November 19, 2020: Brilliant Morning Star Venus, the star Spica, and Mercury are in the east- southeastern sky before sunrise.
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.
Brilliant Morning Star Venus – rising nearly 2 hours, 40 minutes before sunrise – is in the east-southeast as morning twilight brightens. This morning the planet is 5.0° to the lower left of Spica. With a binocular notice that it is 0.4° to the lower left of the star 82 Virginis (82 Vir on the chart).
At 45 minutes before sunrise, Mercury is over 13° to the lower left of Venus. It is low in the sky in the east-southeast, perhaps behind a neighbor’s house or other obstruction. It is bright enough to be seen without optical aid.
Detailed note: One hour before sunrise, Venus – over 16° in altitude in the east-southeast – is 5.0° to the lower left of Spica and 0.4° to the lower left of 82 Vir. The Venus – Mercury gap is 13.6° with Mercury to the lower left of the brilliant planet. Fifteen minutes later, Mercury is nearly 7° in altitude above the east-southeast horizon.
See our summary about Venus during November 2020 and the feature article about Venus as a Morning Star.
Read more about the planets during November.
2021, March 26: Venus at Superior Conjunction
March 26, 2021: Venus reaches its superior conjunction today. The sun is between Earth and the planet.
2021, March 10: Marching Mars
March 10, 2021: Mars continues its eastward march through Taurus. Look high in the west-southwest for the planet.
2021, March 10: Morning Quartet
March 10, 2021: The crescent moon appears with Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn during bright morning twilight in the east-southeast.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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