Brilliant Morning Star Venus shines from the southeastern sky this morning during twilight.  It is over 5 degrees to the left of Jupiter.  Venus passed Jupiter nearly a week ago and the gap widens each morning.  Venus is heading toward a conjunction with Saturn next month. This morning Jupiter is nearly 9 degrees to the … Continue reading 2019, January 27: Morning Star Venus, Jupiter, and Antares

Brilliant Morning Star Venus continues to dazzle the pre-sunrise sky in the southeast.  Earlier this week, Venus passed Jupiter.  This morning they are over 4 degrees apart as Venus heads toward a conjunction with Saturn next month.  The star Antares is over 8 degrees to the right of Jupiter.  This morning, the gibbous moon is … Continue reading 2019, January 26: Venus, Jupiter, and Antares

The brilliant morning star Venus shines from the southeast this morning with Jupiter about 3.6 degrees to its right. The gibbous moon is in the western sky.  Venus continues to move eastward rapidly toward a conjunction with Saturn next month. More about the morning planets: Venus in the Morning Sky, 2018-2019 2018-2019:  Jupiter Dances With … Continue reading 2019, January 25: Morning Star Venus and Jupiter

During a few mornings in early February, the solar system is on parade.  Look into sky about an hour before sunrise. Brilliant Morning Star Venus, about 15 degrees up in the southeast, catches our eye.  Saturn is about 8.5 degrees to the lower left of Venus, and Jupiter is 18 degrees to the brilliant planet's … Continue reading 2019: February 10: Solar System on Parade with Brilliant Morning Star Venus

During 2019, Magnificent Saturn has a dramatic display in the southern skies throughout the year.  It is headed toward a Great Conjunction with Jupiter in 2020.  During this appearance Venus passes the planet twice. Photo Gallery Other Feature articles: Venus in the Morning Sky, 2018-2019 2018-2019:  Jupiter Dances With the Snake Handler 2017-2019: Mars Observing … Continue reading 2019: Saturn’s Year in Sagittarius

In early February 2019, Venus continues to dominate the pre-sunrise sky.  Saturn emerges from its solar conjunction in January.  Venus passes 1.1° to the upper left of Saturn on the morning of February 18, less than 4 weeks after its Jupiter conjunction.  Here are the events leading up to the Saturn conjunction: February 1: Saturn … Continue reading 2019, February 18: A Venus-Saturn Conjunction

Jupiter during its 2017-2018 apparition 2018-2019 Photo Gallery During its 2018-2019 apparition, Jupiter appears among the southern stars of Ophiuchus, the Snake Handler.  Just one apparition before its Great Conjunction with Saturn, Jupiter has two conjunctions with Venus.  Jupiter moves through southern Ophiuchus in front of dimmer stars  Its passage is worth noting in a … Continue reading 2018-2019: Jupiter Dances with the Snake Handler