2020, July 24: Mercury and Venus shine from the eastern sky this morning about an hour before sunrise. Mercury is 24° to the lower left of brilliant Venus.
Before sunrise catch the two planets inside Earth’s orbit, Mercury and Venus, the eastern sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Brilliant Venus and Mercury shine this morning from the eastern sky about an hour before sunrise. These two worlds are part of the morning planet parade that is now breaking up. Mercury, in the east-northeast, and Jupiter, low in the southwest, are near the horizon. Venus, Mars, and Saturn are scattered between the other two naked-eye planets.
2020, July 24: Mercury is low in the east-northeast about one hour before sunrise.
This morning Venus and Mercury are 24° apart. As the images above indicate, locate a clear horizon to find this elusive planet.
2020, July 20: Venus and Mercury shines from the eastern sky. Mercury is over 23° to the lower left of the brilliant planet.
The five bright planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter – are strung across the plane of the solar system from the east-northeast horizon to the southwest skyline. Simultaneously, five planets are visible.
This morning the five bright planets appear as beads on a necklace that is stretched across the morning sky.
2020, July 20: Without the moon this morning, Mercury shines from low in the east-northeast during morning twilight. It is over 23° to the lower left of brilliant Venus.
Without the moon, Mercury shines low in the east-northeast, to the lower left of brilliant Venus. Mercury is in the sky for several more mornings until it disappears back into the sun’s glare. In two mornings it reaches its greatest separation (elongation) from the sun. It never strays far from the sun’s glare, making it a challenge to view.
2020, July 20: In the east, brilliant Venus shines from among the stars of Taurus, 5.1° to the lower left of the star Aldebaran. The Hyades star cluster and Pleiades star cluster are nearby.
Brilliant Venus is to the upper right of Mercury. Before later twilight brightened the sky, Venus is visible 5.1° to the lower left of Aldebaran. This star along with the Hyades star cluster form the face of Taurus the Bull. The Pleiades star cluster is above the scene.
2020, July 20: Mars shines from the stars of Cetus in the southeastern sky during early morning twilight. It is 2.7° to the upper left of 20 Ceti (20 Cet).
Meanwhile, Mars is the lone bright “star” in the southeast among the dim stars of Cetus. This morning it is 2.7° to the upper left of 20 Ceti (20 Cet on the photo). A binocular is needed to see the starfield.
Mars is marching eastward. It begins the illusion of retrograde motion in early September as Earth approaches and passes the planet. Earth is between the sun and Mars on October 13, 2020. On this date, the sun and planet are in opposite directions from Earth. Near opposition the outer planets are closest to Earth and brightest in the sky.
2020, July 20: Saturn and brighter Jupiter appear in the southwest among the stars of Sagittarius. Jupiter is 4.0° to the lower right 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr), while Saturn is 4.3° to the lower right of Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap).
Saturn and Jupiter are farther west in eastern Sagittarius. The planets are retrograding – moving westward compared to the background stars. With a binocular check the planets’ positions compared to the starry background. This morning Saturn is 4.3° to the lower right of Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap), while Jupiter is 4.0° to the lower right 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr).
Jupiter was at opposition last week and Saturn is at opposition today. Jupiter and Saturn appear to reverse their directions in September. Then Jupiter inches toward Saturn and passes it on December 21, 2020 for a Great Conjunction.
Continue to look for the five planets for the next several days.
2020, July 17: The crescent moon is in a group with Venus and Aldebaran as the Pleiades appear above the scene during early morning twilight.
This morning’s crescent moon joins Venus in the eastern sky. Four planets arch across the morning sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
2020, July 17: The crescent moon is 3.2° to the left of Venus and the brilliant planet is the same distance to the lower left of Aldebaran.
A thin crescent moon joins brilliant Venus this morning in the eastern sky. The star Aldebaran, in Taurus the Bull, appears nearby. The moon is 3.2° from Venus, and the sparkling planet is the same distance from Aldebaran.
2020, July 17: Mars, in the southeast, is 2.9° to the upper right of 20 Ceti (20 Cet).
Higher in the southeast, bright Mars shines from the dim stars of Cetus. It continues to march eastward compared to the starry background. This morning it is 2.9° to the upper right of 20 Ceti (20 Cet on the photo).
