Look for the crescent moon to the lower right of Jupiter and Saturn after sunset in the south-southwest. Jupiter continues to move closer to Saturn as the Great Conjunction approaches on December 21, 2020. Rusty Mars shines from the eastern sky from in front of the stars of Pisces.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:45 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:27 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.
This evening, the crescent moon that is 18% illuminated is in the south-southwest after sunset. The lunar sliver is about 7° to the lower right of bright Jupiter and nearly 5° to the upper right of Nunki, a star in the handle of the “Teapot of Sagittarius.” The crescent is below a line from Jupiter to the star.
The Jupiter – Saturn gap is 3.4°. Jupiter continues to make a seemingly slow-motion approach to Saturn as a prelude to the Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020.
Look for the planets as soon as the sky darkens after sunset. The chart above shows them about one hour after sunset.
In the starfield, Jupiter and Saturn continue to slowly move eastward compared to the background of stars. Use a binocular to spot the giant-planet pair near 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr on the chart). Jupiter is 2.2° below the star, while Saturn is 2.8° to the left of the star.
Farther east, Mars is slowly moving eastward after it reversed its course several days ago after the completion of its retrograde motion. It is over one-third of the way up in the sky during evening twilight. Among the stars it is 2.9° to the lower right of Epsilon Piscium (ε Psc on the chart) and 2.9° below Delta Piscium (δ Psc).
Mars sets in the west about 3:30 a.m. CST or about 3.5 hours before sunrise and before Venus rises in the east.
For more about Mars during November, see this article.
Detailed note: One hour after sunset look for the crescent moon (3.8d, 18%) over 16° in altitude in the south-southwest. It is a below a line from Nunki (σ Sgr, m = 2.0) to Jupiter. The moon is 6.8° to the lower right of Jupiter and 4.9° to the upper left of Nunki. The Jupiter – Saturn gap is 3.4°. Jupiter is to the lower right of Saturn. Among the stars Jupiter is 2.2° below 56 Sgr, while Saturn is 2.8° to the left of the star. Jupiter is 3.3° above 52 Sgr. Farther east, Mars (m = −1.5) is over 31° up in the east-southeast, 2.9° to the lower right of ε Psc and 2.9° below δ Psc.
For more about the Great Conjunction, read our feature article. This is the closest Jupiter – Saturn conjunction since 1623.
Read more about the planets during November.
2021, May 28: Close Venus – Mercury Conjunction
May 28, 2021: This evening Mercury passes brilliant Venus for the second of three conjunctions during this evening apparition of the second planet from the sun. Use a binocular about 45 minutes after sunset to see the speedy planet 0.4° to the lower left of Venus. This is the closest visible conjunction until 2033.
2021, May 24: Planets in a Plane
May 24, 2021: Morning planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. In the evening sky, brilliant Evening Star Venus, Mercury, and Mars line up along the solar system’s plane. The bright moon is in the southeast near Zubenelgenubi, “the southern claw.”
2021, May 23: Planet Parade Marches On
May 23, 2021: Five bright planets parade across the sky. Jupiter and Saturn are visible before sunrise in the southeastern sky. The star Fomalhaut is becoming visible below bright Jupiter and near the horizon. After sundown, Evening Star Venus, Mercury, and Mars are in the western sky. The bright moon is in the southeastern sky during the nighttime hours.
2021, May 22: Parading Five Planets
May 22, 2021: Five planets parade across the sky. Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. Evening Star Venus, Mercury and Mars are in the western sky after sunset. A bright moon is in the southeastern sky.
2021, May 21: Evening Planet Ballet
May 21, 2021: Three bright planets are dancing in the western sky after sundown. Evening Star Venus is entering the sky for a months-long residency after its solar conjunction two months ago. Mercury is heading for a conjunction with Venus after its best evening appearance of the year. Mars continues its eastward march in Gemini, but time is running out on its appearance as it approaches brighter evening twilight and a conjunction with Venus.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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