Stargazing
CURRENT PLANETS IN THE CONSTELLATIONS
Mercury in Capricorn remains 11° lower left of bright Venus low in the dawn all this week, as shown above, and remains at magnitude –0.2.
Venus, magnitude –4.0 in Sagittarius shines as the bright “Morning Star” in the southeast during dawn. It’s getting lower every week. Nearby is not only Mercury but also sparkly orange Antares, magnitude +1.0. Look for Antares 10° to the right of Venus on the morning of January 13th. By the 20th, Antares is 17° to Venus’s right or upper right, as shown above.
Mars in Capricorn is lower left of Mercury in bright dawn and a mere magnitude 1.4, is probably out of reach even with binoculars. Mars will creep up very slowly in the dawn for the next five months.
Jupiter, magnitude –2.5 in Taurus, is the bright white dot very high to the south in early evening, less high in the southwest later at night. It sets around 1 a.m.
Saturn, magnitude +1.0 in Pisces, sinks lower in the west-southwest during and after dusk and sets around 7 or 8 p.m. In late twilight, look for Fomalhaut twinkling nearly two fists lower to Saturn’s lower left.
Uranus, magnitude 5.6 in Taurus, awaits your binoculars in the darkness 13° east (left) of Jupiter in early evening. the November Sky & Telescope, pages 48-49.
Neptune, fainter at magnitude 7.9, in Pisces 21° east of Saturn. It’s still moderately high in the southwest after dark.
Pluto, is in Capricorn at the latest degree before it shifts into Aquarius on January 20, 2024.
Awareness through Astrology 