July 23, 2024: The gibbous moon approaches Saturn. They can be seen before sunrise and after sunset. Jupiter and Mars are in the eastern sky during morning twilight. Goodbye, Mercury!
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:36 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 8:17 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Pluto at Opposition
For those interested in Pluto, the classic solar system’s ninth planet is opposite the sun today. A large telescope is needed to see the distant body.
The planet is in front of a dim Capricornus’ starfield, to the upper left of the Dog’s Kingdom asterism.
Unlike looking for Jupiter or Saturn through a telescope, Pluto is quite dim and starlike in appearance. It is over 2,000 times dimmer than the human eye can see unassisted. This means that a telescope needs a larger mirror to collect enough light to see it. Further it is not obvious, and its location is verified by watching it move against the stars over several nights, the technique that Clyde Tombaugh employed to first see it in 1930. He compared photographs over several nights, searching for distant bodies during opposition.
Here is today’s planet forecast:
Morning Sky
Morning Moon Approaches Saturn
The bright moon is in the south-southwestern sky before sunrise. Each morning, the moon continues to approach the Ringed Wonder.
The moon is distinctly gibbous, 95% illuminated. It is nearly 22° to the lower right of Saturn, less than halfway up in the south. The bright moonlight overwhelms the dimmer stars across the sky.
Jupiter and Mars with Taurus
Farther eastward, Mars continues to chase Jupiter in front of Taurus. One hour before daybreak, the Red Planet is nearly 35° up in the east and 11.0° to bright Jupiter’s upper right. Mars continues to close the gap between them, leading to their August 14th conjunction.
Mars, Uranus, and Pleiades
Mars is nearly 5° to the Pleiades’ lower right, two days after Mars’ wide conjunction with the star cluster. This is the last morning that Mars, Uranus, and the stellar collection are visible in the same binocular field. With this morning moonlight and brightening morning twilight, aquamarine Uranus is difficult to see. It is about the same brightness as two stars cataloged as 13 Tauri (13 Tau on the chart) and 14 Tauri (14 Tau).
The celestial triad is not in the same binocular field again until the summer of 2026. Then there’s a long spell until Uranus makes one solar circuit. The three are together again early next century, but their gathering occurs near the sun. During the late winter of 2194, Mars, Uranus, and the Pleiades again gather in the same binocular field during nighttime hours.
Jupiter plods eastward, 5.2° to Aldebaran’s upper left, Taurus’ brightest star. It is about 12° to the upper right of the Bull’s horns.
Orion Climbs into Morning Sky
Orion continues to climb across the eastern horizon below the planet race. The Hunter’s shoulders, Bellatrix and Betelgeuse, are above the horizon. Use a binocular to see Betelgeuse. Its red-orange color blends with the colorful hues of dawn’s early light. It makes its first appearance without optical assistance in a few days.
Evening Sky
Venus
Venus continues its slow entrance into the western sky as the Evening Star. This evening it sets during bright twilight, 47 minutes after sundown.
Evening Moon Nears Saturn
Forty minutes after nightfall, speedy Mercury is less than 5° up in the western sky. It is visible through a binocular, but its placement is making it more difficult to see each evening. The planet is 2.4° to Regulus’ lower right, Leo’s brightest star. Until Mercury reappears before sunrise, we say, “Goodbye, Mercury!”
The moon rises about two hours after sundown. It is approaching Saturn, considerably closer than this morning. An hour later, the lunar orb, 90% illuminated, is over 10° above the east-southeast horizon and 9.6° to the right of Saturn. Tomorrow morning, the pair is in the southwestern sky before sunrise. From eastern Asia, the moon occults or eclipses Saturn.
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