Earth passes between Mars and the sun on October 13. This is known as opposition.
2020, July 17: Jupiter is 3.7° to the lower right of 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr) and 1.6° to the upper left of 50 Sagittarii (50 Sgr). Saturn is 4.1° to the lower right of Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap).
Jupiter and Saturn are in the southwestern sky in front of the stars of eastern Sagittarius. They are moving westward compared to the stars. This illusion of backwards motion occurs when Earth passes worlds beyond our planet.
Jupiter is a few days past its opposition. Earth passes between the sun and Saturn on July 20. Both planets continue to retrograde until September. When they again resume their eastward motion compared to the stars, Jupiter approaches and passes Saturn in a Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020.
This morning, Jupiter is 3.7° to the lower right of 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr) and 1.6° to the upper left of 50 Sagittarii (50 Sgr). Saturn is 4.1° to the lower right of Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap).
2020, July 14: Comet NEOWISE shines from the northeastern sky.
Four planets, Moon, and a comet parade across July’s morning sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Four bright planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Venus – stretch across the sky from the east-northeast horizon to the southwest skyline.
2020, July 14: The moon is in the eastern sky. It is 23.4 days past its New phase and 37% illuminated. It is a thick waning crescent phase.
Overnight Earth passed between the sun and Jupiter. This is known as opposition. Saturn’s opposition is July 20. At opposition, planets are bright in the sky. They are opposite the sun in the sky. The rise in the east when the sun sets in the west, move across the sky all night, and set in the west at sunrise.
The moon appears between Venus and Mars in the eastern sky.
2020, July 14: Venus is 1.6° to the left of Aldebaran. The Pleiades star cluster appears above the pair.
Venus is moving eastward through Taurus the Bull. Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluster form a sideways “V” that makes the Bull’s head. Venus is 1.6° from Aldebaran this morning.
In a few mornings (July 17) the moon appears with Venus and Aldebaran. With the Pleiades in view, this will be a picturesque scene!
Mercury joins the planet parade beginning July 19, when the “Classic 9” planets are in the sky simultaneously with the moon, about 45 minutes before sunrise.
2020, July 14: Venus, Moon, and Mars span nearly 62° in the eastern morning sky.
The moon is between Venus and Mars. The Venus – Mars gap is nearly 62°.
2020, July 14: Mars is 1.3° to the upper left of 14 Ceti (14 Cet).
The Red Planet is marching eastward in front of the stars of Cetus. It is at opposition on October 13, 2020.
For observers with large-aperture telescopes, Uranus, Neptune, and Classic Planet Pluto are visible as well.
Comet NEOWISE is appearing in the morning and evening sky. This morning it is low in the northeast during early morning twilight.
2020, July 14: Saturn is 6.8° to the upper left of the Jupiter. Jupiter 3.4° is to the lower right of 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr), while Saturn is 3.9° to the lower right of Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap).
Farther west, Jupiter and Saturn are retrograding in eastern Sagittarius. Later in the year, after the giant planet pair reverses course, Jupiter passes closely to Saturn in a Great Conjunction, the closest since 1623.
These Jupiter – Saturn groupings occur once every 19.6 years. This is the closest grouping since 1623, although the records are unclear whether it was observed. The pair was close to the sun when Jupiter passed.
In the photo above at least one of Jupiter’s largest moon’s is visible.
Jupiter, at opposition, leads the July planet parade. See Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Venus before sunrise.
Jupiter, at opposition, leads the July planet parade. Saturn is at opposition July 20, 2020.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Bright Jupiter is at opposition. Earth is between the sun and this giant planet.
At opposition the planet is very bright in the sky because it is closest to Earth.
Jupiter rises at sunset. It appears in the south around 1 a.m., midnight when daylight time is not in effect. The planet sets in the southwest at sunrise.
Saturn is 6.7° to the lower left of Jupiter. Earth passes between the sun and Saturn on July 20.
This planetary pair is retrograding in eastern Sagittarius. This apparent motion is an illusion as our faster moving Earth overtakes, passes between the sun and planet, and moves away from the planet.
This motion was the cosmological problem of early astronomers. The philosophical part of the issue was whether the sun was at the center of the universe or the Earth held the central position.
With a stationary Earth at the center, several circles were employed to make the planetary models fit what was occurring in the sky. With a central sun and a fast-moving earth, the retrograde motion was an optical illusion.
