August 1 – 6, 2021: The morning moon wanes toward its New moon phase in the eastern sky. It passes the bright stars that are prominent in the evening sky during the winter season in the northern hemisphere. The stars have been making their first appearances in the morning sky during summer. At this hour, Procyon and bright Sirius are the last stellar duo to appear.
May 30, 2021: Brilliant Evening Star shines from low in the west-northwest after sunset. Through a binocular locate Mercury, 2.5° to the lower right of Venus. Mercury is quickly departing the evening sky. Mars is higher in the sky, 5.3° to the lower left of Pollux.
May 29, 2021: Three planets are in the evening sky. Brilliant Venus is low in the west-northwest after sunset. Speedy Mercury is leaving the sky after its best evening performance of the year. It is below Venus. Mars is higher in the western sky, in Gemini to the lower left of Pollux.
May 25, 2021: Evening Star Venus, Mercury, and Mars are in the western sky after sunset. Mercury is coming off its best evening appearance of the year. Mars is marching eastward in Gemini. The bright moon is in the southeast during the early evening near the star Graffias.
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.
Mercury’s best evening appearance of 2021 occurs during May. The planet is visible in the west-northwest above Venus after sundown. The appearance begins during late April. On May 28, the apparition ends with a close Venus – Mercury conjunction, the closest easily visible until 2033. About 30 Venus – Mercury conjunctions occur during the interval, but some close groupings are lost in the sun’s glare.
April 20, 2021: Venus is very low in the west-northwest after sunset. The gibbous moon is in Cancer, between Regulus and Pollux. Mars, above the horns of Taurus, approaches the star cluster Messier 35.
April 19, 2021: Venus begins to appear in the west after sunset. The moon lines up with Pollux and Castor, while Mars is above Bull’s horns in the western evening sky.
April 18, 2021: The crescent moon is high in the west after sunset among the stars of Gemini, below Pollux and Castor. Mars is above the Bull’s horns. Daylight is 13 hours, 30 minutes long.
April 17, 2021: During the early evening, the crescent moon is above Mars in the western sky. Use a binocular to spot the star cluster M35 near the moon. Mars is above the Bull’s horns.