutes before the Sun in the morning and sets 18 minutes after the Sun in the evening. Carefully use binoculars to try and see Venus while it's close to the Sun. The planet is a 1% crescent. Look for Venus in the morning in the east and in the evening in the WNW.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Venus is 9° due north of the Sun. It rises 29 minutes before the Sun in the morning and sets 26 minutes after the Sun in the evening. Carefully use binoculars to try and see Venus while it's close to the Sun. The planet is now a 1% crescent. Look for Venus in the morning in the ENE and in the evening in the WNW.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Mars is to the lower right of the old thin waning crescent Moon. Look low in the ESE morning sky about 40 minutes before sunrise. Jupiter is 20° to the upper right of Mars. Venus rises 26 minutes before sunrise and is 10° to the upper left of the rising Sun. In the evening, Venus sets 34 minutes after the Sun and is 9.5° to the upper right of the setting Sun. The times are correct for longitude 90° west and latitude 40° north. The times that Venus rises and sets relative to the sun may vary for your area.

Monday, March 23, 2009
The thin waning crescent Moon is to the lower left of Jupiter. Look for the Moon and Jupiter in the morning sky. Jupiter is low in the ESE sky at dawn. Venus rises 22 minutes before the Sun in the ENE and sets 42 minutes after the Sun in the WNW. By the 25th, Venus will be seen more easily in the morning than the evening.

Sunday, March 22, 2009
The waning crescent Moon is to the upper right of Jupiter. Look for the Moon and Jupiter in the morning sky. Jupiter is low in the ESE sky at dawn. The planet Venus is now a 2% crescent.

Saturday, March 21, 2009
Venus rises 15 minutes before the Sun in the morning sky. Venus sets an hour after the Sun in the evening sky. Try and see Venus in both the morning and evening. In the morning, Venus will be very low in the ENE. Binoculars will help you find the planet in the bright morning sky. You'll also need a clear view to the horizon. Be careful when looking for Venus with binoculars when the Sun is in the sky. Never look at the Sun with binoculars. It may be the last thing you'll ever see.

Friday, March 20, 2009
The Vernal Equinox occurs at 7:44 a.m. EDT marking the start of spring for the northern hemisphere. At the time of the equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator. The amount of daylight and darkness are about equal. Venus is now a 3% crescent and is 14° left of the Sun. Look for Venus low in the west after sunset.

Thursday, March 19, 2009
Saturn's rings are tilted only 3° from edgewise. The rings will open up another degree until May when they will start to close again. The rings will turn edgewise to the Earth on September 4th. At that time, Saturn will be difficult to observe because it will be just 11° from the Sun. Watch Saturn now while the rings are thin and the planet is easy to observe. Saturn is in the ESE at dusk and moves to the west by dawn.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Venus is down to a 4% crescent and is 16° to the upper right of the setting Sun. Venus will set less than an hour and a half after the Sun. Look for Venus in the west just after sunset. Use binoculars or a telescope to see the crescent phase. When Venus is in the west, turn around and look for Saturn in the east. Saturn's rings are tilted only 3° from edgewise.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
For the next several days, it may be possible to see Venus in both the morning sky and the evening sky. Venus passes the Sun on the 27th, but stays 8° north of the Sun at inferior conjunction. This morning, Venus rises less than a minute before sunrise and sets about 1½ hours after sunset. It will be easier to see Venus in the morning and harder to see Venus in the evening in the coming days. The best days to see Venus in both morning and evening will be between the 21st and the 26th of March.

Monday, March 16, 2009
Mars is 15° to the lower left of Jupiter. Look for Jupiter and Mars in the dawn sky low in the ESE 30 minutes before sunrise. Jupiter will be easier to find than Mars. Jupiter is shining at -2 magnitude, Mars is at +1 magnitude. In the evening sky, look for Venus in the west. Venus is a 5% crescent.

Sunday, March 15, 2009
Venus is down to a 6% crescent. Venus is getting lower and closer to the Sun each evening. It's now setting less than 2 hours after sunset. Venus is 20° east of the Sun and closing. Look for Venus in the west at dusk. Can you see the crescent in binoculars? Try looking at Venus while the sky is still blue.

Please send any comments, suggestions, or questions to
John French: frenchj@ msu.edu