Earth’s revolution around the sun was not measured until the 19th Century. Retrograde motion is an illusion.
Both planets retrograde until September, but as they continue to move westward compared to the starry background, the gap continues to grow.
When they reverse direction, Jupiter inches toward Saturn. Jupiter slowly overtakes and passes the Ringed Wonder. This Great Conjunction occurs on December 21, 2020.
This is the closest conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn since 1623, although there is little evidence that this conjunction was observed.
Mars follows the Jupiter – Saturn pair across the horizon after midnight. It clears the landscape by 1 a.m. and appears low in the eastern sky. The moon rises about an hour after Mars (on July 14).
As Earth rotates, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and the moon appear farther west.
By the beginning of morning twilight, Jupiter and Saturn are in the south-southwest and Mars is in the southeast. The moon is to the lower left of Mars.
Venus then rises into the east-northeast sky. It is near Aldebaran in Taurus.
As the sky brightens, the four bright planets and the moon stretch across the sky from the east-northeast horizon to the southwest skyline.
Mercury joins the planet parade beginning July 19, when the “Classic 9” planets are in the sky simultaneously with the moon, about 45 minutes before sunrise.
For observers with large-aperture telescopes, Uranus, Neptune, and Classic Planet Pluto are visible as well.
In a few mornings (July 17) the moon appears with Venus and Aldebaran. With the Pleiades in view, this will be a picturesque scene!
The four bright planets, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, are visible in the morning sky until about mid-August, although at an earlier hour as August progresses.
2020, July 13: Comet NEOWISE (Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE) appears above the northeast horizon during early morning twilight.
Comet NEOWISE appears with the moon in July’s morning planet parade.
More about the comet, planets and moon on July 14, click here.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Comet NEOWISE appears in the morning sky during twilight this morning in the northeast.
The comet (formally known as Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE) is now appearing in the evening sky as well as making its mark in the morning sky.
Comets are orbiting icebergs. They travel around the sun in elongated orbits. When near the sun, the solar energy vaporizes the ices. Solar wind – a stream of particles from the sun – drives the gasses and dust into space.
The intense sunlight fractures many comets into smaller pieces. Comet NEOWISE survived its close solar passage and it is the summer surprise with the July morning planet parade that stars Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter.
Mercury joins the planet parade beginning July 19, when the “Classic 9” planets are in the sky simultaneously with the moon, about 45 minutes before sunrise.
2020, July 13: Mars is 0.8° to the upper left of 14 Ceti (14 Cet).
The thick crescent moon appears to the lower left of Mars this morning. The image above uses a roofline to block the moon’s light so that the starry background is visible.
Mars is marching eastward in the constellation Cetus. This region of the sky does not have many bright stars. A binocular is helpful to watch Mars appear farther east among the stars each morning.
This morning, Mars 0.8° is to the upper left of dim 14 Ceti (14 Cet on the photo). Notice that it is also east of 10 Ceti (10 Cet) and to the lower left of 44 Piscium (44 Psc).
Mars continues to move eastward until early September. Afterwards it appears to move westward – retrograde – compared to the background stars. Earth passes between the sun and Mars on October 13, 2020. This is known as opposition.
2020, July 13: Jupiter is 3.3° to the lower right of 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr). Saturn is 3.8° to the lower right of Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap).
Jupiter is at opposition tomorrow. It rises in the eastern sky at sunrise and sets in the western sky at sunrise.
This morning, Jupiter, along with Saturn, is in the southwest. Saturn is at opposition on July 20.
The planets are retrograding in eastern Sagittarius. The Jupiter – Saturn gap is 6.7°. Their separation widens until September when they reverse their apparent direction. Jupiter closes in and passes Saturn in a Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020.
These conjunctions occur about every 19.6 years because these planets move slowly around the sun.
In the starfield this morning, Jupiter is 3.3° to the lower right of 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr). Saturn is 3.8° to the lower right of Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap). Each morning compare the positions of the planets to the reference stars.
At least one of the four largest Jovian moons is visible in the image – Callisto.
2020, July 13: Venus appears 1.2° to the left of Aldebaran.
