November 19-21: Before sunrise, the moon passes Mars. The Red Planet is the end of a planet parade that begins after sunset.
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by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Nightly Planet Parade
The visibilities of the planets and moon are described relative to sunrise and sunset. Find those times in local sources.
Five bright planets are visible after sunset, although Mercury begins to descend into bright evening twilight. Thirty minutes after nightfall, Mercury is less than 5° up in the southwest, nearly 20° to Venus’ lower right.
As the sky darkens further, Saturn appears less than halfway up in the south-southeast.
Jupiter rises earlier each night, as its opposition approaches in less than a month. By two hours after sunset, the Jovian Giant is less than 10° up in the east-northeast; Saturn is in the south, and Venus gleams near the horizon in the southwest.
Mars rises four hours, thirty minutes after sunset and over three hours after Jupiter.
As the midnight hour approaches, Mars is less than 30° above the eastern horizon. Bright Jupiter is high in the southeast, while Saturn is less than 10° up in the west-southwest.
Evening Moon and Mars
On the 19th, the gibbous moon, 77% illuminated, is 3.1° below Pollux. The next evening the moon, 68% illuminated, is 4.5° to Mars’ lower left.
Moon Passes Mars
Likely the best view occurs during predawn hours. Here’s what to see one hour before sunrise:
- November 19: The gibbous moon, 84% illuminated, is over halfway up in the west-southwest. It lies 7.7° below Castor and 8.6° to the lower right of Pollux, the Gemini Twins. The lunar orb is nearly 20° to Mars’ lower right.
- November 20: The moon, 75% illuminated is about two-thirds of the way from Pollux to Mars. It is 6.2° to Mars’ right.
- November 21: The lunar orb, 66% illuminated, is 7.2° to the left (or east) of Mars. It is nearly 20° east of Regulus, Leo’s brightest star.
Watch the moon appear farther eastward each morning and wane as it approaches the New moon phase on December 1st.
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