Objects in your sky: Planets
by Dominic Ford
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The Moon is 18 days old, waning gibbous, and is approaching last quarter. From Maple Ridge, it is visible in the morning sky, becoming accessible around 20:18, when it reaches an altitude of 3° above your north-eastern horizon. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 03:31, 59° above your southern horizon. It will be lost to dawn twilight around 07:27, 36° 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 Maple Ridge, it is visible in the dawn sky, rising at 05:52 (PST) – 1 hour and 58 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 11° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 07:20.
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Venus will soon pass behind the Sun. From Maple Ridge, 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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Mars will soon pass behind the Sun at solar conjunction. From Maple Ridge, 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 Maple Ridge, it is visible in the morning sky, becoming accessible around 19:49, when it reaches an altitude of 7° above your north-eastern horizon. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 02:42, 62° above your southern horizon. It will be lost to dawn twilight around 07:27, 28° above your western horizon.
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Saturn is currently an early evening object, now receding into evening twilight. From Maple Ridge, it is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 17:00 (PST), 32° above your south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 18:42, 36° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 23:09, when it sinks below 11° above your western horizon.
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Uranus recently passed opposition. From Maple Ridge, it is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 17:35 (PST), 23° above your eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 22:42, 60° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 04:01, 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 Maple Ridge, it is visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible around 17:35 (PST), 36° above your south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 18:56, 39° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 22:27, when it sinks below 21° above your south-western horizon.
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