November 19, 2020: The thick crescent moon is to the lower left of Saturn this evening. Jupiter continues to close the gap to Saturn as their Great Conjunction approaches on December 21, 2020. Mars is in the eastern sky among the dim stars of Pisces.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:46 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:26 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.
This evening the crescent moon – nearly 30% illuminated – is in the south-southwest, 5.4° to the lower left of Saturn. The Jupiter – Saturn gap has been reduced to 3.3°. Jupiter is to the lower right of Saturn.
Farther eastward, Mars is over one-third of the way up in the sky in the east-southeast, near the stars Epsilon Piscium (ε Psc on the chart) and Delta Piscium (δ Psc). The stars are dimmer than Mars and nearly form an equilateral triangle with the planet. A binocular helps see the planet in the starfield. Mars is 2.8° to the lower right of ε Psc and 2.9° to the lower left of δ Psc.
For more about Mars during November, see this article.
Detailed note: Saturn is 60° east of the sun. Find it near the crescent moon (4.8d, 28%), one hour after sunset. The moon is over 22° up in the south-southwest, 5.4° to the lower left of Saturn. The Jupiter – Saturn gap is 3.3°. The planetary duo’s place in the triangle with 56 Sgr continues to change each evening. This evening Saturn is 2.8° to the left of the star, while Jupiter is 2.1° below. Jupiter is 3.4° above 52 Sgr. Farther east, Mars is nearly 32° in altitude in the east-southeast, 2.8° to the lower right of ε Psc and 2.9° to the lower left of 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, March 9: Evening Mars
March 9, 2021: Mars marches eastward in Taurus. Find it high in the west-southwest after sunset.
2021, March 9: Morning Moon, Planets
March 9, 2021: The moon joins Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury in the southeastern sky before sunrise.
2021, March 8: Evening Mars
March 8, 2021: Mars continues its eastward march in Taurus. It is nearly between the Pleiades star cluster and Aldebaran, the constellation’s brightest star. Find it during the early evening, high in the west-southwestern sky.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
Leave a Reply Cancel reply