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Tantalizing Trio: Venus, Moon & Mars Hang Tight Sunday Morning
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 07:00 am ET
29 November 2002
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Before dawn Sunday morning, Dec. 1, a thin crescent Moon will hover right next to Venus and Mars. Venus, the so-called Morning Star, is an unmistakable beacon. Mars is not as bright, so this is a good opportunity to locate it with relative ease. The Moon and the two planets will sidle so close you'll be able to blot them all out with your fist on an outstretched arm.The trio rise together around 4 a.m. in the east-southeast, sliding toward the south as they move higher in the sky. They should be simple to locate for most people in the Northern Hemisphere between 5 a.m. and daybreak. The only requirement is an unobstructed view toward the eastern horizon. At 5 a.m., the objects will be about one fist-width above the horizon, or 10 degrees in astronomers' parlance.Venus, because it is so bright, is typically visible well after first light. By 6 a.m., it is roughly two fist-widths above the horizon.Above and to the right of the grouping is the bright star Spica. Arcturus lingers higher and in the eastern sky, above and well to the left of the Moon and its temporary planet companions. While you're out, you can also spot two other planets. Jupiter is almost directly overhead in the pre-dawn hours. You can't miss it, because it shines brighter than any other object that's high above at this time. Before dawn, Saturn is preparing to set in the western sky. Saturn is trickier to find, however, because it sits in a field of bright stars. Try drawing a line from Venus through Jupiter; it will take you almost directly to Saturn. This imaginary line is the ecliptic. All the planets follow it through our sky, because they all reside within a few degrees of the same plane in space -- their orbital plane around the Sun. The Sun and Moon track along this ecliptic line in our sky, too. Venus has only recently emerged in the morning sky. It rises earlier each morning and will dominate the pre-dawn sky all winter. Track Venus's progress with SPACE.com's Venus Winter Viewer's Guide. Mars, too, has only been in the morning sky for a short while. The Red Planet is building in brightness every day as it moves closer and closer to Earth. Next August, Mars will be closer to us than ever in the past 73,000 years, setting up the best viewing opportunity in recorded history. Interested observers can track the progress of the event on SPACE.com's Mars Watch page. Mars and Venus stay close together each morning into January. The Moon is waxing toward its new phase, which it reaches on Dec. 4. It rises later each morning and so is not near the planets before or after Dec. 1. | The Perfect Holiday Gift: The Entire Night Sky! | | Map Eclipses from your desktop!
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