2020 October 30: Gibbous Moon with Mars, Morning Star Venus

Moon and Mars, October 30, 2020
2020 October 30: In the western sky, the gibbous moon appears 7.2° to the upper left of Mars (composite image).

The bright gibbous moon is near the moon and Morning Star Venus sparkles in the east before sunrise. Venus is “that bright star” in the east during morning twilight.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

About 4 a.m. CDT, the moon appeared 7.2° to the upper left of Mars.  The sky cleared during the night, revealing a bright morning with the moon in the west.  Orion and Sirius are in the south.

Mars is retrograding – moving westward compared to the background stars.  This is an illusion from Earth passing and moving away from the planet.  Mars resumes its eastward motion compared to the stars on November 13.

Venus in Virgo, October 30, 2020
2020, October 30: Before sunrise, Venus – shining from the east-southeast – is 2.1° above Eta Virginis (η Vir on the photo) and 5.5° to the lower left of Beta Virginis (β Vir).

Later, after the moon set, Venus sparkled in the east.  The date is nearing when Mars sets before Venus rises.

Venus is stepping eastward among the stars of Virgo.  This morning, it is 2.1° above Eta Virginis (η Vir on the photo) and 5.5° to the lower left of Beta Virginis (β Vir).

See our summary about Venus during October 2020 and the feature article  about Venus as a Morning Star.

Read more about the planets during October and November.

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