Jupiter Appears in the Dawn

This week will see the reappearance of Jupiter in the dawn sky. This morning the planet will be 10° above the rising Sun, climbing quickly higher each morning.

Jupiter will join Venus in the dawn, the brighter Venus has been the dawn star for much of the year. The two will rendezvous for a very close conjunction on the 17th and 18th. After the meeting Venus will disappear into the Sun’s glare leaving Jupiter a turn as the dawn star.

Look for a bright, -2 magnitude object directly above the bright glow of dawn. Venus will be 15° higher tomorrow morning, much brighter at -3.9 magnitude. The distance between the two diminishing over the next two weeks as Jupiter rises and Venus slides towards the Sun.