Today, at 20:55HST, Venus will pass superior conjunction, passing around the far side of the Sun as seen from Earth. The planet will begin to rise into the evening sky in early December, arriving at maximum elongation June 6th, 2015.
Category: Planet Events
Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Today the planet Mercury passes through inferior conjunction, passing between the Sun and the Earth. In a week or so the planet will again be visible in the dawn sky, climbing higher each day. Maximum elongation will occur November 1st.
Mercury at Maximum Elongation
Today Mercury reaches maximum elongation, the furthest point it will reach from the Sun in our sky and the highest it will be above the sunset for this evening apparition. The planet is easily visible as a bright, starlike object about 26° above the setting Sun as twilight begins. Over the next couple weeks Mercury will slide back into the sunset, heading for inferior conjunction on October 16th.
Venus Disappears into the Dawn
After spending much of the year in dawn skies, this week will see Venus disappear into the dawn. Superior conjunction will occur October 24th, with the planet appearing in the evening sky at the end of November.
Mercury at Superior Conjunction
Today Mercury passes through superior conjunction, passing behind the Sun as seen from the Earth. The planet will appear in the sunset in ten days or so, reaching maximum elongation on September 21st.
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.
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.
Jupiter at Superior Conjunction
Today Jupiter passes through superior conjunction, passing behind the Sun as seen from our vantage point here on Earth. The planet is currently lost in the Sun’s glare and unobservable, it will reappear in the dawn sky during the first week of August.
Mercury at Maximum Elongation
Today Mercury reaches maximum elongation, the furthest point it will reach from the Sun in the sky and the highest it will be above the sunrise for this morning apparition. The planet is easily visible as a bright, starlike object about 21° above the rising Sun as the twilight begins. Over the next couple weeks Mercury will slide back into the sunrise, heading for superior conjunction on August 8th.
Jupiter Exits the Evening Sky
Venus and the Hyades
Over the next few days Venus will swing just north of the Hyades star cluster. On the 30th Venus will be just over a degree north of εTau and just over four degrees from Aldebaran.