2021, May 29: Evening Star Venus, Mercury, Mars

By Jeffrey L. Hunt on May 22, 2021 • ( 0 )

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May 29, 2021: Three planets are in the evening sky. Brilliant Venus is low in the west-northwest after sunset. Speedy Mercury is leaving the sky after its best evening performance of the year. It is below Venus. Mars is higher in the western sky, in Gemini to the lower left of Pollux.

Chart Caption – 2021, May 29: Forty-five minutes after sunset, Venus, Mercury, and Mars are in the western sky.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:20 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:17 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.

2021, May 29: Brilliant Venus shines from the west-northwest after sunset. Mercury, with some magnification, is visible to the lower right of Venus.

Evening Sky

One evening after their close conjunction, Mercury is 1.2° below Venus. Forty-five minutes after sunset, the brilliant planet is about 6° up in the west-northwest. Find a clear view of the horizon in that direction. A hillside or elevated structure can help with the observation.

Chart Caption – 2021, May 29: Through a binocular, Mercury is 1.2° below brilliant Venus. The star Elnath is 5.4° to the upper right of Venus.

Mercury’s brightness is fading quickly as it is rapidly departing the evening sky. Use a binocular to see the speedy planet beneath Venus.

In a few evenings the planet dims considerably and plunges into bright sunlight. It passes between Earth and Sun and moves into the morning sky during late June.

Note that the star Elnath is 5.4° to the upper right of Venus. The star is the northern horn of Taurus and means “the one butting with horns.”

Chart Caption – 2021, May 29: Through a binocular, Mars is 5.4° to the lower left of Pollux and 2.3° below Kappa Geminorum (κ Gem).

Mars is higher in the sky, marching eastward in Gemini. Use the binocular to spot the starfield. The planet is 5.4° to the lower left of Pollux and 2.3° below Kappa Geminorum (κ Gem).

Articles and Summaries

Detailed Note: One hour before sunrise, the bright gibbous moon (17.6d, 88%) is over 20° up in the south. It is above the handle of the Teapot of Sagittarius, 3.6° to the upper left of Tau Sagittarii (τ Sgr, m = 3.3). Farther eastward, Saturn is nearly one-third of the way up in the south-southeast. Saturn is retrograding in Capricornus, 0.6° to the lower right of θ Cap. It is moving westward compared to that stellar signpost. For the past few mornings, the gap between them is the same when rounded to a tenth of a degree. Jupiter, at nearly the same altitude as Saturn, is 17.9° to the left of Saturn. In the starfield, the Jovian Giant is 2.6° to the upper left of ι Aqr, 4.1° to the lower right of θ Aqr, and 4.3° to the upper right of σ Aqr. Three planets are visible after sunset, although dimming Mercury is rapidly leaving the evening sky. Thirty minutes after sunset, brilliant Venus is over 8° above the west-northwest horizon. Mercury (m = 2.5) is 1.2° below Venus. At this time interval, use a binocular to see Mercury with Venus. Forty-five minutes after sunset, Venus is about 6° above the horizon. Mercury is lower in the sky and a challenge to locate. Venus is 5.4° to the lower left of Elnath. Mars is higher in the sky, over 25° above the west horizon, in Gemini. Fifteen minutes later, Venus is over 3° up in the sky. In the starfield, Mars is 3.8° to the upper left of δ Gem, 2.3° below κ Gem, and 5.4° to the lower left of Pollux.

2021 – 2022, Venus – Mars Triple Conjunction

During 2021 into 2022, Venus passes Mars three times for a triple conjunction. The first occurs on July 12, 2021. The others occur during early 2022, followed by a close approach of the two planets.

2021, July 6: Venus – Saturn Opposition

July 6, 2021: This is the second bright planet – planet opposition this month. Venus and Saturn are in opposite directions from Earth. Venus sets about the time that Saturn rises. After this date, Venus and Saturn together are in the evening sky until early 2022.