March 21, 2024: After sunset Mercury approaches its peak view for the year. Jupiter is higher in the west above the speedy planet.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:51 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:05 p.m. CDT. 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
Mars, Venus, and Saturn
Three bright planets are hiding in morning twilight. Mars is the easiest to locate, but a binocular is needed to see it. The planet rises 68 minutes before the sun. Nearly 30 minutes later, the planet is less than 5° above the east-southeast horizon. Its emergence from bright twilight, after its solar conjunction during November 2023, seems to be painfully slow. It does not rise at the beginning of morning twilight until late May.
Venus is disappearing from its morning apparition and heading toward a wide swing into the evening sky. The planet passes on the far side of the sun during early June. This morning it rises 36 minutes before the sun. At 15 minutes before daybreak, it is only 3° above the east-southeast horizon. For diehard Venus chasers, the planet can be found, but it is a challenging view.
Tomorrow the Morning Star passes Saturn, but seeing this conjunction is a lost cause. This morning the Ringed Wonder rises only three minutes after Venus.
Evening Sky
Mercury Approaches Peak View
Mercury is approaching its peak performance of the year. The planet is quite bright and easy to see in western evening twilight. Step outside 45 minutes after sundown. The speedy planet is nearly 9° above the western horizon. It resembles a bright star that can be found without a binocular, although the optical assist helps with the initial identification.
Do not confuse Mercury with Jupiter. The Jovian Giant is about one-third of the way up in the west, over 20° to Mercury’s upper left.
Jupiter is three times higher in the sky than Mercury. Consider using your fist as a measuring instrument. Your extended fist, from thumb knuckle to pinky finger, covers about 10° in the sky. Orient a fist with the pinky finger at the horizon. Mercury is near the thumb. Jupiter is three fists high. Stack them like the action of climbing a rope.
Mercury’s best night is in three nights when it is nearly 10° above the horizon. The planet dims slightly each night as it reaches its greatest separation from the sun.
Mercury has two other evening appearances: July 22nd and November 16th. During each future appearance this year, the planet’s highest point occurs during brighter twilight.
Jupiter is moving eastward in front of Aries. Look for Hamal, Aries’ brightest star, over 13° – more than one fist – to the Jovian Giant’s lower right.
Moon and Regulus
At this hour, the bright gibbous moon, 91% illuminated, is halfway up in the east-southeast, and 4.3° to the upper left of Regulus. This month’s Full moon, known as the Worm Moon, occurs at 2 a.m. CDT on the 25th.
Jupiter, Uranus through Binocular
Jupiter and Uranus appear in the same binocular field of view, although with this moonlight – that mutes the stars – some of the dimmer stars may not be visible. This evening Jupiter passes the star Sigma Arietis (σ Ari on the chart). The planet is 0.4° to the upper right of the star. Watch the planet move toward the east away from the star.
With Jupiter toward the lower right portion of the field of view, dimmer Uranus is toward the upper left. It is to the upper left of dimmer 53 Arietis (53 Ari). This star might not be visible through the bright moonlight.
In the binocular look for Rho Arietis (ρ Ari). It appears inside a triangle of dimmer stars.
Mercury sets 95 minutes after sundown. Jupiter sets less than four hours after the sun and before midnight. During the nighttime, the gibbous moon appears farther westward. Tomorrow morning during twilight, it is near the horizon in the west-northwest.
2024, March 21: Jupiter and Mercury are in the western sky after sundown. Mercury is nearing its best view of the year.
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