Jupiter and Mars shine in the eastern sky this morning at 5 a.m. as seen from the Chicago area. (Click the image to see it larger) Jupiter is in front of the stars of Gemini with its bright stars Castor and Pollux. Mars is in front of the dim stars of Cancer about 20 degrees to the lower left of Jupiter. Procyon (Canis Minor) is nearby.
Meanwhile , the stars of Orion and Canis Major shine from the southeastern sky. (Click the image to see it larger.) Betelgeuse and Rigel are an interesting contrast of star color. Sirius, the brightest star seen in the night sky, glides low across the sky. Jupiter, shining from reflected sunlight, is nearly twice as bright as Sirius and Venus, appearing in the evening sky, is 10 times brighter than Sirius.
For this month’s sky summary, click here.