2023, November 14: Three Bright Planets

November 14, 2023: Venus is visible before sunrise in the east-southeast.  After night fall, Saturn is south-southeast, while Jupiter is above the east horizon.

Morning Planets, November 3, 2015
Photo Caption – Morning Planets, November 3, 2015

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois:  Sunrise, 6:39 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:31 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Summaries of Current Sky Events
Summary for Venus as a Morning Star, 2023-24

Here is today’s planet forecast:

Morning Sky

2023, November 14: Venus is in the east-southeast during morning twilight in front of Virgo.
Chart Caption – 2023, November 14: Venus is in the east-southeast during morning twilight in front of Virgo.

Before sunrise, brilliant Venus is in the east-southeastern sky.  It can be simply described as
“that bright star in the eastern sky before sunrise.”

The planet rises nearly four hours before daybreak and stands over 30° above the horizon an hour before the sun rises.

The planet is moving eastward through its orbit and appears against the stars of distant Virgo.  Yesterday, it passed Zaniah, also known as Eta Virginis. In three mornings, it passes 1.2° to the lower right of Porrima, also known as Gamma Virginis, that is 3.9° to the planet’s lower left this morning.  Use a binocular to see the dimmer stars, especially in urban and suburban settings.

Venus is moving toward a wide conjunction with Spica, meaning “the ear of corn,” on the 29th.  Beginning November 22nd, the planet is within 10° of Virgo’s brightest star and closes at a rate of about 1.0° each morning.

At this hour, Jupiter is below the western horizon.  At two hours before daybreak, Jupiter is about 10° above the west-northwest horizon, nearly 150° from Venus.  The gap widens each morning.  On December 10th, they are 180° apart in the sky and afterward Jupiter sets before Venus rises.

Evening Sky

Mercury as Never Seen Before
Photo Caption – Mercury as Never Seen Before. (NASA photo)

Mercury and Mars are not visible.  Setting thirty-seven minutes after the sun, Mercury is heading toward its largest separation from the sun on December 4th.  For northern hemisphere sky watchers, this appearance suffers from a poorly inclined ecliptic with the western horizon. The planet is predicted to be bright, but it stands only about 5° above the southwest horizon during evening twilight.  Our southern hemisphere readers have a good view of the planet in the spring evening sky.

This animation illustrates Mars solar conjunction, a period when Mars is on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth. During this time, the Sun can interrupt radio transmissions to spacecraft on and around the Red Planet. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
This animation illustrates Mars solar conjunction, a period when Mars is on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth. During this time, the Sun can interrupt radio transmissions to spacecraft on and around the Red Planet. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Mars is moving toward its solar conjunction in three days.  Then it begins a slow climb into the morning sky, appearing with Mercury in the eastern sky during late January 2024.

The crescent moon, 3% illuminated, is nearly 5° above the southwest horizon at sunset and less than 5° to the left of Mercury.  The lunar orb sets forty minutes after the sun.  Sky watchers with clear horizons and especially dry climates might catch a view of them through a binocular.  This is a challenging view because of the bright twilight and their low altitudes – heights above the horizon.

2023, November 14: After nightfall, Saturn is in the south-southeast to the east of Deneb Algedi and west of Skat and Lambda Aquarii (λ Aqr).
Chart Caption – 2023, November 14: After nightfall, Saturn is in the south-southeast to the east of Deneb Algedi and west of Skat and Lambda Aquarii (λ Aqr).

One hour after sundown this evening, Saturn is over 30° above the south-southeast horizon.  It moves eastward against Aquarius, 6.8° to the upper left of Deneb Algedi, Capricornus’ tail.  The planet’s eastward motion can be noted each evening with a binocular to compare it to the dimmer starfield.  It is generally heading toward Skat and Lambda Aquarii (λ Aqr on the chart).

Look for the star Fomalhaut, nearly 20° to Saturn’s lower left and almost 15° above the horizon.

2023, November 14: An hour after sundown, Jupiter is in the eastern sky, west of an imaginary line from Hamal to Menkar.
Chart Caption – 2023, November 14: An hour after sundown, Jupiter is in the eastern sky, west of an imaginary line from Hamal to Menkar.

At this hour, Jupiter, nearly thirty times brighter than Saturn, is nearly 20° above the east horizon.  It is retrograding in front of Aries, 11.4° to the lower right of Hamal, the Ram’s brightest star, and 12.5° to the upper left of Menkar, Cetus’ nostril.  Menkar is about 5° above the horizon.  Use a binocular to see it.

Jupiter’s retrograde motion against the starfield is demonstrated for 2023.
Chart Caption – Jupiter’s retrograde motion against the starfield is demonstrated for 2023.

As it retrogrades, the Jovian Giant is west of an imaginary line from Hamal to Menkar.  This illusion continues until December 30th.  Then line of sight from Earth through Jupiter begins to shift eastward again.  The planet appears to move eastward against the background stars, passing between the two stars again until February 29, 2024.  (Remember next year is a leap year.)

Jupiter
Photo Caption – Jupiter (NASA Photo)

For sky watchers with telescopes, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is at the planet’s center in the southern hemisphere at 10:15 p.m. CST.

During the night, Saturn is south two hours after sundown, setting in the west-southwest around midnight.  Jupiter is south over six hours after sundown, setting about an hour before sunrise tomorrow morning.

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