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.
RECENT ARTICLES
2022, September 16: Overnight Planet Spectacular, Moon between Mars and Pleiades
September 16, 2022: During the nighttime hours, Mars, the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn are strung across the sky. Before daybreak, look for the gibbous moon between Mars and the Pleiades star cluster.
Keep reading2022, September 15: Overnight Planet Display, Moon nears Mars
September 15, 2022: Three bright planets – Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter – are strung across the sky after midnight. Before sunrise, look for the moon near Mars.
Keep reading2022, September 14: Bright Planets, Moon Overnight, Morning Leo Sickle
September 14, 2022: Three bright planets and the moon are visible overnight. The moon is near Uranus before daybreak. The Sickle of Leo is in the eastern sky before sunrise.
Keep reading