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, April 25: Mercury-Venus Conjunction, Mars, Bright Moon
April 25, 2021: Mercury passes Evening Star Venus this evening after sunset. Look low in the western sky about 20 minutes after sunset. Mars is marching eastward in Gemini, near the star cluster Messier 35. The bright moon is near Spica.
2021, April 25: Morning Planets, Jupiter, Saturn in Southeast
April 25, 2021: Morning planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. Jupiter is in front of the stars of Aquarius, while Saturn’s starry background is Capricornus.
2021, April 24: Evening Star, Bright Mercury, Venus, Mars, Gibbous Moon
April 24, 2021: Brilliant Evening Star Venus and bright Mercury are entering the evening sky. They are low in the west-northwest during evening twilight. The bright moon is in the southeast in Virgo. Mars moves into Gemini as it approaches the star cluster Messier 35.
2021, April 24: Lunar Occultation, Morning Planets, Jupiter Saturn
April 24, 2021: The bright gibbous moon is near a star in Virgo during the early morning. From parts of the Western Hemisphere, the moon covers the star. Before sunrise, bright morning planets, Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise.
2021, April 23: Evening Star Venus, Mercury, Mars, Moon
April 23, 2021: Evening Star Venus and Mercury are entering the evening sky. They are found very low in the west-northwest after sunset. The bright moon is in the southeastern sky during the early evening. Mars is moving toward the star cluster Messier 35.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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