Objects in your sky: Planets
by Dominic Ford
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The Moon is a 27-day-old waning crescent, and is approaching new moon. From Chichester, it is visible from soon after it rises, at 04:59, until soon before it sets at 14:04. Always take extreme caution when trying to make daytime observations of the Moon while the Sun is above the horizon.
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Mercury is visible as an evening object, having recently passed greatest elongation east. From Chichester, however, it is not observable – it will reach its highest point in the sky during daytime and is no higher than 3° above the horizon at dusk.
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Venus is visible as a morning object, having recently passed greatest elongation west. From Chichester, it is visible in the dawn sky, rising at 03:58 (GMT) – 3 hours and 53 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 24° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 07:27.
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Mars recently passed behind the Sun at solar conjunction. From Chichester, it is not readily observable since it is very close to the Sun, at a separation of only 6° from it.
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Jupiter is currently an early evening object. From Chichester, it is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 16:21 (GMT), 21° above your eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 21:02, 51° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 03:12, when it sinks below 7° above your western horizon.
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Saturn is currently an early evening object, now receding into evening twilight. From Chichester, it is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 16:45 (GMT), 26° above your southern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 17:02, 26° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 20:36, when it sinks below 11° above your south-western horizon.
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Uranus recently passed opposition. From Chichester, it is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 17:24 (GMT), 27° above your eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 21:54, 56° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 03:04, 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 Chichester, it is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 17:24 (GMT), 34° above your southern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 18:28, 35° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 21:41, when it sinks below 21° above your south-western horizon.
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