Mercury begins to join Morning Star Venus in the eastern sky before sunrise.  The moon is in the morning sky in the west.  Three evening planets are found after sunset, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.  Mars is in the east-southeast and the Jupiter – Saturn pair is in the south-southwest after sunset. Today is a heliocentric conjunction for Jupiter and Saturn.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois:  Sunrise, 6:25 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:43 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times in your location.

Today is a heliocentric conjunction for Jupiter and Saturn. As the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn nears, Jupiter passes Saturn if viewed from the sun. Read more here.

Today’s Special Note: Jupiter and Saturn are at heliocentric conjunction today.  They have the same heliocentric longitude, 301°. As viewed from the sun, the planetary pair is in a conjunction.  View from above the solar system, a line drawn from the sun extends through both planets. From our planet, the planets are 5.0° apart.

Morning: Brilliant Venus is less than one-third of the way up in the east-southeast before sunrise.  It is approaching the star Gamma Virginis in the starfield.  This morning, the planet is over 3° to the upper right of that star.  Farther west, the bright moon – 16.7 days after the New moon phase and 97% illuminated – is about one-third of the way up in the west.  It is over 10° to the lower right of the star Aldebaran.  Your fist extended to arm’s length fits between the moon and the star in the sky.

Forty-five minutes before sunrise, Mercury is visible near the star Spica.  Both are very low in the east-southeast. The planet is 3.9° to the lower left of the star.  Find a spot with a clear natural horizon in that direction.  Use a binocular.

Morning detailed note: One hour before sunrise, Venus is over 20° up in the east-southeast.  In the starfield, it is 1.4° to the lower left of η Vir and 4.0° to the upper right of Gamma Virginis (γ Vir). Venus is below a line that connects the two stars.  Farther west, the moon (16.7d, 97%) is 29.0° above the western horizon.  It is 6.1° to the lower left of the Pleiades and 10.6° to the lower right of Aldebaran (α Tau, m = 2.8). Fifteen minutes later, Mercury (m = 0.9) is over 5° up in altitude above the east-southeast horizon, 3.9° to the left of Spica.

See our summary about Venus during November 2020 and the feature article  about Venus as a Morning Star.

Evening:  Three bright planets are in the sky this evening.  Mars is in the east-southeast among the dim stars of Pisces.  It continues to retrograde – move westward compared to the stars.  Farther west, Jupiter and Saturn are visible low in the south-southwest.  Jupiter – 5.0° to the lower left of Saturn – continues to inch eastward toward Saturn toward the Great Conjunction of 2020 on December 21.

Evening detailed note: One hour after sunset, Mars is nearly 22° up in the east-southeast.  In the starfield, it is 2.1° to the upper right of 80 Psc and 3.2° to the lower right of ε Psc.  Farther west, Jupiter is about 24° up in the south-southwest.  Dimmer Saturn is 5.0° to the upper left of the Jovian Giant.  In the starfield, Saturn is 2.0° to the upper left of 56 Sgr, while Jupiter is 4.3° to the lower right of that star.  Additionally, Jupiter is 1.2° to the lower left of 50 Sgr.  Three hours after sunset, the moon (17.3d, 94%) is 3.9° to the upper left of Aldebaran and 0.8° to the upper left of Epsilon Tauri (ε Tau, m = 3.5).  With the moon’s brightness, use a binocular to see the Hyades with Aldebaran and ε Tau to the lower right of the lunar orb.

For more about the Great Conjunction, read our feature article. This is the closest Jupiter – Saturn conjunction since 1623.

Read more about the planets during November.

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2020, November: Brilliant Morning Star Venus and Mercury

Brilliant Venus continues to shine brightly in the morning sky. Venus is “that bright star” in the southeastern sky before sunrise. Venus steps eastward in Virgo as Mercury makes its best morning appearance for the year. The crescent moon joins the bright inner planets on November 12 and November 13.

2020, November 1: Speedy Mercury, Evening Planets

Speedy Mercury joins Morning Star Venus in the eastern sky before sunrise. The first rock from the sun is entering the morning sky for its best appearance of the year. In the evening, Mars shines in the eastern sky, while in the south-southwest Jupiter edges toward its Great Conjunction with Saturn on December 21, 2020.

2020, October 26: Morning Star Venus, Evening Moon, Planets

Brilliant Morning Star Venus shines in the eastern sky among the stars of Pisces. Mars is visible earlier in the morning, but is low in the sky when Venus rises. In the evening, Mars shines from the east, while Jupiter and Saturn are in the south-southwest as a prelude to their Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020. The moon appears to the upper right of Mars.

Speedy Mercury joins Morning Star Venus in the eastern sky before sunrise.  The first rock from the sun is entering the morning sky for its best appearance of the year.  In the evening, Mars shines in the eastern sky, while in the south-southwest Jupiter edges toward its Great Conjunction with Saturn on December 21, 2020.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois:  Sunrise, 6:24 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:44 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times in different locations. (If you observe Daylight Saving Time in the USA, did you set your clock back to standard time, if your region uses it?)

