2020, November 21: Venus, Mercury in Morning Sky

November 21, 2020: Bright Morning Star Venus shines in the east-southeast this morning above the speedy planet Mercury.  Use a binocular to spot Mercury near the star Zubenelgenubi.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois:  Sunrise, 6:48 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:25 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.

Venus rises in the eastern sky about 4:15 a.m. CST, over an hour after Mars sets in the west.  As sunrise approaches, find it low in the east-southeast.  It is moving eastward in front of the stars of Pisces.  Mercury – near the horizon – to the lower left of Venus, is 1.8° to the upper left of Zubenelgenubi.  Use a binocular to see the star.

Mercury is completing its best morning appearance of the year as it heads toward its superior conjunction next month.

Detailed note: One hour before sunrise Venus – over 15° up in the east-southeast – is 2.9° to the lower left of 82 Vir and 4.9° to the upper right of Kappa Virginis (κ Vir, m = 4.2).  Forty-five minutes before sunrise, Mercury – over 14° to the lower left of Venus – is 1.8° to the upper left of Zubenelgenubi.

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.