Volume 14 Issue 4	April 2008

Planet Watch -- Keeping Track of the Visible Planets

Mercury is just barely visible low over the east-southeast horizon before sunrise. Shining brighter is Venus, and over the next few days Mercury will quickly move eastward away from Venus back toward the Sun and superior conjunction on the 16th. Venus continues shines brightly over the east-southeast horizon before sunrise and like Mercury is moving eastward toward the Sun and superior conjunction in June. This image is set for 0700 CDT on April 1st and shows the two inner planets about 3 degrees apart. Mars Mars is visible over the southwest horizon at sunset and sets around midnight local time. During this month Mars steadily moves eastward across the bodies of the Gemini twins, and by the end of the month Mars is nearly arranged in a straight line with Pollux and Castor. This animated image shows Mars at 3-day intervals. Jupiter rises a couple of hours before sunrise and is easily seen over the southeastern horizon at sunrise. The giant planet lies about a few degrees east of the handle of the teapot-shaped asterism forming Sagittarius. Saturn is visible over the south-southwest horizon at sunset a few degress east, to the left, from Regulus in Leo the Lion. Saturn is still in retrograde motion and during April will move a little loser to Regulus before ending retrograde next month.

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