Brilliant Morning Star Venus and bright Jupiter shine in the eastern sky this morning as seen from the Chicago area. (Click the images to see them larger.) Venus continues its rapid descent into bright sunlight. This morning the two planets are 20 degrees apart and separating at about 1 degree each day. The star Regulus is … Continue reading Venus, Jupiter and the Starry Morning, September 7, 2014
Tag: Venus
September 2014 Sky Watching
Video Source Sun As our planet revolves around the sun, the sun appears to rise and set in different locations along the horizon and appears at different heights in the southern sky at noon. Twice during the year, the sun rises precisely east and sets precisely west. As seen from the equator at noon, the … Continue reading September 2014 Sky Watching
Venus, Jupiter, Orion and Sirius This Morning, August 28, 2014
Brilliant Morning Star Venus and bright Jupiter appear in the eastern sky this morning during twilight. (Click the images to see them larger.) Venus is now well past Jupiter. The planetary pair is 10 degrees apart. Venus is rapidly moving to the far side of its orbit nearly behind the sun. During the next six … Continue reading Venus, Jupiter, Orion and Sirius This Morning, August 28, 2014
Venus and Jupiter This Morning, August 15, 2014
With a bright moon approaching last quarter high in the south, brilliant Morning Star Venus and bright Jupiter shine in the eastern sky this morning. (Click the image to see it larger.) This morning the pair is separated by about 3 degrees. During the next three mornings watch Venus meet Jupiter. On August 18, they are … Continue reading Venus and Jupiter This Morning, August 15, 2014
Venus and Jupiter This Morning, August 13, 2014
Brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter appear low in the eastern sky this morning. (Click the image to see it larger.) Jupiter is emerging from the sun's glare as it passed conjunction on July 24. Venus is rapidly fading into bright morning twilight. Venus is rapidly moving eastward and overtakes Jupiter on August 18. During the … Continue reading Venus and Jupiter This Morning, August 13, 2014
Watching the Night Sky, August 2014
Video SourceIn August the constellation Scorpius rides across the southern horizon. This month, Saturn and Mars are in front of those distant stars. Antares is the brightest star of the group, rivaling the color and brightness of Mars. More about that next month.Perseid MeteorsBesides the annual appearance of the Summer Milky Way and summer's bright … Continue reading Watching the Night Sky, August 2014
The Moon and Venus, July 24, 2014
The Moon and Venus make an attractive pairing this morning as seen from the Chicago area. (Click the image to see it larger.) For more about the planets see: July 2014 Sky Watching Venus as Morning Star
Venus and the Moon This Morning, July 23, 2014
What's that bright star near the moon this morning? It's Venus. The image above shows the pair at 4:50 a.m. CDT as seen from the Chicago area. (Click the image to see it larger.) Notice the night portion of the moon is gently illuminated. As see from the moon our planet is nearing its full phase. … Continue reading Venus and the Moon This Morning, July 23, 2014
July 2014 Skywatching
Video Source During the early evening hours of July and August, an assembly of stars arches across the sky. During the evening it slowly marches westward. Even from dark skies, it appears as a cloudy ribbon of light stretching from south to north. When your eyes are well-adjusted you can see brighter sections and apparent gaps. … Continue reading July 2014 Skywatching
Sky Watching June 2014
The daylight reaches its maximum this month. On June 1, the sun is in the sky for 15 hours, 1 minute. At the summer solstice on June 21, the sun is in the sky for 15 hours, 13 minutes. The chart above shows the daylight hours (the blue bar) compared to the number of daylight … Continue reading Sky Watching June 2014