The “star” of the morning planet parade is brilliant Venus. It is visible low in the east-northeast, in front of the stars of Taurus the Bull. The brighter star Aldebaran and dimmer stars (Hyades star cluster) seem to form a sideways “V” that makes the head of the Bull. Aldebaran represents the bull’s eye.
This morning, the planet is 1.2° to the left of Aldebaran.
2020, July 13: Venus, Aldebaran, Hyades, Pleiades appear in the early morning sky.
In a few mornings (July 17) the moon appears with Venus and Aldebaran. With the Pleiades in view, this will be a picturesque scene!
2020, July 11: Comet NEOWISE shines from low in the northeast sky during early morning twilight. It is to the lower left of the star Capella.
Cosmic interloper Comet NEOWISE Marches in July’s morning planet parade.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Comet NEOWISE joins the morning planet parade again this morning. The unexpected surprise in the morning sky this year is the comet. It joins a parade of planets in the pre-sunrise sky.
As the photo indicates, Comet NEOWISE (formally known as Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE) is low in the northeastern sky during early morning twilight. Find a clear horizon (or a gap in the trees or houses) to see it. The comet is easy to see without a binocular or telescope, but a binocular assists in finding the location.
The comet is to the lower left of the bright star Capella.
Comets are icy debris, theorized to be left over from the formation of the solar system. Normally invisible, these frozen icebergs vaporize when they approach the sun, forming the comet’s characteristic tail.
Many comets are observed every year, but infrequently they become bright enough to be seen without a telescope. Comet NEOWISE is the best visual comet seen from the northern hemisphere since Comet Hale-Bopp that was visible in 1997.
Comet NEOWISE becomes visible higher in the evening sky in a few evenings as well as shining in the morning sky.
2020, July 11: Brilliant Venus appears 1.0° to the upper left of the star Aldebaran. The Pleiades star cluster appears above Venus.
Meanwhile the planet parade continues from the east-northeast tree line to the southwest skyline. The current best part of this parade is Venus appearing to move through the Hyades star cluster. The mass of stars, along with Aldebaran, makes a sideways “V” that represents the head of Taurus the Bull.
This morning Venus is 1.0° to the upper left of Aldebaran. A binocular helps when identifying the changing position of Venus in Taurus.
The moon is in the region on the morning of July 17, grouping with Venus, Aldebaran, and the Hyades. With the Pleiades nearby, this will be a picturesque view. Get your camera ready for this spectacular scene!
Mercury joins the planet parade beginning July 19, when the “Classic 9” planets are in the sky simultaneously with the moon, about 45 minutes before sunrise.
Farther west, the gibbous moon is to the right of Mars. Its brightness, causes an extra image in the photo above.
2020, July 11: Mars is 0.7° to the upper right of dim 14 Ceti) (14 Cet) and 2.7° below 44 Piscium (44 Psc).
Mars is marching eastward in the constellation Cetus, near the dim star 14 Ceti (14 Cet on the photo above) and below 44 Piscium (44 Psc). Watch it continue to move eastward with a binocular.
2020, July 11: Jupiter shines from the southwest. Saturn is 6.6° to Jupiter’s upper left. In the starfield, Jupiter is 3.0° below 56 Sgr. Saturn is 3.6° to the lower right of σ Cap.
Still Farther west, Jupiter and Saturn are low in the southwestern sky. They are retrograding in eastern Sagittarius. This perceived motion is an illusion as our planet approaches and passes a planet farther from the sun than Earth. We pass between Jupiter and the sun on July 14 and Saturn 6 days later.
In the image above, note that Jupiter is to the lower right of 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr). If you enlarge the image, you can see at least one of the four largest jovian satellites.
Saturn is to the lower right of Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap).
With a binocular watch the planets move away from the star referenced on the image during the next several days.
Jupiter and Saturn reverse their directions in September. Jupiter inches toward Saturn, passing it on December 21, 2020 in a Great Conjunction. This once-in-a-generation conjunction is the closest since the Jupiter – Saturn conjunction of 1623.
For more about the planets see this article about where to find them during July.
Comet NEOWISE joins the gibbous moon and four bright planets in the July morning sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Comet NEOWISE (formally known as Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE) is moving away from the sun and vaporizing in the bright sunlight. The debris is pushed away from the sun, forming a comet’s famous tail. The comet is in the morning sky for a few more days, then moves into the western sky after sunset.
