October 13-15, 2021: The waxing gibbous moon passes the bright evening planets, Saturn and Jupiter. Look for them in the south-southeast after sunset.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
The waxing gibbous moon passes Saturn and Jupiter on the evenings of October 13-15. Step outside about an hour after sunset.
The moon is near the planets on these three evenings. Jupiter is the bright “star” in the south-southeast after sunset. Saturn is dimmer, over 15° to the upper right of the Jovian Giant.
On October 13, the moon is 60% illuminated, bright enough to cast shadows on the ground. Saturn is 6.8° to the upper left of the lunar orb.
On the evening of October 14, the waxing moon is 60% illuminated and brighter in the sky than last night. The moon is nearly equally-spaced below the two planets. Saturn is 9.8° to the moon’s upper right, while Jupiter is 8.3° to the upper left.
The moon on October 15 is nearly 80% illuminated. It is about 20° above the east-southeast horizon. Jupiter is 8.0° to the upper right of the brightening moon.
RECENT PODCASTS
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2024, May 13: Moon Visits Beehive
May 13, 2024: The moon is near the Beehive star cluster after sundown. Mars and Saturn shine during morning twilight. Uranus is at solar conjunction. - 2024, May 12: Crescent Moon-Pollux Conjunction
May 12, 2024: The crescent moon appears next to Pollux after sunset, a Moon-Pollux conjunction. Two morning planets shine from the eastern sky before sunrise. - 2024, May 11: Sirius Heliacal Setting
May 11, 2024: Sirius makes its last appearance or heliacal setting at the mid-northern latitudes. Mars and Saturn are visible before sunrise, Moon after sundown. - 2024, May 10: Mercury’s Poor Morning View
May 10, 2024: Mercury is difficult to see before sunrise, although Saturn and Mars are easier to locate. The crescent moon is in the west-northwest after sundown. - 2024, May 9: May Evening Earthshine
May 9, 2024: Look for earthshine on the moon’s night portion this evening. Mars and Saturn are morning planets.
