Tag: Mars

Astronomy, Sky Watching

2018, April 2: Mars-Saturn Conjunction Morning

Mars passes 1.2 degrees below Saturn this morning.  Watch Mars move away from  Saturn during the next several days.  Saturn begins to retrograde on April 17, heading toward its opposition in  June.

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On the larger scale, Jupiter is in the southwest.  A bright waning gibbous moon (just outside the frame beyond Jupiter) illuminates the scene.

The articles that follow provide details about the planets visible without optical assistance (binoculars or telescope):

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Astronomy, Sky Watching

2018, March 25: The Morning Planets, Mars On the Move

A clear sky prevails this morning with the bright planets in the south.

Mars closes in on Saturn in the south-southeast. This morning they are 4.4 degrees apart. Mars passes Saturn on the morning of April 2.  Watch Mars  close the gap during the next week.

Bright Jupiter gleams in the southwest.  It is retrograding near the star Zubenelgenubi.  This morning they are 7.5 degrees apart.  Jupiter passes the star in early June.

The articles that follow provide details about the planets visible without optical assistance (binoculars or telescope):

Astronomy, Sky Watching

2018, March 22: The Morning Planet Parade, Mars Closes In

Mars is marching toward its April 2 conjunction with Saturn. This morning they are about 6 degrees apart.  Watch Mars close the gap each morning.

Meanwhile, farther west, Jupiter is retrograding.  It is about 8 degrees from Zubenelgenubi, the brightest star in Libra.  Jupiter passes the star in June.

The articles that follow provide details about the planets visible without optical assistance (binoculars or telescope):

Astronomy, Sky Watching

2018: March 18: Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn, The Morning Planet Parade, Mars Approaches Saturn

The bright morning planets shine in the south this morning.  Mars, now well past Antares, is approaching Saturn.  This morning Mars and Saturn are 8 degrees apart.  During the next two weeks watch Mars close the gap and pass Saturn on April 2.

Bright Jupiter is toward the southwest, retrograding toward the star Zubenelgenubi.  It moves slower and passes the star in June.  This morning, they are 7.9 degrees apart.

This evening Venus, Mercury and the crescent moon appear in the western sky after sunset.  See the details in the link below.

The articles that follow provide details about the planets visible without optical assistance (binoculars or telescope):

Astronomy, Sky Watching

2018, March 13: Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn, The Morning Parade Moves On.

The morning planets shine in a partly cloudy sky this morning, Bright Jupiter appears in the south-southwest 8 degrees from the star Zubenelgenubi.  Jupiter passes that star in June as the planet retrogrades.  Mars passed Jupiter in January.

Looking eastward past Antares is Mars as it approaches Saturn.  Mars passes the Ringed Wonder on April 2.  This morning, Mars is 10.5 degrees from Saturn.  Watch Mars close the gap during the 3 weeks.

These three planets join Venus in the evening sky later in the summer.

The articles that follow provide details about the planets visible without optical assistance (binoculars or telescope):

Astronomy, Sky Watching

2018, March 9: Moon Joins the Morning Planet Parade

The last quarter moon (overexposed in the image) joins the morning planet parade this morning.  The moon is 7 degrees from Mars which is marching eastward toward Saturn, 12.6 degrees to the left of Mars.  Mars passes this ringed wonder April 2.

Bright Jupiter is farther west near the two bright stars in Libra (Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali).  Yesterday, Jupiter stopped moving eastward compared  to the starry background.  This morning, it is 7.9 degrees from Zubenelgenubi.  Watch Jupiter move westward  and close the gap during the next few months.  It passes the star in early June.

While overexposed in the top image. The moon takes some clarity in this image.

The articles that follow provide details about the planets visible without optical assistance (binoculars or telescope):

Astronomy, Sky Watching

2018, March 2: Mars Marches Eastward

The Red Planet Mars continues its eastward march among the starry background.  It appears between the star Antares and Saturn during early morning twilight today.  As the earth rotates each day, the sun, moon, stars, and planets rise in the east and set in the west.  At the same time, the planets move eastward in their orbits.  In early January, Mars passed bright Jupiter which is 28 degrees to the upper right of Mars this morning.  During February, Mars passed Antares.  This morning the star is 12 degrees to the lower right of Mars.

Mars is on its way to a conjunction with Saturn in early April.  This morning, Saturn is 16 degrees to the left of Mars.  During this month (March), watch Mars, for which the month is named, march eastward to close the distance with Saturn.

The articles that follow provide details about the planets visible without optical assistance (binoculars or telescope):