On November 9, Venus and Mars are no longer in the morning sky together for the remainder of the calendar.  They join each other next year in the evening sky.  At 4 a.m. CST, Mars is low in the west and Venus is low in the east.  As Mars leaves the sky in the west, Mercury is making its way into the eastern morning sky with Venus.  Morning Star Venus continues to move eastward in the constellation Virgo.  Use a binocular each morning to see the changing position of the planet.  Farther west, the bright moon is about one-third of the way up in the west-southwest.  The lunar orb is over 16° to the left of Hamal, the brightest star in Aries.

About 45 minutes before sunrise, Venus shines brightly in the eastern sky.  Find a clear horizon and use a binocular to find Mercury very low in the east-southeast.  The star Spica (Virgo) is nearly 4° to the upper right of Mercury. This speedy planet is beginning its best morning appearance of the year, when the plane of the solar system is conveniently tilted to see the first rock from the sun.

Detailed morning note: Two and a half hours before sunrise (4 a.m. CST), Mars (m = −2.1) is over 5° up in the west.  At this hour Venus (m = −4.0) is about the same altitude in the east. This morning the planets are nearly 169° of ecliptic longitude apart.  The Venus – Mars opposition occurs soon.  Next week, Mars sets before Venus rises, leaving Mercury as the second morning planet.  While Mars is low in the west, the moon (15.6d, 100%) is over 30° up in the west-southwest and about the same distance to the upper left of the Red Planet.  The bright moon is in Aries, over 16° to the left of Hamal (α Ari, m = 2.0). At about an hour before sunrise, Venus is over 20° in altitude above the east-southeast horizon. Through a telescope, Venus is 13.1” across and 81% illuminated. The brilliant planet is 0.3° to the lower left of Eta Virginis (η Vir, m = 3.9). Fifteen minutes later, Spica (α Vir, m = 1.0), about 4° up in the east-southeast, is 3.9° to the upper right of Mercury (m = 1.3). A binocular will help with the initial identification of the speedy planet.

See our summary about Venus during November 2020 and the feature article  about Venus as a Morning Star.

Evening: One hour after sunset, Jupiter and Saturn are in the south-southwest.  Bright Jupiter is 5.0° to the lower right of dimmer Saturn.  Both planets appear as overly bright stars.  They are both slowly moving eastward compared to the stars.  Nightly observations with a binocular show their gentle eastward trek in front of the starry background. Mars is farther eastward at this hour, less than one-third of the way up in the sky.  It continues to retrograde in eastern Pisces.  This apparent motion, compared to the stars, ends later this month. About two hours after sunset, the bright moon is low in the east-northeast. Jupiter sets at about 9:15 p.m. CST, followed by Saturn about 30 minutes later. 

Detailed evening note: An hour after sunset, Jupiter (m = −2.2) is about 24° up in the south-southwest, 5.0° to the lower right of dimmer Saturn (m = 0.6).  Jupiter continues to close in on Saturn before the Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020.  In the starfield Jupiter is 4.5° to the lower right of 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr, m = 4.8) and 1.1° to the lower left of 50 Sagittarii (50 Sgr, m = 5.6). Saturn is 2.0° to the lower left of 56 Sgr. Mars is 85.3° of ecliptic longitude east of Jupiter. Since its closest approach about a month ago, Mars’ apparent diameter has decreased over 12%. The Red Planet is 21.0° up in the east-southeast, 2.0° to the upper right of 80 Piscium (80 Psc, m = 5.5) and 3.2° to the lower right of Epsilon Piscium (ε Psc, m =4.2). Mars continues to retrograde in this dim Pisces starfield. Two hours after sunset, the moon (16.2d, 98%) is over 10° up in the east-northeast.

For more about the Great Conjunction, read our feature article. This is the closest Jupiter – Saturn conjunction since 1623.

Read more about the planets during November.

The brilliant Morning Star Venus continues to step through Virgo.  It is that “bright star in the eastern sky” before sunrise.  This morning Venus is near Beta Virginis.  In the evening sky, the gibbous moon is between Mars and Jupiter, and near the star Fomalhaut.  Mars is in the east-southeast.  Jupiter and Saturn are in the east-southeast.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois:  Sunrise, 7:15 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 5:54 p.m. CDT.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for other locations.

International Space Station Pass (Chicago, Illinois area) begins at 6:04 a.m. CDT in the west-southwest.  It reaches its highest point about 65° up in the north-northwest at 6:06 a.m. CDT.  It disappears at 6:09 a.m. CDT about 10° up in the northeast.  Find an unobstructed view to the north and east.  The ISS passes near the Pleiades in the west, passes higher in the sky near the star Capella, and passes the Big Dipper in the northeast before it disappears.  The ISS makes a 17 second appearance in the east, altitude 11°, at 4:31 a.m. CDT.

