2024, November 5: A Four-Planet Nightly Spectacular

November 5, 2024: Each night four bright planets – Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars – put on a spectacular display.  This evening the crescent moon is near Venus.

2021, October 8: The crescent moon and Venus with Scorpius.
Photo Caption – 2021, October 8: The crescent moon and Venus with Scorpius.

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:29 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 5:39 p.m. CDT.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Here is the planet forecast:

Morning Sky

Bright Jupiter before Sunrise

Four-Planet NIghtly Spectacular
Chart Caption – 2024, November 5: An hour before sunrise, bright Jupiter is in the western sky above Aldebaran and below Elnath and Zeta Tauri.

Before sunrise, bright Jupiter is less than halfway up in the west, below Elnath and Zeta Tauri, the Bull’s horns, and 11.0° above Aldebaran, Taurus’ brightest star. Jupiter retrogrades – appears to move westward compared to the stars.  It seems to be moving away from the Bull’s horns toward Aldebaran.  Whether the planet is observed before sunrise or after sunset, watch these gaps change from night to night and week to week.

Find Planet Uranus through a Binocular

Uranus, rings and Moons from NASA's Webb Space Telescope
Photo Caption – Uranus, rings and Moons from NASA’s Webb Space Telescope (NASA Photo)

Planet Uranus is in the same binocular field with the Pleiades star cluster.  See a recent article about how to see it this month.

Mars Marches Eastward

Four-Planet NIghtly Spectacular
Chart Caption – 2024, November 5: During morning twilight, Mars is high in the south-southwest below Pollux, one of the Gemini Twins.

Mars is high in the south-southwest, over 40° east of Jupiter.  The Red Planet marches eastward in front of Cancer, 8.6° to Pollux’s lower left, one of the Gemini Twins.  Mars is closing in on Asellus Australis – the southern donkey – near the Praesepe or Beehive star cluster. Mars’ gap with the star is 8.7°.  Use a binocular to see the star.

While looking for Asellus Australis, the star cluster is in the same field of view with the star.  During the next few days, Mars enters the binocular field with the star cluster.

Evening Sky

Mercury is still in bright evening twilight, setting 49 minutes after the sun.

Brilliant Venus and Crescent Moon

Four-Planet NIghtly Spectacular
Chart Caption – 2024, November 5: At 45 minutes after nightfall, Venus and the moon are in the southwestern sky.

About this time, bright Venus is over 10° above the southwest horizon and 11.5° to the lower right of the crescent moon.  The Evening Star is easily observed with a clear view in its direction.  After it passes the ecliptic’s lowest point, known as the winter solstice for the sun’s place during December, it quickly climbs higher and begins to appear farther northward.

Earthshine

2023, May 22: Brilliant Venus and the crescent moon, with earthshine,
Photo Caption – 2023, May 22: Brilliant Venus and the crescent moon, with earthshine,

The crescent moon, 18% illuminated, exhibits pretty earthshine, sunlight reflected from Earth’s features that gently lights up the lunar night. Photograph it with a tripod-mounted camera, although those who can steadily hold a camera can capture a wonderous view.  Exposures up to a few seconds show an overexposed crescent and the earthshine effect.

Saturn

Four-Planet NIghtly Spectacular
Chart Caption – 2024, November 5: During evening twilight, Saturn is in the southeastern sky to Fomalhaut’s upper left.

At this hour, Saturn is nearly one-third of the way from the southeast horizon to overhead.  While not as bright as Venus, it is the brightest star in the region, over 20° to Fomalhaut’s upper left, meaning the mouth of the Southern Fish.

Saturn is retrograding in front of a dim Aquarius starfield.  Use a binocular to track its apparent westward movement against the starry background.

Neptune through a Binocular

This contrast enhanced color picture of Neptune was acquired by Voyager 2 at a range of 14.8 million kilometers (9.2 million miles) on August 14, 1989. (NASA photo)
Photo Caption – This contrast enhanced color picture of Neptune was acquired by Voyager 2 at a range of 14.8 million kilometers (9.2 million miles) on August 14, 1989. (NASA photo)

Neptune, in front of a dim Pisces’ starfield, is east of Saturn.  It is challenging to locate because it lacks a nearby bright celestial marker, such as a bright star or another bright planet.  Use the chart in a recent article to find it throughout the month on moonless nights – meaning after moonset or before moonrise – or when the lunar orb displays a thin crescent, like this evening.

Look for Venus and Jupiter

Four-Planet NIghtly Spectacular
Chart Caption – 2024, November 5: Three hours after sundown, Jupiter is in the east-northeast with Taurus.

Tonight, Jupiter rises in the east-northeast less than two hours after sunset and about 10 minutes before Venus sets.  Sky watchers with favorable sight lines can see both planets in the sky simultaneously.  They shine through the air’s blurring and filtering effects near the horizon. Each evening, Venus sets later and Jupiter rises earlier, making the simultaneous sighting easier.

By three hours after sundown, Jupiter is about 10° up in the east, between the Bull’s horns, Elnath and Zeta Tauri.

Mars rises over three hours after Jupiter or five hours after sundown.

Within six hours after nightfall and before midnight, four bright planets are visible.

Find Jupiter and Mars tomorrow morning at nearly the same places they were this morning.

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