September 23, 2021: Three bright planets shine in the sky during the early evening. Brilliant Venus is in the southwestern sky after sunset. This evening it passes Zubenelgenubi – “the southern claw.” Bright Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeastern sky during the early evening.
August 14, 2021: This evening the waxing moon is near Zubenelgenubi, the southern claw, that is a stellar double. Use a binocular to see both stars that are in a gravitation dance.
June 20 – June 23, 2021: The bright moon appears near the classic Scorpion. On the first two evenings, the lunar orb appears near the pincers and on the next two, it’s near the scorpion’s heart.
April 28, 2021: This morning the bright moon appears to be caught in the pincers of the Scorpion and near the creature’s forehead. Bright morning planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. by Jeffrey L. Hunt Chicago,… Read More ›
April 27, 2021: Evening Star Venus and Mercury climb into the evening sky in the west-northwest after sunset. In a darker sky, Mars marches eastward in Gemini, near the feet of the Twins. Look for the moon caught in the pincers of the Scorpion.
April 27, 2021: The bright Pink Moon is in the southwest before sunrise, near the southern pincer of the Scorpion. Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast moving eastward compared to the starry background.
March 31, 2021: Arcturus rises at sunset and can be found low in the east-northeast an hour later. Mars marches eastward in front of the stars of Taurus. The bright gibbous moon rises low in the east-southeast near midnight.
March 31, 2021: The bright gibbous moon is in the southwestern sky before sunrise, near a claw of the scorpion. The bright morning planets, Jupiter and Saturn, are low in the southeastern sky, in front of the stars of Capricornus. Jupiter is near the tai
March 30, 2021: The bright moon is in the southwest before sunrise, to the upper left of Spica. Saturn and Jupiter are low in the southeastern sky. After sunset, Mars is in the west-southwest in front of Taurus. The gibbous moon is low in the southeast, near Zubenelgenubi, four hours after sunset.
Venus moves through the classic Scorpion (Libra, Scorpius, and Ophiuchus) during 46 days. Venus sets later each evening and brightens in the sky. On October 9, the moon is near Venus and Delta Scorpii. A week later, Venus passes Antares. Look for an evening half phase through a telescope near the end of October and the evening greatest elongation.