Morning: Mars and Venus appear farther apart in the morning sky.  Venus continues stepping eastward in Virgo as Mars retrogrades in Pisces.  About two hours before sunrise, Mars is nearly 9° up in the west, and Venus has an altitude of 11° in the east.  Mars is no longer seen in the sky at the same time as Venus after November 9 when they are in opposite directions from Earth.  Mars sets as Venus rises, a Venus – Mars opposition.  Mars and Venus are visible in the sky together next spring when both appear in the evening sky.

This morning, about an hour before sunrise, Venus is 0.9° to the upper left of Beta Virginis (β Vir on the chart above).  With a binocular note that Venus, β Vir, and Nu Virginis (ν Vir) nearly make a line.

Today, Mercury is at inferior conjunction, between Earth and Sun.  It rapidly races into the morning sky.  Look for it next month, low in the eastern sky before sunrise, below Venus.  The speedy planet makes its best morning appearance of the year next month.

Detailed morning note: Now setting about 70 minutes before sunrise, Mars is nearly 9° up in the west, two hours before sunrise. At this hour Venus is about 11° up in the east. The Venus – Mars gap is 159.0° of ecliptic longitude.  Within three weeks, Mars sets before Venus rises, a Venus – Mars opposition.  The brilliant planet passes 0.9° to the upper left of Beta Virginis (β Vir).  One hour before sunrise, find them nearly 22° in altitude in the east-southeast.  With a binocular notice that NuVirginis (ν Vir), Venus, and β Vir are nearly in a line. Venus is 3.9° to the lower right of ν Vir. Through a telescope, Venus is 13.6” across and 80% illuminated, a morning gibbous phase. Mercury is at inferior conjunction at 1:23 p.m. CDT.  It quickly emerges into the morning sky for its best morning apparition of the year.  

See our summary about Venus during October 2020 and the feature article  about Venus as a Morning Star.

Evening: The moon and three planets shine during the evening hours.  The bright gibbous moon is among the stars of Aquarius.

One hour after sunset, the moon is in the south-southeast above the star Fomalhaut.  The lunar orb appears nearly between Mars and Jupiter.  Mars is in the east-southeast, while bright Jupiter is in the south-southwest.  Saturn is 5.6° to the upper left of Jupiter.

 (See our Mars summary for October here.)

The giant-planet pair is slowly moving eastward compared to the starry background of Sagittarius.  Jupiter overtakes Saturn on December 21, 2020 for a Great Conjunction.

Detailed evening note:One hour after sunset, the moon (9.2d, 74%) is nearly 26° up in the south-southeast in Aquarius.  Use a binocular to spot Delta Aquarii (δ Aqr, m =3.2), 8.1° to the lower left of the gibbous moon.  Saturn is nearly 27° up in the south, 5.6° to the upper left of bright Jupiter.  Both planets are moving eastward in Sagittarius.  In the starfield, Saturn is 1.8° to the lower left of 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr).  Jupiter is 4.1° to the lower left of Pi Sagittarii (π Sgr) and 0.6° below 50 Sagittarii (50 Sgr).  At this hour, Mars is over 16° up in the east.  The Mars – Jupiter gap is 87.4° of ecliptic longitude.  This gap continues to close until Mars resumes its eastward direction next month.  Then the gap widens relatively quickly.  Two hours after sunset, the Red Planet is over 27° in altitude above the east-southeast horizon.  In the starfield, Mars is 0.9° to the lower right of 80 Piscium (80 Psc) and 3.2° to the lower right of Epsilon Piscium (ε Psc).  At this hour, Saturn is nearly 24° up in the south-southwest with Jupiter to its lower right.

For more about the Great Conjunction, read our feature article. This is the closest Jupiter – Saturn conjunction since 1623.

Read more about the planets during October.

Recent Articles

2020, October 23: Last Call for Venus and Mars in Morning Sky

Mars and Morning Star Venus are nearing their opposition so that they do not appear together in the morning sky for the remainder of 2020. In the evening sky, three planets – Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn – along with the moon, are easy to locate.

2020, October 22: Morning Star Venus in Leo, Evening Planets and Moon

Bright Mars is visible in the western sky before sunrise. Brilliant Venus makes its last appearance in Leo for this morning apparition. In the evening sky, the crescent moon is near Jupiter and Saturn, while bright Mars begins the night in the east-southeast.

2020, October 21: Morning Star Venus, Evening Crescent Moon

Morning Star Venus and Mars are approaching the date when they do not appear in the morning sky again for the remainder of the year. The lunar crescent appears among the stars of Sagittarius, near giant planets Jupiter and Saturn as they approach their Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020.