2021, October 22, Mercury’s Morning Best, Arcturus
October 22. 2021: Speedy Mercury is low in the east before sunrise. It is putting on its best morning performance of the year. Arcturus, in the east-northeast, is about the same altitude as Mercury.
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2021, October 16: Morning Binocular View, Evening Planet Pack
October 16, 2021: Use a binocular to scan the morning sky. Brilliant Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter continue to gleam in the evening sky. Venus passes Antares in the southwestern sky. The gibbous moon joins Jupiter and Saturn in the southeast.
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2021, October 16: Morning Stars
October 16, 2021: At the beginning of morning twilight, the bright stars of the Orion region of the sky shine brightly from the southern sky.
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2021, October 15: Venus, Antares, Al Niyat
October 15, 2021: Brilliant Evening Star Venus is near the star Antares this evening after sunset. Another star in Scorpius, Al Niyat, along with Venus and Antares mark the corners of a small celestial triangle.
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2021, October 13-15: Moon Passes Saturn, Jupiter
October 13-15, 2021: The waxing gibbous moon passes the bright evening planets, Saturn and Jupiter. Look for them in the south-southeast after sunset.
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2021, November 19: Morning Lunar Eclipse
November 19, 2021: A morning lunar eclipse is visible from across most of North America. The moon is almost completely immersed in Earth’s shadow at 3:02 a.m. CST.
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2021, October 29: Equal Daylight, Equal Darkness
October 29, 2021: Today is the date for equal daylight and equal darkness for about 42° north latitude. This is not to be confused with the autumnal equinox.
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2021 – 2022, Venus – Mars Triple Conjunction
During 2021 into 2022, Venus passes Mars three times for a triple conjunction. The first occurs on July 12, 2021. The others occur during early 2022, followed by a close approach of the two planets.
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2021, September – October: Venus and the Scorpion
Venus moves through the classic Scorpion (Libra, Scorpius, and Ophiuchus) during 46 days. Venus sets later each evening and brightens in the sky. On October 9, the moon is near Venus and Delta Scorpii. A week later, Venus passes Antares. Look for an evening half phase through a telescope near the end of October and the evening greatest elongation.
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2021: Venus as an Evening Star
2021: Venus is the evening star that is visible in the west for the rest of the year beginning in late April. The crescent moon appears with Venus each month. Venus conjunctions occur with Mercury, Mars and bright stars.
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2021, October 21 – November 1: Venus Steps Through Ophiuchus
October 21-November 1, 2021: Brilliant Venus steps through Ophiuchus to the upper left of the star Antares in the southwest after sunset . Afterward, the planet steps farther eastward.
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2021, October 21, Bright Morning Moon, Mercury, Evening Planet Pack
October 21, 2021: The bright moon is low in the west about an hour before sunrise. Mercury is in the east at about the same altitude as Arcturus. Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter shine from the evening sky.
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2021, December 18: James Webb Space Telescope Launch
December 18, 2021: This is the anticipated launch date of the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most sophisticated space telescope view the universe.
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2021, October 20: Mercury, Morning Planet
October 20, 2021: Mercury is brightening in the morning sky. Brilliant Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are in the evening sky. The bright moon starts the evening low in the eastern sky.
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2021, October 19: Four Bright Planets
October 19, 2021: Four bright planets are visible during a twenty-four-hour interval. Mercury is in the morning sky, while Venus, Saturn and Jupiter are joined by a nearly full moon.
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2021, October 18: Jupiter’s Retrograde Ends
October 18, 2021: Jupiter’s illusion of retrograde motion ends today. Arcturus is appearing in the morning sky along with Mercury. The planet pack – Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter – and the moon are in the evening sky.
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2021, October 17: Arcturus, Mercury, Morning, Evening Planet Pack
October 17, 2021: Arcturus is making its first morning appearance in the eastern sky before sunrise, while Mercury is beginning its best morning appearance of the year. The gibbous moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus are strung across the sky after sundown.