2026, November 20: Mercury at Greatest Elongation, Venus, Mars, and Saturn

November 20, 2026: Mercury reaches greatest elongation. Find Venus near Spica, Mars near Regulus, Jupiter in Leo, and the 83%-illuminated Beaver Moon near Saturn.

Venus and Mercury, November 20, 2020
2020, November 20: Before sunrise, bright Venus is low in the east-southeast, 5.8° to the lower left of Spica. Mercury is low in the sky.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:46 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:26 p.m. CST.  Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.

Today’s Highlights

  • Mercury at Greatest Elongation
  • Brilliant Venus Near Spica
  • Mars Nears Conjunction with Regulus
  • Moon Passes Saturn

Mercury at Greatest Elongation

Venus, Mercury, and Spica Before Sunrise, November 20, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, November 20: An hour before sunrise, brilliant Venus and Mercury are in the east-southeast. Spica is to Venus’ lower right.

Mercury is at greatest elongation this morning, appearing farthest from the sun this morning.

The Elusive Planet makes its best morning appearance of the year. It rises over 100 minutes before sunrise and is placed about 10° above the east-southeast horizon at mid-twilight. The angular separation from the sun is only 19.6°, but the ecliptic intersects the horizon at a high angle before sunrise at this season, unlike the shallow angle in the west after sunset. The high angle is shown by visualizing a line from Venus through Mercury to the horizon.

After greatest elongation, the planet begins to retreat into brighter morning twilight.

Find Mercury by first locating brilliant Venus about an hour before sunrise. The Morning Star, near its greatest brilliancy, is nearly 20° above the east-southeast horizon. At this brightness and altitude (height above the horizon), Venus is often mistaken for an airplane or some unworldly object.

Brilliant Venus Near Spica

This morning, Venus is 1.9° to Spica’s upper left, Virgo’s brightest star. The planet seems to be making a loop around the star before seeming to separate as the month progresses. Venus is 15.2° to Mercury’s upper right.

The solar system’s innermost planet is bright, although a binocular assists in the initial identification. As morning twilight brightens toward the approaching sunrise, Mercury is higher, but it blends into the brightening sky.

Mars Nears Conjunction with Regulus

Jupiter, Mars, Regulus, November 20, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, November 20: During morning twilight, bright Jupiter, Mars, and Regulus are high in the southern sky.

Bright Jupiter is high in the south. The planet is noticeably dimmer than Venus, but brighter than other celestial bodies this morning. It slowly rambles eastward in front of Leo, 4.0° to Regulus’ upper right, the Lion’s brightest star.

Mars passed Jupiter four mornings ago and passes Regulus on November 26. This morning, the Red Planet is 2.0° to Jupiter’s upper left and 2.9° to Regulus’ upper right. The compact triangle easily fits into the same binocular field of view.

Moon Passes Saturn

Saturn, Moon, November 20, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, November 20: An hour after sunset, Saturn is to the Beaver Moon’s lower right.

Meanwhile, after sunset the bright Beaver Moon, 83% illuminated, is over 35° above the east-southeast horizon, 5.7° to Saturn’s upper left. The Full Moon phase occurs on November 24.

Resembling a star, Saturn retrogrades in front of Cetus. This apparent westward movement ends on December 10. Through a telescope, the rings are tilted slightly and the view is toward the planet’s southern hemisphere.

The five bright planets and gibbous moon are visible during the night. Before sunrise, Mercury appears farthest from the sun during its best morning appearance of the year, while brilliant Venus is to the upper left. Jupiter and Mars are high in the south. After sunset, Saturn and the moon are in the southeast.

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