In the planet parade, about an hour before sunrise, the bright gibbous moon appears in the south.
2020, July 9: Jupiter and Saturn, 6.5° apart are retrograding in eastern Sagittarius. This morning Jupiter is 2.8° below 56 Sgr. Saturn is 3.5° to the lower right of σ Cap. The photo shows Ganymede and Europa to the upper left of Jupiter and Io to the lower right of the planet.
Jupiter and Saturn are retrograding in eastern Sagittarius. This morning they are 6.5° apart. As they retrograde, the gap gets larger. With a binocular watch Jupiter move away from 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr on the photo) and Saturn extend its separation from Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap). In September, these giant planets reverse their apparent direction and Jupiter passes Saturn for a Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020.
(If you expand the image above, three of Jupiter’s largest moons are visible is tiny points of light. Ganymede and Europa are to the upper left, while Io is to the lower right of Jupiter.)
Earth passes between Jupiter and the sun (opposition) on July 14 and Saturn six days later. This planetary pair can be found in the southeast about 2 hours after sunset, when they have moved above the trees and other terrestrial obstacles.
2020, July 9: Mars is nearly 42° up in the southeast, 0.7° to the lower left of 10 Ceti (10 Cet).
Meanwhile, Mars is moving eastward in the constellation Cetus. The Red Planet moved into this constellation yesterday and stays there for 19 days before it moves back into Pisces.
This morning it is near 10 Ceti (10 Cet) in the starfield. With a binocular watch Mars move away from this dimmer star.
Being farther eastward, Earth passes between Mars and the sun on October 13, 2020.
2020, July 9: Brilliant Venus is among the stars of the Hyades star cluster, 1.6° to the upper right of Aldebaran. The Pleiades star cluster appears higher in the sky.
Venus is in the northeast among the stars of Taurus the Bull as it appears to be moving through the Hyades star cluster. The cluster and the star Aldebaran make the sideways “V” of the head of the Bull. This morning the brilliant planet appears 1.6° to the upper right of Aldebaran. With a binocular watch the planet move closer to the star during the next few mornings.
Get your cameras ready for July 17, when the moon groups with Venus and Aldebaran. With the Hyades star cluster and Pleiades star cluster, this will be a picturesque view.
Mercury joins the parade beginning July 19 when the “Classic 9” planets are in the sky simultaneously with the moon, at about 45 minutes before sunrise.
For more about the planets see this article about where to find them during July.
2020, July 7: The bright gibbous is over 13° to the left of Saturn. The Jupiter – Saturn gap is 6.4°. The planets are retrograding in eastern Sagittarius.
Click here for the July 9, 2020 view.
At about one hour before sunrise four bright planets and the gibbous moon parade across the July morning sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Morning Star Venus, Mars, Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter stretch across the sky from the east-northeast tree line to the southwest skyline this morning before sunrise.
Over an hour before sunrise, as shown in the image above, the bright gibbous moon, that is over 95% illuminated, is about 13° from Saturn. Compare the moon’s position with Jupiter and Saturn in yesterday’s location.
Jupiter and Saturn are retrograding in front of the stars of eastern Sagittarius. This illusion makes the planets appear to move westward compared to the stars. This occurs when our faster moving planet approaches and passes the planets farther away from the sun than Earth.
Earth moves between Jupiter and the sun in a week (July 14) and Saturn six days later. This is known as opposition.
The Jupiter – Saturn gap is 6.4° and widening. Jupiter moves faster than Saturn.
Retrograde motion for this planetary pair continues until September. Jupiter moves eastward and passes Saturn on December 21, 2020, in a Great Conjunction.
Use a binocular to see Jupiter and Saturn in the starfield. This morning Jupiter is 2.7° to the lower right of 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr on the photo above), while Saturn is 3.4° to the lower right of Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap).
2020, July 7: Mars is at the Pisces – Cetus border, 2.9° to the lower right of 44 Psc, 1.0° to the lower right of 10 Cet, and 2.8° to the upper right of 14 Cet.
Farther east in the southeastern sky, Mars is marching eastward – a planet’s normal motion – in the stars of Pisces, near the Pisces-Cetus border. The planet is about halfway up in the sky in the southeast. It is the brightest “star” in the region.
The stellar background in this region is dim and more difficult to see with the bright moon nearby.
