Morning Stars Venus and Jupiter shine brightly during morning twilight today in these images made from Fairfield County, Ohio. These planets can be seen well into bright morning twilight.
Brilliant Venus appears near the star Regulus, the brightest in the constellation Leo, in this 30-second exposure image. Venus moves rapidly to the east among the stars. Next week it appears very close to Regulus.
Bright Jupiter appears high in the south among the stars of Taurus, over 60 degrees to the upper right of Venus. Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation, is nearby. Two distinct star clusters, the Hyades and the Pleiades, are nearby. Jupiter is moving eastward slowly as it approaches the horns of Taurus, marked by Zeta Tauri and Elnath. Betelgeuse (Orion) appears below Jupiter in this 30-second exposure image.
For our monthly sky watching posting, click here. Watch the planetary pair in the morning sky throughout the next several months. Read more about Venus as a Morning Star. (Click the images to see them larger.)