All articles tagged with #evening sky
Mercury becomes readily visible for a short time after sunset, lining up with Venus and Jupiter in the evening sky. Mercury is about magnitude -1.1 and roughly 6° above the western horizon; Jupiter shines high in eastern Gemini at magnitude -1.9, with Venus (magnitude -3.9) between them. To spot Mercury, draw a line from Jupiter through Venus toward the horizon. Sunset is around 8:17 PM and sunrise about 5:37 AM (local time).
Space.com reports a waxing crescent Moon will skim the Pleiades (the Seven Sisters) tonight and tomorrow (Mar. 22–23), visible in the western sky after sunset about five degrees from the cluster; look for Aldebaran and the Hyades nearby, with Venus near the horizon and Jupiter shining overhead in Gemini. By March 23 the Moon moves above the Pleiades, hinting at another night-sky highlight in the days ahead. A pair of binoculars or a small telescope helps reveal the cluster’s stars.
This weekend (March 6–8) features a twilight conjunction as Venus passes Saturn in the western evening sky, with the closest approach about one degree on March 7. Look roughly 45 minutes after sunset to the west to see the pair, and there’s a second conjunction on March 8 as Venus rises above Saturn. A telescope or binoculars helps, but the duo can be spotted with the naked eye in dark skies. The guide also notes the zodiacal light may be visible after sunset at dark sites over the next couple of weeks.
Skywatchers can expect six planets to be visible in the night sky toward the end of February, offering a rare multi-planet view for observers under clear, dark skies.
On October 29, Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation, making it one of the best evenings to observe the planet as it appears farthest from the sun in the twilight sky, visible near the southwestern horizon shortly after sunset.
Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation on July 4, offering a prime opportunity to observe the planet low on the western horizon just after sunset, especially in clear, unobstructed locations, as it appears as a bright 'evening star' in the constellation Cancer.
Venus is currently transitioning into its "new" phase, appearing as a slim crescent and disappearing from the evening sky. This is due to its proximity to Earth and the sun, known as inferior conjunction. Venus will be virtually invisible on August 13th, completely lost in the sun's glare. This phenomenon occurs every 19 months, as Venus' orbit around the sun is shorter than Earth's. After inferior conjunction, Venus will reemerge as the "Morning Star" in the dawn sky.