A pairing of the brightest planets

Another spectacle for the pre-dawn sky, if you’re ready to go out there again.  Some had luck, as we know from their fine photos, with last night’s lunar eclipse, which was in the deep evening for America and the deep morning for Europe.  Astronomical events can be perfect or wiped out, or half way between: tantalizing!  That was the way it was for me:  variable thin cloud allowed us to see the dwindling shape of the penumbral Moon, but that was all.  And then the day dawned clear!

Tomorrow morning’s spectacle is of Venus passing a little under 3° north of Jupiter.

Here is a spatial view showing the planets’ paths in January, with the sightline from Earth past Venus to Jupiter at January 22.

They will meet again when Venus next overtakes Jupiter on November 24, passing then on the south side, about twice as closely, and well out in the evening sky.

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DIAGRAMS in these posts are made with precision but have to be inserted in another format.  You may be able to enlarge them on your monitor.  One way: right-click, and choose “View image”  Or choose “Copy image”, then put it on your desktop, then open it.  On an iPad or phone, use the finger gesture that enlarges (spreading with two fingers, or tapping with three fingers).  I am grateful to know of what methods work for you.