Objects in your sky: Planets
by Dominic Ford
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The Moon is 19 days old, waning gibbous, and is approaching last quarter. From London, it is visible in the morning sky, becoming accessible around 20:55, when it reaches an altitude of 3° above your eastern horizon. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 03:57, 53° above your southern horizon. It will be lost to dawn twilight around 07:26, 37° above your western horizon.
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Mercury remains just about visible as a morning object, now well past greatest elongation west and returning closer to the Sun. From London, it is visible in the dawn sky, rising at 05:51 (GMT) – 2 hours and 0 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 10° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 07:19.
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Venus will soon pass behind the Sun. From London, it is not observable – it will reach its highest point in the sky during daytime and is no higher than 0° above the horizon at dawn.
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Mars will soon pass behind the Sun at solar conjunction. From London, it is not observable – it will reach its highest point in the sky during daytime and is 5° below the horizon at dusk.
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Jupiter is currently approaching opposition and is visible as a morning object. From London, it is visible in the morning sky, becoming accessible around 19:30, when it reaches an altitude of 7° above your north-eastern horizon. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 02:29, 60° above your southern horizon. It will be lost to dawn twilight around 07:26, 26° above your western horizon.
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Saturn is currently an early evening object, now receding into evening twilight. From London, it is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 16:43 (GMT), 29° above your south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 18:30, 34° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 22:51, when it sinks below 11° above your south-western horizon.
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Uranus recently passed opposition. From London, it is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 17:20 (GMT), 22° above your eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 22:29, 58° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 03:50, when it sinks below 21° above your western horizon.
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Neptune is currently an early evening object, now receding into evening twilight. From London, it is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 17:20 (GMT), 33° above your south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 18:43, 36° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 22:05, when it sinks below 21° above your south-western horizon.
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