Venus, ever bright, remains a fixture in the evening sky this month as it slides alongside the western fish of Pisces. When the month starts, a first quarter moon is high above the planet in Cetus. After most of a lunar month, watch for a crescent moon near Venus in the middle of Pisces on […]

The new month and the new year start with Saturn barely detectable in the evening sky. The ringed planet sets not long after the sun does. But Venus is shining bright in Capricornus a bit higher. A nearly first quarter moon is on the meridian as the sun goes down on the 1st. Taurus, Orion, […]

Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn form a nice trio in the evening sky in the first part of December. Look right after sunset. You’ll see Venus first as the twilight fades. It’s between the other two planets on top of the Sagittarius “teapot”. Saturn is on the east side of the teapot and Jupiter on the […]

November 2019 astronomy Mercury and Venus are together in the west at sunset when November starts. Jupiter is a bit above them. Saturn is higher still. All four are in the western sky. If you’re looking for the fifth traditional naked eye planet to join them, we’re sorry to disappoint you. Mars is a morning […]

A thin, crescent moon greets us in the western sky at dusk when October starts. See Antares and Jupiter in the southwest and Saturn in the south. Venus and Mercury are evening object, too. But they’re barely there, setting almost as soon as the sun does. The moon passes by Antares in the claws of […]

Venus might make you wonder how it earned its reputation as such a great evening “star” this month. Indeed, it can be high in the evening sky for months at at time. This month, it’s barely above the horizon. A few clouds, hills, or buildings will block your view. That said, the best views from […]

Mars, heading toward conjunction with the sun in early September, begins and ends August with conjunctions with the moon. Don’t count on seeing both. The second happens on the same day as a new moon. The red planet will simply be too close to the sun to see. Similar story for a close call with […]

Mercury and Mars are paired in the dusky glow at the start of July. The moon passes by on the 3rd. You don’t get many more evenings to see Mercury though. It quickly drops below Mars and sets too soon after sunset to be seen. Mercury is at inferior conjunction on the 20th. You don’t […]

Mercury is nicely situated for evening viewing for northern hemisphere sky watchers as June starts. It’s quickly moving from next to Auriga into Gemini. A thin, crescent moon passes by on the 4th. The moon is passing Mars in the middle of Gemini the next evening. Mars seems to be moving away from Mercury, going […]

Mars marches from Aries to Gemini in the evening sky this month. For northern hemisphere observers, the red planet is trying to maintain its position against later sunsets. On the 1st, Mars is high above the Hyades V. On the 6th, it crosses an imaginary line between Elnath and Tianguan. The moon passes by the […]