March 14, 2021: Jupiter and Saturn are low in the southeastern sky before sunrise. Look for them about 45 minutes before sunrise.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:04 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 6:57 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.
Daylight Saving Time began for most of the USA and Canada during the night. Our clocks are now one hour ahead of the sun and astronomy. This shifts some of the excess daylight until evening hours. During late May, June, and early July, there is considerable sunshine during the morning hours as well.
While the clock time changed, the time intervals for the observations remain the same.
Forty-five minutes before sunrise, Saturn and Jupiter are low in the southeastern sky. Jupiter is the brighter of the pair, but it is lower.
At this hour, Saturn is over 9° in altitude. Jupiter is 9.7° to the lower left of Saturn, but it is only 5° up in the sky.
Detailed Note: Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. CST when the clocks are advanced to 3 a.m. CDT. The time interval in these notes remain the same. Forty-five minutes before sunrise, Saturn and Jupiter are low in the southeastern sky. Saturn is over 9° in altitude and brighter Jupiter is over 5° up in the sky, 9.7° to the lower left of Saturn. Thirty minutes after sunset, the thin crescent moon (1.6d, 2%) is about 9° above the western horizon. As the sky darkens further, over 55° in altitude in the west-southwest, Mars is below a line that connects Aldebaran and extends through Epsilon Tauri (ε Tau, m = 3.5). Tomorrow, Mars is on that line. Mars continues its eastward march. This evening, use a binocular to locate κ Tau and υ Tau, to the upper left of Mars. Mars is 2.2° and 2.4° to the lower right of the stars, respectively.
Read more about the planets during March 2021.
2021, August 14: Waxing Moon, Stellar Double
August 14, 2021: This evening the waxing moon is near Zubenelgenubi, the southern claw, that is a stellar double. Use a binocular to see both stars that are in a gravitation dance.
2021, August 13: Evening Sky, Bright Planets
August 13, 2021: This evening the crescent moon appears between Evening Star Venus and Spica as the lunar slice dances eastward. Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeastern sky.
2021, August 12: Evening Sky, Lunar Dance
August 12, 2021: This evening the crescent moon appears between Venus and Spica as the lunar slice dances eastward.
2021, August 11: Waxing Moon, Evening Star
August 11, 2021: The waxing crescent moon is to the upper left of Evening Star Venus this evening in the western sky.
2021, August 10: Evening Star Venus, Crescent Moon
August 10, 2021: The crescent moon is near Venus in the western sky after sunset.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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