Several bright stars and a quartet of morning planets shine from the pre-sunrise sky.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

The Summer Triangle – Vega, Altair and Deneb – shine from overhead this morning.  This stellar trio belongs to their own constellations – Lyra, Aquila, and Cygnus, respectively.

During early summer evenings the triangle begins the nights low in the eastern sky as the sky darkens after sunset.  Because darkness – the time between the end of evening twilight and the beginning of morning twilight – lasts only about 4.5 hours at the northern mid-latitudes, the stars only make it to overhead before the glow of the anticipated sunrise begins.

Lyra is a relatively small constellation.  Its bright stars appear as a parallelogram attached to a triangle that includes Vega.

Bright Jupiter and Saturn are lower in the south-southwestern sky in eastern Sagittarius.  Faster moving Jupiter overtakes and passes the slower moving Saturn once every 19.6 years.  This once-in-a-generation event is known as a Great Conjunction.  This year’s occurs on December 21.  This is the closest conjunction of the two planets since 1623. 

As the planets revolve around the sun, they move eastward compared to the stars. As our planet revolves around the sun, the motion of the planets in the sky reflects the combined movements of that planet and Earth.  As we overtake and pass Jupiter and Saturn nearly every year, they seem to stop moving eastward compared to the stars and go backwards.

This retrograde motion was difficult to explain for the early astronomers, and the description was more difficult when our planet was placed at the center of the universe without motion.  After the invention of the telescope and the earth’s revolution around the sun was confirmed, astronomers clearly understood this was an illusion of our faster moving planet overtaking and passing the outer planets.

On July 14, Earth passes between the sun and Jupiter.  Earth passes Saturn six days later.  This is known as opposition.  The planets appear opposite the sun in the sky.  They rise in the east when the sun sets in the west.  They are in the south near midnight, while the sun is there near noon.  Finally, they set in the west as the sun rises in the eastern sky.

Jupiter and Saturn have been retrograding since May and continue into September.

This morning Jupiter and Saturn are 5.7° apart.  Until retrograde ends, the gap grows.  You can watch them separate and move westward compared to the starry background.  Use a binocular to locate 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr on the image) and Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap).  On the next several mornings, Jupiter and Saturn are near this morning’s locations, but a farther west (right) compared to the stars.  This morning Jupiter is 1.7° below its reference star.  Saturn is 2.6° to the lower right of σ Cap.

In the southeast, Mars is moving eastward compared to the stars. It moves faster than Jupiter and Saturn.  Observing its changing position is easy.  This morning it moved into Pisces.  The constellation is without bright stars, so a binocular is handy when observing the motion of the planet.  It is difficult to visualize two fish connected by a string in these faint stars.

Mars is 0.2° to the upper right of 27 Piscium (27 Psc).  Watch it pass the star and move toward 29 Piscium (29 Psc) during the next few mornings.

Mars stops moving eastward on September 9 and begins to retrograde. The Red Planet is at opposition on October 13, 2020.

As the sky brightens as sunrise approaches, Venus rises in the east-northeastern sky.  It is visible during bright twilight.  In the image above, Venus is clearing the trees about 45 minutes before sunrise.

The five bright planets and the crescent moon appear together on the morning of July 19.

Here’s more about the planets during June.

Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter are visible during late June mornings.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Bright Jupiter and Saturn shine from the south-southwest this morning during early twilight.  The Giant Planet is 5.7° to the lower right of Saturn.  During the next few mornings use a binocular to observe the dimmer star 56 Sagittarii, 56 Sgr on the image above.  Jupiter slowly inches past the star as it retrogrades.

By magnifying the image above, two of Jupiter’s moons are visible, Callisto – to the lower right – and Ganymede – to the upper left.

Jupiter and Saturn are retrograding as our planet approaches them.  This is an illusion from our perspective. During retrograde planets seem to move westward compared to the starry background. These bright outer planets retrograde until September.

Earth passes between Jupiter and the sun on July 14.  This is known as opposition.  The sun and Jupiter are on opposite sides of Earth.  Saturn is at opposition six days later.

When at opposition, a planet can be tracked across the sky all night.  The planet rises in the eastern sky as the sun sets.  It appears in the south during the midnight hour, and sets in the western sky at sunrise.  Jupiter and Saturn can now be found in the eastern sky later in the evening.

When Jupiter and Saturn resume their direct motion – moving eastward compared to the stars – Jupiter overtakes Saturn in a Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020.  This occurs every 19.6 years.  This year’s conjunction is the closest since 1623.

Meanwhile in the southeast, Mars continues its eastward march against the stars. The planet is front of the stars of eastern Aquarius, near the star named 27 Piscium, 27 Psc on the image above.  Use a binocular each morning to watch Mars move past the star and other nearby stars.  Tomorrow it moves into Pisces.

Mars is at opposition on October 13, 2020.

As the sky brightens as sunrise approaches, Venus rises in the northeastern sky.  It is visible during bright twilight.  In the image above, Venus is visible about 25 minutes before sunrise.

The five bright planets and the crescent moon appear together on the morning of July 19.

Here’s more about the planets during June.

The crescent moon and Venus appear in the eastern sky, while Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter gleam in the southern sky before sunrise.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

One day before their spectacular grouping, Venus and the crescent moon – 26.8 days past its New phase and only 8% illuminated – shines from the eastern sky about 35 minutes before sunrise.  The lunar crescent is about 12° to the upper right of the brilliant planet. While easy to locate, find a clear eastern horizon to see the bright morning planet.

