Author Archives
Jeffrey L. Hunt is an educational technologist living in suburban Chicago. When he's not learning about and implementing technology in classes, he's running or looking at the stars.
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2021, May 28: Close Venus – Mercury Conjunction
May 28, 2021: This evening Mercury passes brilliant Venus for the second of three conjunctions during this evening apparition of the second planet from the sun. Use a binocular about 45 minutes after sunset to see the speedy planet 0.4° to the lower left of Venus. This is the closest visible conjunction until 2033.
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2021, May 24: Planets in a Plane
May 24, 2021: Morning planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. In the evening sky, brilliant Evening Star Venus, Mercury, and Mars line up along the solar system’s plane. The bright moon is in the southeast near Zubenelgenubi, “the southern claw.”
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2021, May 23: Planet Parade Marches On
May 23, 2021: Five bright planets parade across the sky. Jupiter and Saturn are visible before sunrise in the southeastern sky. The star Fomalhaut is becoming visible below bright Jupiter and near the horizon. After sundown, Evening Star Venus, Mercury, and Mars are in the western sky. The bright moon is in the southeastern sky during the nighttime hours.
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2021, May 22: Parading Five Planets
May 22, 2021: Five planets parade across the sky. Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. Evening Star Venus, Mercury and Mars are in the western sky after sunset. A bright moon is in the southeastern sky.
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2021, May 21: Evening Planet Ballet
May 21, 2021: Three bright planets are dancing in the western sky after sundown. Evening Star Venus is entering the sky for a months-long residency after its solar conjunction two months ago. Mercury is heading for a conjunction with Venus after its best evening appearance of the year. Mars continues its eastward march in Gemini, but time is running out on its appearance as it approaches brighter evening twilight and a conjunction with Venus.
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2021, May 21: Twilight Lengthens
May 21, 2021: At the weather warms, daylight and twilight lengthen to diminish nighttime hours. As the summer solstice approaches far northern latitudes do not have periods of darkness. From the most northern latitudes, the sun does not set – the Land of the Midnight Sun.
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2021, May 20: Evening Planet Dance
May 20, 2021: Evening Star Venus, Mercury, and Mars continue their planetary dance in the western sky after sunset. Begin looking for brilliant Venus about 30 minutes after sunset. Fifteen minutes later, Mercury and Mars join the ballet.
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2021, May 20: Morning Summer Triangle
May 20, 2021: With two bright planets in the southeast before sunrise, the Summer Triangle – Vega, Altair, and Deneb – is high in the south as daylight approaches.
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2021, May 22: Saturn Retrogrades
May 22, 2021: Saturn, the Ringed Wonder, begins its retrograde motion today. The planet is in the southern sky to the upper right of bright Jupiter before sunrise. The planet is at opposition on August 2, and ends its retrograde motion on October 10.
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2021, May 19: Five Planets, Waxing Moon
May 19, 2021: The display of five planets continues. Jupiter and Saturn are morning planets, visible in the southeast before sunrise. After sunset, brilliant Evening Star Venus, Mercury, and Mars are in the western sky. The half-full moon is to the upper left of Regulus.
