June 29, 2024: Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and the moon parade in the eastern sky before sunrise. Uranus and Neptune are present, but they are too dim for easy visibility.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:19 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:30 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
Morning Planets, Moon Parade
The planets and moon parade in the eastern sky before sunrise. Five planets are in the sky from east-northeast to the south-southeast.
An hour before sunrise, Jupiter, Mars, the moon, and Saturn are visible. Start with bright Jupiter nearly 10° above the east-northeast horizon. It is in front of Taurus, appearing higher in the sky each morning with the Jovian Giant.
Mars, marching eastward in front of Aries, is over 20° to Jupiter’s upper right and nearly 25° above the east horizon. The Red Planet overtakes Jupiter on August 14th, when the planetary pair is higher in the eastern sky.
Mars passed Saturn on April 10th and the gap between them is over 55°. The Ringed Wonder, slowing to begin the illusion of retrograde tomorrow, is less than halfway up in the south-southeast and over 25° to the upper right of the thick crescent moon.
Uranus, Neptune
Uranus and Neptune are in the region, but they are washed out by morning twilight. Uranus is less than halfway from Mars to Jupiter, while Neptune is less than midway from Saturn to the lunar crescent.
Uranus is slowly moving eastward in front of Taurus near the Pleiades. It is in the same binocular field with the cluster until their solar conjunction in 2027. It is overtaken by Mars on July 15th.
Evening Sky
Mercury, Venus
No bright planets are easily visible after sundown. Venus, setting about 30 minutes after the sun, is immersed in bright evening twilight.
Mercury appears farther from the sun each evening for the next three weeks, but it dims as well. At 45 minutes after sundown, the planet is about 4° up in the west-northwest. Use a binocular to see it.
Three Bright Stars near Ecliptic
During the evening, three of the 20 brightest stars visible to mid-northern latitude sky watchers mark the plane of the solar system. During this morning’s display there are no bright sign posts, although Aldebaran soon appears in the east-northeast below Jupiter.
This evening, Regulus, Spica, and Antares are those celestial markers that identify where to find the planets, if the worlds were present. The moon passes near these stars during its monthly trek.
Regulus
At one hour after sundown, Regulus, Leo’s brightest star, is 20° up in the west. It is the brightest star closest to the ecliptic.
Spica
Spica, part of Virgo, is over 30° above the south-southwest horizon, and over 50° to Regulus’ east. The star is 2° below the ecliptic. Venus passes by on September 17th.
Antares
Antares, the Scorpion’s brightest star, is about 20° up in the south-southeast over 45° east of Spica. The star is nearly 5° south of the ecliptic. The planets do not have close conjunctions with the star, but it is in range of the moon’s orbital path. Moon-Antares occultations are occurring each month for sky watchers across Earth. Next month’s stellar eclipse is visible for sky watchers in Africa.
Aldebaran is Next
The three stars span nearly 100° along the ecliptic. Aldebaran is the next bright ecliptic star, 180° from Antares. It rises nearly 45 minutes after the Scorpion’s brightest star sets. Dimmer stars are in the gap, but a dark sky – free from outdoor lighting – or a binocular is needed to track the planets’ changes against the starry background. The region between Aldebaran and Antares – Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces – is without one of the milestones on the brightest stars list, though this year three planets are in the region.
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