September 2, 2024: Planets Uranus and Neptune are in the nightly planet parade with Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
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by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:18 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:21 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Planets Uranus and Neptune in Nightly Planet Parade
Dim Planets Uranus and Neptune are in the nightly planet parade with the five bright planets. From a dark location Uranus is visible to unassisted vision, but the optical assist is needed for Neptune.
Neptune, the most-remote planet in the modern solar system model, is the most challenging to see. First, it is among a dim Pisces starfield. Second, it is faint to the unassisted eye.
The planet parade begins each evening after sunset when Venus is visible during brighter twilight low in the western sky. As the sky darkens and Venus sets, Saturn rises in the east-southeast and dim Neptune follows about 20 minutes later.
Uranus, now retrograding in front of western Taurus, rises about two hours after Neptune and before midnight.
Five Bright Planets
Jupiter rises about midnight, followed by Mars about 30 minutes later.
Mercury, the parade’s street sweeper, ends the display before sunrise. At 45 minutes before daybreak, the speedy planet is in the east-northeast. At this time six of the planets are in the sky. From the eastern sky the order is: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn.
Mercury is part of the parade until mid-month when it disappears into bright sunlight.
Here is today’s planet forecast:
Morning Sky
Morning Planets
An hour before sunrise, three bright planets – Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn – are easily visible. Dimmer planets – Uranus and Neptune – accompany the brighter worlds.
Bright Jupiter, plodding eastward in front of Taurus, is high in the east-southeast, nearly 10° to Aldebaran’s lower left, the constellation’s brightest star. It is between the horns, marked by Elnath and Zeta Tauri.
Mars, marching eastward near the Taurus-Gemini border, is about the same color and brightness of Aldebaran. It is 9.4° east – to the lower left – of Jupiter, and 4.0° to Zeta Tauri’s lower left.
Uranus through a Binocular
Look for the Pleiades star cluster, riding on the Bull’s back in celestial artwork, is nearly 20° to Jupiter’s upper right. The cluster, resembling a miniature dipper, is in the same binocular field with Uranus. Inspect the cluster before looking for the planet.
To locate Uranus, appearing as a dim aquamarine star, find it 5.3° to the star cluster’s lower right. Place the star cluster toward the upper left edge of the field of view. Find the stars 13 Tauri (13 Tau on the chart) and 14 Tauri (14 Tau) to the lower right. Uranus, about the same brightness as the star, is to 13 Tauri’s lower right.
A telescope with high magnification is required to see the planet’s globe.
Saturn
Farther westward, Saturn is over 15° above the west-southwest horizon. It is retrograding in front of Aquarius.
Neptune – A Challenging View
Neptune, which is challenging – if not impossible – to see is 12° to Saturn’s upper left. It is in front of a dim Pisces’ starfield marked by the faint stars 27 Piscium (27 Psc on the chart), 29 Piscium (29 Psc), 30 Piscium (30 Psc) and 33 Piscium (33 Psc). Neptune is to the right of 29 Piscium. (For an inexperienced sky watcher, looking for this planet is a lost cause. In comparison, Uranus is easily viewed through a binocular.)
A telescope with a large mirror is needed to see the planet’s globe, appearing tiny at Earth’s distance.
Mercury Ends Parade
As twilight continues, Mercury, bookending the parade, rises higher into the sky. By 45 minutes before sunup, the speedy planet is over 7° above the east-northeast horizon. It is slightly dimmer than Procyon, but dimmed further by the filter effects of the air near the horizon. Use a binocular to initially see Mercury. The best view occurs in two mornings when it reaches greatest elongation.
Evening Sky
Venus Leads Parade
The nightly planet parade begins after sunset with Venus. At 30 minutes after nightfall, the Evening Star is nearly 5° above the western horizon. It easily shines through brighter evening twilight.
Venus moves southward along the horizon from night to night this month and sets a minute or so later every few days. Tonight, it sets nearly an hour after sundown.
Evening Saturn
Saturn approaching opposition, when Earth is between the planet and the sun, rises only 16 minutes after sunset. Nearly two hours later, the Ringed Wonder is nearly 20° up in the east-southeast, while Neptune is to its lower left.
Look for the nightly planet parade that includes Uranus and Neptune.
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