![]() ![]() See photos of the Jupiter-Mercury conjunction here. It swept past Mercury around December 21. Still, for all of us, these planets are visible in the east before sunup, with the moon moving past them! For all of us, Venus will appear highest, Jupiter next-highest, and Mercury closest to the horizon.īy the way, we received many beautiful photos earlier this month, as Jupiter was first coming into view in the morning sky. That is, a line between them will point downward from left to right, instead of downward from right to left as in the Northern Hemisphere. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, the moon and planets will be aligned differently relative to your horizon. Everything is moving, after all, with the moon moving in orbit around Earth and Earth itself spinning on its axis. ![]() At mid-northern latitudes in the world’s Eastern Hemisphere, the moon will appear offset a little with respect to the planets. But this chart will work for you, too, from other parts of the globe. Our sky chart is designed for mid-northern North American latitudes. Look for Mercury close to the horizon, along a line with the moon, Venus and Jupiter, with the unaided eye or binoculars. Look east, the direction of sunrise, before the sun comes up.Ĭan you find Mercury? Note that – on December 31 and January 1 – the lit side of the lunar crescent points down into the lineup of planets in the morning sky. Notice that the moon is located above the planets, poised to sweep past them as the year begins: The moon and planets on December 31, the final morning of 2018. Here’s a chart for the final morning of 2018. Use binoculars if you need to, to catch Mercury. It’ll be low in the sky, toughest to spot. You’ll see Mercury only as darkness begins to give way to dawn. It’s also bright enough to see with the eye, but it rises only shortly before sunrise now and so is seen only against a background of bright twilight. Until the sun rises, they’re the three brightest objects in the sky. You can’t miss the moon, Venus and Jupiter, rising before dawn’s first light. That also happens to be their order in brightness: then Venus, then Jupiter and finally Mercury.īest New Year’s gift ever! EarthSky moon calendar for 2019 In their order from top to bottom, the three planets are Venus, Jupiter and Mercury. The moon and three planets will be beautifully aligned across the early morning sky on December 31 and January 1, 2, 3, and 4. On the final morning of 2018 and first mornings of 2019, look east, the direction of sunrise, before the sun comes up. Happy New Year! Here’s a cool coincidence that you’ll enjoy. Click for info on the Quadrantid meteor shower, peaking late night January 3 to early morning January 4, 2019 ![]()
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