Hale to the Stars

Our evening skies this month are rather void of bright planets—a distinct contrast to earlier this year.

Mars and Jupiter remain visible in our evening skies during May. Jupiter is already fairly low in the west as darkness falls. Early in the month, it sets just more than an hour after the end of dusk.

As darkness falls on the gradually warming April evenings, there are two bright planets in our western sky. Jupiter is about halfway up the sky at the end of dusk and sets around midnight, while Mars is higher up and follows along about three hours later.

For the past several months, the brilliant planet Venus has dominated the evening sky. That show comes to an end during March.

Almost all of our planetary viewing during February will take place in the evening sky.

The new year begins with the brilliant planet Venus gleaming brightly in our western evening sky.

For the past few months, our sister planet, Venus, has been engaged in a slow climb into our evening sky. But, for most of that time, it has been buried fairly deep in twilight.

Our September evening skies feature a growing presence of our fellow planets. Venus continues its very gradual ascent out of the twilight and, by the end of the month, sets around dusk. Saturn, meanwhile, is at opposition—directly opposite the sun in the sky on Sept. 7.

The new year opens with our solar system’s two largest worlds shining brightly in our evening sky. Saturn is in the southwestern sky and sets one to two hours after the end of dusk.

Slowly but surely, planets are returning to our evening skies. Venus continues its gradual ascent into the western sky, although it remains deep in the dusk throughout August.