2024, February 24: Morning Snow Moon, Bright Jupiter

February 24, 2024: The bright Snow Moon shines in the western sky before daybreak.  Look for bright Jupiter after sundown.

2023, August 30: Perigee Blue Moon
Photo Caption – 2023, August 30: Perigee Blue Moon (Photo by Tim S.)

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:34 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:35 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

At Chicago’s latitude, daylight exceeds eleven hours today and it grows two to three minutes each day.

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

Here is today’s planet forecast:

Morning Sky

Morning Snow Moon

Morning Snow Moon
Chart Caption – 2024, February 24: The Snow Moon is in the western sky near Regulus before sunrise.

The bright morning Snow Moon is about 15° up in the western sky about an hour before sunrise.  The moon reaches its Full phase at 6:30 a.m. CST before it sets from middle America and western regions.  This phase is the smallest Full Moon of the year – a mini-moon.

The star Regulus, Leo’s brightest, is 4.9° to the moon’s lower right.  To see the star, it may be necessary to block the moon with your extended hand as you would to reduce the sun’s glare.

Venus and Mars

2024, February 24: At forty minutes before sunrise, Venus is low in the east-southeast.
Chart Caption – 2024, February 24: At forty minutes before sunrise, Venus is low in the east-southeast.

Venus is slowly leaving the morning sky.  It rises later each morning and appears lower in the sky during morning twilight. This morning it rises sixty-four minutes before daybreak.  By forty minutes before sunup, the planet is less than 5° above the horizon.

Most celestial objects are not visible to the unaided eye at Venus’ altitude – height above the horizon – this morning.  The sun, moon, Venus, and Jupiter can be seen when they are at the horizon.  In contrast, Mars has the same altitude as Venus, but it is too dim to be seen.  The challenge is to locate an unobstructed view toward the planets.

2024, February 24: During bright twilight, Venus and Mars are visible through a binocular.
Chart Caption – 2024, February 24: During bright twilight, Venus and Mars are visible through a binocular.

Ten minutes later, use a binocular to spot Mars 1.2° to the right of brilliant Venus.

Mars is slowly entering the morning sky, while Venus is leaving.  After this morning, Venus is lower in the sky than Mars.

Mercury is nearing superior conjunction, when the speedy planet is on the sun’s far side and the brilliant central star’s light is too bright to see the planet.

Evening Sky

Like Mercury, Saturn is moving toward solar conjunction on the same day as the innermost planet. The Ringed Wonder moves into the morning sky during early spring.

Evening Moon

Morning Snow Moon
Chart Caption – 2024, February 24: The bright moon is in the east after sundown.

The bright Snow Moon is in the east after sundown.  While the Full moon occurred this morning, the moon this evening is bright for an evening walk without a flashlight.

This evening Regulus is over 12° to the upper right of the lunar orb. From Earth’s rotation during the night, the celestial vault seems to turn westward.  The moon is south after midnight.  Tomorrow morning, it is in the western sky during twilight.

Jupiter

2024, February 24: Jupiter is in the west-southwest after nightfall.
Chart Caption – 2024, February 24: Jupiter is in the west-southwest after nightfall.

After sundown, bright Jupiter is over halfway up in the west-southwestern sky.  The planet is slowly moving eastward.  It closes in on an imaginary line from the star Hamal, 11.2° to Jupiter’s upper right, and Menkar, 12.3° to the lower left.  In this moonlight a binocular is needed to see the second star.

Jupiter sets in the west-northwest less than six hours after sunset and before midnight.

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