November 4, 2024: After sundown, Venus and the crescent moon are in the southwest. Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars are visible during the night.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:27 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:41 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Four Bright Planets
Four bright planets are visible after sundown. Brilliant Venus is in the southwest with the crescent moon after sunset. Noticeably dimmer Saturn is in the southeast.
Jupiter is rising as Venus sets at two hours after sunset. Mars rises nearly 3 hours after Jupiter.
Tomorrow morning find bright Jupiter high in the western sky and Mars high in the south.
Today’s Highlight
Venus and Moon after Sunset
Step outside as the sky darkens after sunset. Venus is joined by the crescent moon in the southwest.
Brilliant Venus outshines all other celestial bodies except the sun and moon. At 45 minutes after night fall, it stands over 10° above the southwest horizon. Find a clear view in that direction.
The crescent moon, 11% illuminated, is 3.9° to Venus’ lower left. They easily fit into the same binocular field of view. The moon reached the New moon phase on the 1st.
Look for earthshine on the night portion of the moon. This is sunlight reflected from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land that gently lights up the lunar night.
Photograph the effect with a tripod-mounted camera and exposures up to a few seconds.
Tomorrow evening, the lunar orb is farther east, 11.3° to Venus upper left. The phase is slightly thicker, 18%. This is another evening to see earthshine.
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