January 8, 2021: Speedy planet Mercury joins Jupiter and Saturn low in the south-southwest after sunset.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:18 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:38 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.
Find a clear horizon toward the southwestern sky. Thirty minutes after sunset. locate bright Jupiter low in the sky through a binocular. Saturn is dimmer and 2.0° to the lower right of Jupiter. With a brightness between that of Jupiter and Saturn, find Mercury 2.4° to the lower left of Saturn.
This observation has a narrow window of time because Jupiter sets 75 minutes after sunset. Mercury sets only 50 minutes after sunset.
Read more about the planets during January.
RECENT ARTICLES
2022, October 30: Mars Retrogrades
October 30, 2022: Red Planet Mars begins to retrograde tonight. The planet’s eastward direction halts and it begins to move westward compared to Taurus.
Keep reading
2022, October 29: Eastern Morning Stars Arrive, Evening Sagittarius Moon
October 28, 2022: Arcturus appears higher in the east-northeast before sunrise. Spica arrives in the east-southeast soon. The moon is with Sagittarius and its Teapot.
Keep reading
2022, October 28: Morning Mars, Antares Leaving
October 28, 2022: Mars is the lone bright planet in the morning sky. The star Antares – the heart of Scorpius – is near its last evening appearance of the year, known as its heliacal setting.
Keep reading