2021, January 9: Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn, Evening Watch

January 9, 2021:  Mercury makes a pretty triangle with Jupiter and Saturn, nearly 3 weeks after the giant planets’ great conjunction.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois:  Sunrise, 7:18 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:39 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.

Speedy Mercury is with Jupiter and Saturn low in the west-southwest at about 30 minutes after sunset.  Because of the bright twilight, use a binocular to first locate bright Jupiter.  Saturn is 2.2° to the lower right of the Jovian Giant.  Mercury, brighter than Saturn and dimmer than Jupiter is 1.6° to the lower left of Saturn and 2.8° below Jupiter.

The planets are setting early; this makes the window small to observe them before they disappear below the horizon.

Detailed Note: Thirty minutes after sunset, Jupiter, about 7° up in the west-southwest is 2.2° to the upper left of Saturn. Use a binocular to locate them, especially Saturn.  Mercury (m = −0.9) makes a pretty triangle with Jupiter and Saturn.  It is 1.6° to the lower left of Saturn and 2.8° below Jupiter.  As the sky darkens further, Mars is nearly 60° up in the south-southeast, 4.3° to the upper left of ο Psc and 6.4° below γ Ari. Read about Mars during January.

Read more about the planets during January.