May 30, 2021 – June 2, 2021: The gibbous moon passes bright Jupiter and Saturn before sunrise each morning. May 30, the moon is the lower right of Saturn. May 31, the moon is to the lower left of Saturn. On June 1 and June 2, the lunar orb is near Jupiter.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
The bright gibbous moon passes bright Jupiter and Saturn before sunrise for four mornings.
About an hour before sunrise, step outside and look southward. The bright moon is low in the sky. The two morning planets are nearby. They resemble bright stars in the sky.
Jupiter is the brightest star in the morning sky. Saturn is dimmer than Jupiter, Arcturus, and Vega. Note that the star Fomalhaut is near the horizon, below Jupiter
Jupiter is slowly moving eastward in Aquarius. Saturn is about 18° to the right (west) of Jupiter. The Ringed Wonder is retrograding in Capricornus.
Here’s what to look for:
May 30: Saturn is nearly one-third of the way up in the south-southeast. The gibbous moon, 80% illuminated – over 10° to the lower right of Saturn.
May 31: The moon (70%) is nearly 25° up in the south-southeast, 6.0° to the lower left of Saturn.
June 1:The lunar orb (60%) is nearly 24° up in the southeast. Bright Jupiter is 5.3° to the moon’s upper left.
June 2: The moon (49%) is over 22° above the southeastern horizon and 12.6° to the lower left of bright Jupiter.
Articles and Summaries.
- Venus as an Evening Star
- Venus Evening Star (Summary)
- Mercury during May 2021
- Mars during 2021 (Summary)
- Mars during May 2021
- Planets during May 2021
- Planets during June 2021
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October 9, 2021: Look for brilliant Venus, crescent moon, and the head of Scorpius in the southwest after sunset. About every eight years, Venus and the moon appear near the head of the Scorpion after sunset. Look for them about 45 minutes after sunset.
2021, October 1: Lunar Crescent, Beehive
October 1, 2021: Before sunrise, the lunar crescent is near the Beehive star cluster.
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2021, September 30: Morning Moon, Gemini Twins
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2021, September 29: Gemini Moon, Evening Planet Pack
September 29, 2021: The thick crescent moon is in the southeast before sunrise, approaching the middle of Gemini. The evening planet pack is visible after sunset.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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