Low in the evening sky a thin crescent Moon will be just 6° below Mars tonight. The Moon, only 10% illuminated, will be below and to the north of the planet. Tomorrow the pair will still be close, but the Moon will be above the planet.
Category: Planet Events
The Moon and Mercury
There will be a very close conjunction of the Moon and Mercury this evening. A very thin moon, only 4% illuminated will pass the planet at a mere 42 arc-minutes separation. Taking into account the 30 arc-minute diameter of the Moon will leave Mercury less than 30 arc-minutes from the limb of the Moon. Mercury will be shining brightly at -0.2 magnitude, a nice match for the very young Moon. The pair will be about 15° above the horizon at sunset, allowing an excellent view of the conjunction.
The Moon and Venus
For those awake to see the early dawn a nice pairing of a brilliant Venus and a thin crescent Moon will grace the eastern sky. A 11% illuminated Moon will be about 6° from Venus. The pair will rise together about 03:32HST tomorrow morning, October 12th, and be over 35° above the horizon at sunrise.
Saturn Lost in the Sunset
Over the coming week we will lose Saturn to the Sun’s glare as it slides lower into the sunset. Today the planet is only 13° from the Sun, by the 13th the separation will have diminished to about 10°.
Saturn will pass through superior conjunction on October 24th to re-appear in the dawn sky during early November.
The Moon and Jupiter
Tonight will see the Moon just under 5° from Jupiter. The planet will rise about 21:49HST, to shine brightly for the remainder of the night.
Mercury and Saturn
As Mercury rises further from the Sun each day, Saturn is currently sliding into the sunset heading for superior conjunction. The two will pass each other on October 3rd through October 6th. The pair will be closest on October 4th, at a bit over 3° separation. The 5th will see the two quite close at about 3.5° separation. There will be about a magnitude difference in brightness between the two, with Mercury at -0.27 magnitude and Saturn at 0.69 magnitude. At about 15° above the horizon at sunset this will make for a nice pairing in the dusk.
Venus and Regulus
This morning finds Venus just 2° from the bright star Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo. Tomorrow the pair will be much closer, about 42′. On the morning of October 3rd the separation will be much closer, a mere 29′. Despite its being among the brighter stars in the sky, Regulus is no match for Venus. The star’s 1.3 magnitude is vastly dimmer than the planet at -4.1 magnitude.
Uranus at Opposition
A Line of Planets in the Sunset
As Mercury rises clear of the Sun’s glare it joins Mars and Saturn in the sunset sky. Tonight the three will form a nice line of planets. Mercury will still be quite low, about 12° from the Sun at sunset. Saturn is next in the line at 19° elevation at sunset. Mars will be over 30° high at sunset. As usual Mars and Saturn are about the same brightness, Mars at 1.2 magnitude, Saturn at 0.72. Mercury will be the brightest at -0.6 magnitude, which will aid in seeing the planets lower in the sunset.
The three will dance in the sunset over the coming weeks with Saturn and Mercury joining up for a close set around October 4th.
Mercury in the Sunset
Mercury is beginning its third and final evening apparition of the year. Today the planet will be over 10° from the Sun, rising a little further each day until maximum elongation on October 26th. The planet will pass Saturn around October 4th and have a very close conjunction with the Moon on October 16th.