2024, November 3:  Venus-Jupiter Opposition, Spica at Heliacal Rising

November 3, 2024:  A Venus-Jupiter Opposition occurs tonight.  Venus sets as Jupiter rises.  Spica makes its first morning appearance or heliacal rising.

2019, January 3: Brilliant Venus, Jupiter and the waning crescent moon.
Photo Caption – 2019, January 3: Brilliant Venus, Jupiter and the waning crescent moon.

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:26 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:42 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

For most locations across North America, clocks return to standard time today.

Spica Heliacal Rising

Spica, Heliacal rising
Chart Caption – 2024, November 3: Spica makes its first morning appearance or heliacal rising.

At the mid-northern latitudes, Spica, Virgo’s brightest star is making its first appearance before sunrise, known as the heliacal rising.

At forty-five minutes before sunrise, it is over 5° above the east-southeast horizon, shining through the hues of morning twilight.

First, look for topaz Arcturus, nearly 20° above the eastern horizon.  This star is the second brightest visible from mid-northern latitudes and the brightest in the northern sky above the celestial equator.

Spica is over 30° to Arcturus’ lower right.  The blue-white star is the 10th brightest star at the mid-northern latitudes.  It shines from 250 light years away, with an intrinsic brightness of nearly 2,000 suns.

Look for the star during morning twilight as it is higher in the sky each morning.

Venus-Jupiter Opposition

Venus-Jupiter Opposition
Chart Caption – 2024, November 3: A Venus-Jupiter opposition occurs, signaling that Venus and Jupiter soon appear in the sky simultaneously, but at opposite directions.

Venus and Jupiter are in opposite directions, a Venus-Jupiter opposition.  Jupiter rises as Venus sets.  From space Venus, Earth, and Jupiter are along an imaginary line.

When the oppositions of these planets occur during evening hours, Venus and Jupiter begin to appear in the sky simultaneously, but in opposite directions.

Venus and Jupiter
Photo Caption – 2019, November 22: Venus and Jupiter are 2.1 degrees apart.

While a sighting of this event is nearly impossible, they appear at the same time in a week.  Unlike most celestial bodies, Venus and Jupiter shine through the dimming and blurring effects of the atmosphere.  Find a spot to look for Jupiter near the horizon in the east-northeast and Venus in the southwest. 

Tonight, Venus sets 118 minutes after sunset .  It gains two minutes of setting time each evening, while Jupiter loses three minutes of rising time.  In a week they stand above their respective horizons two hours after nightfall.  By month’s end, they are about 10° up at 90 minutes after sundown.

Next Venus-Jupiter Conjunction

Venus-Jupiter conjunction
Photo Caption – 2019, January 19: Venus- Jupiter, 3.7 degrees apart

During this appearance of each planet, there is no Venus-Jupiter conjunction.  Venus moves into the morning sky before Jupiter is close to Earth’s Twin planet.  The next conjunction occurs before sunrise on August 12, 2025.

Before sunrise, look for Spica low in the east-southeast.  After nightfall, begin looking for Venus and Jupiter simultaneously in about a week.

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