Venus is on a rapid, steep climb into the morning sky.  It rises about 4 minutes earlier each day.

Through a binocular or small telescope, Venus shows a tiny crescent with about the same illumination as the moon

Tomorrow the moon is only 1.0° from the planet.  This is the closest grouping during this morning appearance of Venus.

For more about Venus as a morning star during 2020, read this article.

On July 19, the five-naked eye planets (Mercury – Saturn) appear in the sky with the crescent moon.

Earlier this morning – an hour before sunrise – and farther westward, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter are in the southern sky.  Bright Jupiter is about one-third of the way up in the sky in the south-southwest.  Dimmer Saturn is 5.4° to the Giant Planet’s upper left.

Jupiter and Saturn are retrograding as Earth is nearing the planets.  On July 14, Earth passes between Jupiter and the sun (opposition).  Earth passes between Saturn and the sun six days later.  When near opposition, the planets seem to move westward compared to the starry background.  The planets retrograde and separate in the sky.  After they reverse their direction and move eastward again, Jupiter closes in and passes Saturn in a spectacular Great Conjunction during the early evening hours of December 21, 2020.

Such events occur every 19.6 years, about once every generation. This conjunction is the closest of the two planets since 1623.

Mars is marching eastward compared to the stars.  The planet is in the southeast, over 58° to the upper left of Jupiter.  The gap continues to open with Jupiter.  Mars is at opposition on October 13, 2020.

When a planet is at opposition, it rises at sunset, appears in the south during the midnight hours and sets in the west at sunrise.

Follow the planets in the sky during June.

Venus moves into the morning sky with Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.  The crescent moon adds to the view.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

This morning the crescent moon – 25.0 days past the New phase and 22% illuminated – is low in the east, midway from Mars to Venus.  It is heading toward Friday’s (June 19) close grouping with Venus, now emerging into the morning sky. 

Find a clear horizon to see Venus low in the east-northeast.

For more about Venus as a morning star during 2020, see this article. Through a binocular Venus shows a thin crescent shape. This morning Venus is over 36° to the lower left of the moon.

On July 19, the five-naked eye planets (Mercury – Saturn) appear in the sky with the crescent moon.

This morning the moon is 37° to the lower left of Mars.  The Red Planet is among the faint stars of Aquarius.

Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter arch across the southern sky.  Mars is in the southeast, with Saturn and bright Jupiter in the south-southwest. Mars is over 57° from Jupiter and the gap continues to grow as Mars marches eastward compared to the starry background.

Meanwhile, Jupiter and Saturn continue to retrograde, move westward compared to the starry background.  This illusion is from Earth overtaking and passing the outer planets.  With a binocular watch the planets move westward compared to the stars.  This morning Jupiter is 1.7° to the lower left of 56 Sagittarii – labelled on some star charts and the image above as 56 Sgr.  Saturn is 2.1° to the lower right of Sigma Capricorni, σ Cap.

As Jupiter and Saturn retrograde, they also separate.  This morning they are 5.3° apart.  As they move westward against the starry background, the gap between Jupiter and Saturn increases.

Earth passes between the sun and Jupiter (opposition) on July 14, followed by Saturn six days later.  At opposition the planets rise in the southeast at sunset, appear in the south at midnight, and set in the west at sunrise.  They are in opposite directions from the sun.

Jupiter and Saturn continue to retrograde until September.  After the planets begin their direct motion, Jupiter over takes and catches Saturn in a Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020.  Such events occur every 19.6 years, about once every generation. This conjunction is the closest of the two planets since 1623.

Follow the planets in the sky during June.

Venus joins Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the moon in the morning sky.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

For more about Venus as a morning star during 2020, read this article.

Venus is now joining the morning planets, along with Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. Just 12 days after its solar conjunction, it is appearing low in the east-northeast during bright morning twilight.  Because of its brightness, it can be seen even in a bright sky.  The image above was made about 25 minutes before sunrise.  The planet was visible without a binocular, but through the binocular the planet displayed a thin crescent.

Farther along the eastern horizon, the crescent moon – 23.6 days past the New phase and 30% illuminated – is low in the east-southeast.  On Friday morning (June 19), the moon appears very close to Venus.  They are separated by about 1°, about twice the apparent size of the moon.  This is the closest grouping of the moon and Venus during this morning appearance of Venus.

On July 19, the five-naked eye planets (Mercury – Saturn) appear in the sky with the crescent moon.

Mars is over 25° to the upper right of the moon.  It continues its eastward march among the stars, moving farther from Jupiter and Saturn.

Jupiter and Saturn are in the southwest.  They continue to retrograde – move westward against the starry background.  Each night they rise in the east and move westward from Earth’s rotation.  Compared to the starry background, they seem to move backwards.  The forward motion is eastward compared to the stars.  The illusion of retrograde occurs as our planet approaches and passes a planet that is farther from the sun than Earth.  Jupiter and Saturn started retrograding last month and this continues until September.  Earth passes between these planets and the sun next month, Jupiter, July 14, and Saturn, July 20.

After the planets begin their direct motion, Jupiter over takes and catches Saturn in a Great Conjunction.  Such events occur every 19.6 years, about once every generation. This conjunction is the closest of the two planets since 1623.

Follow the planets in the sky during June.