2024, March 12:  Evening Moon Nears Jupiter

March 12, 2024: After sunset, the waxing crescent moon nears Jupiter in the western sky.  Mercury is approaching its best evening view of the year.

2023, May 22: Brilliant Venus and the crescent moon, with earthshine,
Photo Caption – 2023, May 22: Brilliant Venus and the crescent moon, with earthshine,

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:07 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 6:55 p.m. CDT.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Sirius and Star Cluster

2024, March 12: Through a binocular Sirius, the Dog Star, appears in the same binocular field with the star cluster Messier 41.
Chart Caption – 2024, March 12: Through a binocular Sirius, the Dog Star, appears in the same binocular field with the star cluster Messier 41.

While using a binocular to look at the sky this evening, look for the star cluster cataloged as Messier 41 (M41 on the chart), 4.0° to the south or below Sirius, the night’s brightest star, that is about one-third of the way up in the south during the early evening.  In the binocular field, place the Dog Star a little above the center.  The star cluster appears below center.

In his Celestial Handbook, Robert Burnham describes the cluster. “It contains about 25 bright stars and many fainter ones scattered over a field as large as that covered by the moon. There is a bright reddish star near the center; many of the other stars are arranged in curving rows and groups, a peculiar feature noted in other open clusters” (p. 442).

Messier 41 appears smaller and dimmer than the Pleiades or Beehive. At a distance of 2,200 light years, it is 20 light years across, about 50% larger than the Seven Sisters. M41 is made of bright blue stars, indicating young, hot stars.

Look for the cluster during the next few evenings, before the waxing moon’s light washes out the dimmer celestial wonders.

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

Here is today’s planet forecast:

Morning Sky

Venus, Mars, and Saturn

Three planets are west of the sun and a challenge to see.  Brilliant Venus rises 44 minutes before the sun. By 20 minutes before sunrise, it is less than 4° above the horizon.  Venus aficionados can continue to chase the planet into brighter sunlight.

Mars, considerably dimmer than Venus, rises 67 minutes before the sun.  Without a bright guide, the Red Planet is challenging to see.  It is a binocular object, found nearly 5° above the horizon at 30 minutes before sunrise.

Saturn rises 16 minutes before sunrise and it is lost in the sun’s glare.

Evening Sky

Evening Moon Nears Jupiter

Evening Moon Nears Jupiter
Chart Caption – 2024, March 12: Jupiter, Mercury, and the crescent moon appear in the western sky after sundown.

This evening Jupiter, Mercury, and the crescent moon are visible after sundown.  Step outside at 35 minutes after the sun sets and look westward.  A thin crescent moon, 10% illuminated, is nearly one-third of the way from the western horizon to overhead.

Bright Jupiter is nearly 15° to the crescent’s upper left.

Mercury is below the crescent and nearly 5° above the west horizon.  It is bright and easily visible.  Use a binocular to initially find it in the bright twilight.  Can you see it without the binocular’s assistance?

Jupiter is about twice the brightness of the innermost planet. Mercury’s intensity dims as it reaches greatest elongation and its best evening view of the year later this month.

Earthshine

2022, July 30: The crescent moon with earthshine. (Photo by MJB)
Photo Caption – 2022, July 30: The crescent moon with earthshine. (Photo by MJB)

As the sky darkens, look for earthshine on the night portion of the moon between the moon’s cusps or horns.  This is from sunlight reflected from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land that softly lights the lunar night. Photograph it with a tripod-mounted camera and exposures up to a few seconds.

Jupiter, Uranus through a Binocular

2024, March 12: Through a binocular, Jupiter and Uranus appear in the same binocular field.
Chart Caption – 2024, March 12: Through a binocular, Jupiter and Uranus appear in the same binocular field.

Use a binocular to locate Jupiter and Uranus at nearly opposite edges of a binocular field of view.  Place Jupiter at the lower right edge of the field.  Uranus is toward the upper left near the star 53 Arietis (53 Ari on the chart).  The star Rho Arietis (ρ Ari) is to the lower right and inside a triangle made by three stars.

Jupiter approaches the star Omicron Arietis (ο Ari).  The gap is 0.4° this evening.  Tomorrow evening the Jovian Giant passes the star and the moon joins the scene. Each clear evening watch Jupiter’s changing place against the starfield as it approaches and passes Sigma Arities (σ Ari) on the 21st.

Jupiter sets over four hours after nightfall and before midnight.

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