The three bright outer planets shine in a clear, cold sky this morning, Bright morning star Jupiter is in the southern skies. It is 6.8 degrees from Zubenelgenubi. Jupiter slowly moves eastward compared to the starry background until March 8 when it begins to retrograde. It passes Zubenelgenubi in June as it retrogrades.
To the lower left of Jupiter, Mars continues its eastward march. It is 14.8 degrees from Jupiter. Mars passes 5 degrees from Antares on February 10.
Meanwhile, Saturn is emerging from the sun’s bright glare of its solar conjunction. It is 29 degrees to the lower left of Mars. Mars passes Saturn on April 10. Watch Mars continue to move away from Jupiter, past Antares, and toward Saturn each clear morning.
The articles that follow provide details about the planets visible without optical assistance (binoculars or telescope):
- Chart and Image Collection
- 2018: The Morning Sky
- 2018: The Evening Sky
- 2018, February 10: Mars-Antares Conjunction
- 2018, March 3: Venus-Mercury Conjunction
- 2018, March 18: Venus, Mercury and the Moon
- 2018, April 2: Saturn-Mars Conjunction
- 2018: Mercury in the Morning Sky
- 2018: Mercury in the Evening Sky
- 2018: Five Planets Visible at Once
- 2018: Venus the Evening Star
- 2017-2019: Mars Observing Year with a Perihelic Opposition, July 27, 2018
- 2018: Mars Perihelic Opposition
- 2017-2018: Jupiter’s Year in the Claws of the Scorpion, A Triple Conjunction
- 2018: Three Planets at Opposition in 79 days
- 2018: Saturn with the Teapot