January 13, 2021: Mercury and Jupiter can be found in the west-southwest during bright evening twilight. Mars is higher in the sky when the sky is darker. It is nearing the planet Uranus.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:16 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:43 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.
Mercury and Jupiter appear low in the west-southwest as night falls. To the unaided eye, the planets appear as overly bright stars.
Thirty minutes after sunset, Jupiter is less than 5° in altitude. Find a clear horizon to see them. Mercury is over 3° to the upper left of brighter Jupiter. This observation is difficult to make. Use a binocular to initially spot these planets. Catch Jupiter before it leaves the evening sky.
As the sky darkens further, Mars is high in the south-southeast in a dim star field in Aries. The planet passes the star Gamma Arietis (γ Ari on the chart). The gap is wide, 6.0°, but γ Ari, Beta Arietis, and Hamal are the three brightest stars in the constellation. The trio is far from the ecliptic, where the planets appear in the sky.
Mars is approaching dim Uranus. The distant planet is at the limit of human eyesight, but not considered one of the “naked-eye planets.” Use a binocular to find an aquamarine “star” 3.7° to the lower left of Mars. The star 19 Arietis (19 Ari) is shown on the chart for scale.
A telescope needs about 100x magnification to see the planet’s spherical shape,
Mars passes the distant world in a week, although the moon is in the vicinity on that evening.
Read about Mars during January.
Detailed Note: Thirty minutes after sunset, Jupiter is over 4° in altitude above the west-southwest horizon, 3.3° to the lower right of Mercury. One hour after sunset, Mars (m = 0.1) is 6.0° to the lower left of γ Ari. Look for the planet and the star over 60° up in the south-southeast. Uranus is 3.7° to the lower left of Mars.
Read more about the planets during January.
2021, July 27: Four Evening Planets
July 27, 2021: Evening Star Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter are in the evening sky. Mars is nearing its conjunction with Regulus in two evenings.
2021, July 26: Evening Sky, Mars Closes In
July 26, 2021: Four bright planets are in the evening sky. Mars closes in on Regulus for their conjunction in three evenings. Brilliant Evening Star Venus appears to the upper left of the impending Mars – Regulus conjunction. Saturn and Jupiter are low in the southeastern sky after sunset.
2021, July 25: Evening Sky, Mars on Final Approach
July 25, 2021: Four evenings before its conjunction with Regulus, find Mars in the western sky to the lower right of Venus. As the calendar day ends, look for the moon below bright Jupiter.
2021, July 24: Four Evening Planets, Moon
July 24, 2021: After sunset, Venus and Mars are in the western sky. A little later during evening hours, the moon is near Jupiter and Saturn in the southeast.
2021, July 23: Evening Star Venus, Mars, Regulus, Moon, Jupiter, Saturn
July 23, 2021: Four bright planets are visible during evening hours. Venus and Mars are in the western sky after sunset. A little later, the moon is near Saturn and Jupiter in the southeastern sky.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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