Planet positions: now and through the spring

Event Date: April 1st
Time: 5:00 AM/8:00 PM

Instead of doing a brief and detailed section today, I will summarize the eye-visible planets' positions in the sky; that, and how long we will see them easily.

Mercury is the hardest of all of them to see at times when it is (a) too dim; (b) too low to the horizon while buried in atmospheric pollution; (c) in the Sun's glare.  See yesterday's journal (include link) for more about Mercury and its apparition.

Venus is the easiest to see, and continues to approach its peak apparent magnitude, happening later this month; that being, while east of the Sun and setting about four hours later. 

Mars is just past opposition by a few weeks, and well placed once the sky darkens enough.  Although it has fainted quickly as we move further away from it in our smaller orbit around the Sun, it still outshines all stars around it, including Regulus as the brightest in Leo. 

Jupiter is bright, although becoming harder to see over the next few weeks, as it gets further into the glare of the Sun.  Also, as the Sun sets later and twilight lingers longer, it means that we have to wait a little longer to see Jupiter wit the eye alone. Jupiter reappears west of the Sun as a morning target during the last weeks of spring after conjunction, and becomes a good morning target throughout the summer.

Saturn is easily visible in the late evening now, and soon to reach opposition by mid-month.  It slowly brightens, although not nearly as dramatically as Mars does.  Saturn after all, is much further away. 

Image #1 shows the evening planets, with Venus and Jupiter in the west.  While Venus remains high in the sky at Sunset for about one more month, Jupiter gradually seems lower each evening, when it finally becomes invisible to the eye alone.

Image #2 shows the morning planets, also in the west, as Mars sets shortly before dawn and Saturn not too far behind, being further south.

*click on images to enlarge: courtesy of Starry Night Pro Plus, version 6.4.3, by Simulation Curriculum Corp.

   Mercury, as shown yesterday, rises only a short while before the Sun, and as mentioned, is too dim to see.  In about two weeks, when Jupiter is still visible before conjunction and Mercury emerges from the Sun while brightening slowly, we will have a small "window" of dates to see all five planets with either the eye alone, or binoculars.  Let us hope that conditions are clear enough.
In both images, the ecliptic and celestial equator show, illustrating which planets are further south or north of each other, as well as the comparison to the Sun in ecliptic latitude.  Notice also, once again, where the planets are north or south of the celestial equator based on where they are in ecliptic longitude, although ecliptic latitude can affect their overall declination.