This morning the Red Planet is 2.9° to the lower right of 44 Piscium (44 Psc), 1.0° to the lower right of 10 Ceti (10 Cet), and 2.8° to the upper right of 14 Ceti (14 Cet).
Tomorrow Mars moves into Cetus. Look it is position compared to the dim starry background with a binocular.
Mars continues to move eastward compared to the stars until early September when it begins to move in a retrograde direction. Mars is at opposition on October 13.
2020, July 7: Venus is part of a line that starts at Aldebaran and ends at δ1 Tau. It is 0.6° to the lower left of δ2 Tau.
At about an hour before sunrise, brilliant Venus, low in the east-northeast, is moving through the Hyades star cluster in Taurus. The Hyades and Aldebaran form the sideways “V” that outlines the head of the Bull.
This morning Venus is part of a line that starts at Aldebaran and ends at Delta1 Tauri (δ1 Tau). The planet is 0.6° to the lower left of Delta2 Tauri (δ2 Tau). Look with a binocular tomorrow morning when Venus is in the middle of the “V.”
Get your cameras ready for July 17, when the moon groups with Venus and Aldebaran. With the Hyades star cluster and Pleiades star cluster, this will be a picturesque view.
Mercury joins the parade beginning July 19 when the “Classic 9” planets are in the sky simultaneously with the moon, at about 45 minutes before sunrise.
For more about the planets see this article about where to find them during July.
2020, July 7: As midnight approaches, the July planet parade begins. The moon is low in the southeast with Saturn and Jupiter to its upper right.
The planet parade begins this evening when Jupiter and Saturn are above the skyline about two hours after sunset. As midnight approaches, the gibbous moon is low in the southeast.
Tomorrow, Mars is above the east horizon by 1:30 a.m. with the moon, Saturn, and Jupiter farther west.
By an hour before sunrise, Venus enters the scene in the east-northeast with Mars in the southeast, the moon in the south, and Jupiter and Saturn toward the southwest.
2020, July 6: The bright moon is 3.2° to the lower left of Saturn and 6.4° to the left of bright Jupiter. The Jupiter – Saturn gap is 6.3°.
Click here for the moon and planets on July 7, 2020.
The moon marches with Jupiter and Saturn in this morning’s planet parade.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
The bright moon appears with Jupiter and Saturn in the south-southwest this morning. It is 3.2° to the lower left of Saturn and 6.4° to the left of bright Jupiter.
The Jupiter – Saturn gap is 6.3°. This separation continues to widen as the planets retrograde in eastern Sagittarius. The reverse direction continues until September. Jupiter passes Saturn on December 21, 2020 in a Great Conjunction.
2020, July 6: Mars, marching eastward in Pisces, is 3.1° to the lower right of 44 Piscium (44 Psc).
Mars, near the Pisces – Cetus border, is the lone bright “star” in the southeast. It is marching eastward among the stars of Pisces. Notice its proximity to 10 Ceti (10 Cet on the photo) and 44 Piscium (44 Psc). Follow the movement of Mars each morning with a binocular.
2020, July 6: Venus appears inside the “V” of Taurus, 0.5° below Delta1 Tauri (δ1 Tau) and 2.7° to the upper right of Aldebaran.
Venus is the end of the parade as it appears low in the east-northeast among the stars of Taurus. The planet appears to be moving in front of the Hyades star cluster. This morning it is inside the sideways “V” that outlines the Bull’s head.
Venus is 2.7° to the upper right of Aldebaran and 0.5° below Delta1 Tauri (δ1 Tau). On the morning of July 8, Venus appears in the middle of the cluster. Use a binocular to track Venus in the stars.
Mercury joins the parade beginning July 19 when the “Classic 9” planets are in the sky simultaneously along with the moon, at about 45 minutes before sunrise.
For more about the planets see this article about where to find them during July.
2020, July 6: The planet parade organizes in the southeastern sky as midnight approaches. The moon is over 11° to the lower left of Saturn.
The planet parade begins again this evening when Jupiter appears low in the eastern sky about two hours after sunset. The moon is farther east in its monthly travels. It appears to the lower left of Saturn as midnight approaches.
Mars appears above the eastern tree line at about 1:30 a.m.
By an hour before sunrise tomorrow morning, the four planets and the moon are marching across the sky.
