Objects in your sky: Planets
by Dominic Ford
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The Moon is a 4 day-old waxing crescent, and is approaching first quarter. From Ashburn, it will become visible at around 20:05 (EDT) as the dusk sky fades, 44° above your western horizon. It will then sink towards the horizon, setting 4 hours and 57 minutes after the Sun at 00:43.
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All around the world, Mercury is emerging into the morning sky as it approaches greatest elongation west. From Ashburn, it is not observable – it will reach its highest point in the sky during daytime and is no higher than 1° above the horizon at dawn.
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Venus recently passed behind the Sun at superior solar conjunction. From Ashburn, however, it will become visible at around 20:05 (EDT) as the dusk sky fades, 19° above your western horizon. It will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 8 minutes after the Sun at 21:54.
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All around the world, Mars is visible as a morning object. From Ashburn, it is visible in the dawn sky, rising at 01:52 (EDT) – 4 hours and 33 minutes before the Sun – and reach an altitude of 27° above the southern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 05:57.
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Jupiter is approaching opposition, and all around the world it is visible as a morning object. From Ashburn, it is visible in the morning sky, becoming accessible at around 22:07, when it rises 7° above your south-eastern horizon. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 02:29, 34° above your southern horizon. It will be lost to dawn twilight at around 06:06, 14° above your south-western horizon.
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Saturn is emerging from behind the Sun. From Ashburn, it is visible in the dawn sky, rising at 01:08 (EDT) – 5 hours and 17 minutes before the Sun – and reach an altitude of 28° above the southern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 05:53.
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Uranus recently passed behind the Sun at solar conjunction. From Ashburn, it is not readily observable since it is very close to the Sun, at a separation of only 1° from it.
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Neptune recently passed behind the Sun at solar conjunction. From Ashburn, it is not observable – it will reach its highest point in the sky during daytime and is no higher than 5° above the horizon at dawn.
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