June 8, 2024: The crescent moon is near the Gemini Twins, Castor and Pollux, after sundown. Mars and Saturn continue their morning exhibition.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:16 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:24 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Here is today’s planet forecast:
Morning Sky
Mercury and Jupiter
Mercury and Jupiter are west of the sun, but they are veiled in bright sunlight. Mercury is moving toward its solar conjunction and a disappointing evening appearance during mid-July.
Jupiter is slowly emerging from the bright twilight and first appears in the east-northeast in less than two weeks.
Mars, Saturn in Eastern Sky
Mars and Saturn are easily visible during morning twilight. They are in the eastern sky with a few bright stars.
One hour before sunrise, Mars almost 15° up in the east and 14.0° to the lower right of Hamal, Aries’ brightest star. The Red Planet is marching eastward in front of Pisces. It continues to widen a gap to Saturn, after their conjunction on April 10th. The gap to Saturn is over 40°.
The Ringed Wonder is nearly 30° above the southeast horizon and nearly 25° to the upper left of Fomalhaut, the “mouth of the Southern Fish.”
Look for Deneb Kaitos, Cetus’ tail, over 20° to Saturn’s lower left and nearly 10° above the horizon.
Evening Sky
Evening Crescent with Gemini Twins
After its solar conjunction on the 4th, Venus is very slowly moving into the evening sky. Tonight, it sets only five minutes after the sun. It is easily visible during August.
After sundown, a pretty crescent moon appears with the Gemini Twins. Step outside an hour after nightfall and look toward the west-northwest. The pretty crescent moon, 8% illuminated, is nearly 15° above the horizon. Pollux is 4.0° to the crescent’s upper left, while Castor is 5.8° to the upper right.
Look carefully at the moon for earthshine, a soft light between the lunar cusps or horns that completes the lunar disk. The effect is from sunlight that reflects from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land.
The view can be highlighted through a binocular or spotting scope. Capture earthshine with a tripod-mounted camera and exposures up to few seconds when the crescent is overexposed and earthshine nicely completes the moon’s shape.
This evening, the moon sets over two hours after sundown.
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