2018, April 10: The Morning Planets and the Moon

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Less than a month before its opposition, Jupiter gleams from the southwest this morning. The planet is now rising in the east-southeast at about 10 p.m. Jupiter is retrograding near the star Zubenelgenubi.

Mars and Saturn are farther east, beyond the star Antares. Saturn rises before 2 a.m. with Mars following closely behind. Saturn’s opposition is in June. Mars’ opposition is July, three oppositions in 79 days.

This morning Mars and Saturn are about 4 degrees apart.  Saturn begins to retrograde in a week (April 17).

The waning crescent moon (24 days old) is low in the east-southeast this morning, outside the frame of the planets.

The articles that follow provide details about the planets visible without optical assistance (binoculars or telescope):

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