2021, August 24: Morning Moon, Jupiter

Astronomy, Sky Watching
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August 24, 2021:  The bright moon is in the southwestern sky before sunrise, casting its lunar glow across the sky.  Bright Jupiter is to the lower right of the lunar orb and near the horizon.

2021, August 24: The bright moon is in the southwest before sunrise, to the upper left of Jupiter.
Chart Caption – 2021, August 24: The bright moon is in the southwest before sunrise, to the upper left of Jupiter.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois:  Sunrise, 6:09 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:37 p.m. CDT.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.

This morning the bright moon is in the southwest before sunrise.  It is 96% illuminated.  At this brightness it casts considerable light across the sky.

Jupiter is nearly 30° to the lower right of the lunar orb.  It is low in the southwest, near the horizon.

Jupiter, along with Saturn and Venus, returns to the evening sky this evening.  Venus is in the west after sunset, poking through the colorful layers of evening twilight.

Saturn and Jupiter are in the southeast as night falls.

Detailed Daily Note:One hour before sunrise, the moon (15.8d, 96%) is about one-third of the way up in the southwest.  It is 17.5° to the right of Deneb Kaitos (β Cet, m = 2.0).  Jupiter is nearly 7° above the west-southwest horizon.  Twenty-five minutes after sunset, Mercury (m = −0.3) is 4.0° up in the west, 18.1° to the lower right of Venus. Use a binocular to find them at this level of twilight. Each evening Mercury is noticeably farther southward along the horizon at this time interval after sunset. Until month’s end, the planet is about 1° farther southward each evening. Fifteen minutes later, Venus, about 8° up in the west-southwest, continues its eastward trek through Virgo, 2.5° to the lower left of Porrima, and 13.8° to the lower right of Spica that is nearly 11° up in the west-southwest.  Farther eastward, Saturn – 18.0° to the upper right of Jupiter – is over 16° up in the southeast.  The Jovian Giant is nearly 10° above the east-southeast horizon.  As midnight approaches, the moon (16.6d, 92%) is less than 30° above the east-southeast horizon, 15.8° to the upper left of Deneb Kaitos.  Jupiter – retrograding in eastern Capricornus – is over 33° up in the south-southeast.  Use a binocular to spot the starry background.  The Jovian Giant is 2.6° to the upper right of ι Aqr, 0.6° to the lower left of μ Cap, and 3.0° to the upper left of Deneb Algedi.  Saturn – retrograding in Capricornus – is nearly 30° up in the south, west of the meridian and 1.1° to the lower left of υ Cap.

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