November 24, 2020: Brilliant Morning Star Venus is visible in the east-southeast as the morning’s sunrise approaches. It is appearing slightly lower this morning. Mercury is visible low in the east-southeast about 45 minutes before sunrise. This speedy planet is ending its best morning appearance of 2020.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:52 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:23 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.
Venus continues to sparkle low in the east-southeast before sunrise. It is nearly 15° up in the east-southeast an hour before sunrise. As twilight brightens, Mercury is near the horizon to the lower left of the star Zubenelgenubi.
Venus rises about 2 hours, 30 minutes before sunrise, while Mercury rises about 75 minutes before the sun. The plane of the solar system continues to make a fairly high angle with the horizon to easily display the two planets closest to the sun. Mercury is only 14° from the sun, while Venus is over double that angular separation from our central star.
On the chart, Venus is 1.6° to the upper right of Kappa Virginis (κ Vir).
Detailed note: One hour before sunrise, brilliant Venus is nearly 15° up in the east-southeast, 1.6° to the upper right of κ Vir. Forty-five minutes before sunrise, Mercury is over 4° in altitude in the east-southeast, 15.0° to the lower left of Venus. Mercury is 3.4° to the lower 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.
2020, December 11: Jupiter, Saturn Conjunction Nears, Mars in Southeast
December 11, 2020: The Great Conjunction countdown: 10 days! Jupiter and Saturn are low in the southwest as night falls. Jupiter continues to close the gap to the Ringed Wonder. Farther eastward, Mars marches eastward in Pisces.
2020, December 11: Moon Nears Venus
December 11, 2020: As sunrise approaches, the crescent moon is to the upper right of the brilliant planet Venus.
2020, December 10: Bright Mars in East, Jupiter Closes on Saturn
December 10, 2020: The Great Conjunction countdown: 11 days. Jupiter and Saturn are in the southwest as night falls. Bright Mars is in the southeast.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
