2024, September 6: Mars Marches into Gemini, Nightly Planet Parade

September 6, 2024:  Mars marches into Gemini this morning.  Nightly, see a parade of five bright planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

Venus, Moon, October 4, 2016
Venus, Moon, October 4, 2016

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:22 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:15 p.m. CDT.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

2021, July 2: Sunrise!
Photo Caption – 2021, July 2: Sunrise!

Daylight diminishes by three minutes daily leading up to the equinox on the 22nd at 7:44 a.m. Central Time. At Chicago’s latitude today, daylight lasts 12 hours, 53 minutes.  Because of the definitions of sunrise and sunset, along with the atmospheric refraction of sunlight, daylight’s 12-hour mark is not reached until the 25th.

Saturn (NASA)
Photo Caption – Saturn (NASA)

The nightly planet parade begins after sundown with the initial sighting of Venus in the west, followed by Saturn in the east-southeast. The Ringed Wonder appears to move westward during the night. Jupiter and Mars rise around midnight and are visible high in the east-southeast as morning twilight begins.  As dawn’s early light brightens the eastern sky, Mercury gleams through the colorful hues.  The five bright planets are easily visible during a single night that crosses two calendar days.

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Here is today’s planet forecast:

Morning Sky

Mars Marches into Gemini

Mars marches into Gemini
Chart Caption – 2024, September 6: Bright Jupiter and Mars are in the east-southeast before sunrise.

This morning Mars marches into Gemini, nearly 3° to Propus’ upper right, Castor’s toe.  To find this scene, step outside about an hour before sunrise.

Jupiter is the bright star high in the east-southeast.  It is in front of Taurus, over 10° to Aldebaran’s lower left, the Bull’s brightest star.  It continues to plod eastward.  Depending on the darkness of the sky, find Elnath, the Bull’s northern horn, 6.9° to Jupiter’s upper left.

Mars, about the same brightness and color as Aldebaran, is over 11° to Jupiter’s lower left.

Mars, A Binocular View

Mars marches into Gemini
Chart Caption – 2024, September 5-15: Through a binocular, Mars passes the star cluster Messier 35 and some Gemini stars.

Use a binocular to find Mars with the star cluster cataloged as Messier 35, a stellar bundle with over 100 members at a distance of nearly 3,000 light years. Each morning, note Mars’ eastward trek.  This morning it is 0.4° to the upper right of 1 Geminorum (1 Gem on the chart).

Mars passes 1.0° from the star cluster in two mornings; Propus (1.0°), 11th; and Tejat Posterior (1.0°) – Castor’s heel, 14th.

Mercury is 5° above the east-northeast horizon.  Wait another 15 minutes to see it when it is slightly higher in the sky.

Saturn, Morning View

Nightly Planet Parade
Chart Caption – 2024, September 6: An hour before sunup, Saturn is in the west-southwest.

At an hour before sunrise, Saturn is over 10° above the west-southwest horizon.  Tomorrow, Earth passes between the planet and the sun, celestial geometry known as opposition.

Mercury in Eastern Sky

Nightly Planet Parade
Chart Caption – 2024, September 6: At 45 minutes before sunup, Mercury is in the eastern sky above Regulus.

At 45 minutes before daybreak, Mercury is nearly 8° up in the east.  A few days after its largest separation from the sun, the speedy planet is brighter than all the celestial bodies this morning except for Jupiter and Sirius.  It shines through morning twilight, which mutes its visual intensity.

As Mercury retreats into brilliant sunlight, it brightens, passing Regulus, Leo’s brightest star, on the 9th.  This morning Mercury is 3.8° to the star’s upper right.  Both easily fit into a binocular field.

Evening Sky

Venus Leads Nightly Planet Parade

Venus Migrates Southward
Chart Caption – 2024, August 6: At 30 minutes after sundown, the crescent moon is to Spica’s left. They fit into the same binocular field. Venus is to Spica’s lower right.

Leading the nightly planet parade, Venus shines through evening twilight at 30 minutes after sundown, when it is over 5° above the western horizon.  Easily shining through evening twilight, the planet is noticeably farther south along the horizon each evening.

Tonight, the crescent moon, 13% illuminated, is less than 10° above the horizon, 3.3° to Spica’s left, and less than 20° to Venus’ upper left. Use a binocular to see the moon and the star.

The moon occults or eclipses Spica from western Africa.  The event occurs during the daytime in eastern Canada and eastern US.  From New York City, the occultation begins at 11:31 a.m. Eastern Time.  The moon uncovers the star at 12:37 p.m. The moon and star are visible during the daytime and a telescope is needed to see the event.

Saturn, Evening View

Nightly Planet Parade
Chart Caption – 2024, September 6: Saturn is in the east-southeast an hour after nightfall.

Saturn rises less than five minutes after sunset.  By an hour after nightfall, it is about 10° above the east-southeast horizon.  From Earth’s rotation, Saturn is in the west-southwest an hour before daybreak.

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