2024, March 4: Ophiuchan Moon, Evening Jupiter

March 4, 2024: Before sunrise, the Ophiuchan moon is above the Scorpion’s tail.  Jupiter is the bright star in the west-southwest after sundown.

Jupiter greets the moon during morning twilight.
Photo Caption – Jupiter greets the moon during morning twilight.

PODCAST FOR THIS ARTICLE

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:20 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:45 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

Ophiuchan Moon

March 2024 Astronomy Events, Scorpion Moon, March 3, 2024 Moon-Antares occultation Ophiuchan Moon
Chart Caption – 2024, March 1-4: The moon appears against Scorpius before sunrise.

An hour before sunrise, the thick crescent moon, 41% illuminated, is over 20° above the south-southeast horizon.  It is in front of Ophiuchus – an Ophiuchan Moon – over 8° to the upper left of Shaula and Lesath, also known as the Cat’s Eyes, at Scorpius’ tail. The lunar orb is nearly 15° to the lower left of Antares, the Scorpion’s heart, the target of yesterday’s lunar occultation.

Venus and Mars

2024, March 4: Through a binocular, Venus and Mars appear in the same field of view during bright morning twilight.
Chart Caption – 2024, March 4: Through a binocular, Venus and Mars appear in the same field of view during bright morning twilight.

While brilliant, Venus is more challenging to see each morning, especially with dimmer Mars.  While they appear in the same binocular field of view for four more mornings, this is the last morning to see them together at an optimal time, before the sky brightens to a level that washes out Mars.

At 30 minutes before sunrise, Venus is less than 5° above the east-southeast horizon.  Find a clear spot and use a binocular to find it.  Dimmer Mars is 5.2° to the upper right of the Morning Star.

Mars continues to slowly emerge from brighter morning twilight into the eastern morning sky, but this is slow. It is a binocular object for the next several weeks.

Venus is sliding into brighter twilight, leading toward its superior conjunction during early June followed by a long swing into the western evening sky. During the next few weeks, it can be seen without an optical assist when it is higher in the sky.

Saturn is moving into the morning sky, but don’t expect to see it until April.

Evening Sky

Mercury is quickly moving into the evening sky for its best view of the year east of the sun for sky watchers in the northern hemisphere. This evening the planet sets over 20 minutes after the sun, and it gains five to six minutes of setting time compared to sunset each evening.  Start looking for it in about a week.

Evening Jupiter

Evening Jupiter
Chart Caption – 2024, March 4: Jupiter is in the west-southwest after sunset.

An hour after sundown, bright Jupiter is less than halfway up in the west-southwest.  It easily outshines all other stars in the sky this evening. It is moving eastward in front of Aries between Hamal and Menkar, Cetus’ nostril.

The Pleiades star cluster is over 20° to the upper left of Jupiter.  The Jovian Giant is slowly moving in that direction.  A conjunction occurs during late May after Jupiter’s solar conjunction, although the event is during bright morning twilight.

Jupiter' Great Red Spot
Photo Caption – Jupiter (NASA Photo)

Through a telescope at 7:26 p.m. CST, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is at the center of the planet in the southern hemisphere.  The spot first rounds the planet on Earth’s side before 6 p.m., about sunset in Chicago.  It is visible until nearly 9 p.m. as the planet’s rapid rotation takes it from our view.

Jupiter sets nearly five hours after sunset and before midnight.

RECENT PODCASTS

LATEST ARTICLES