Mercury continues moving eastward away from the setting Sun and moving toward its greatest eastern elongation on the 12^th. Viewing Mercury is best from the southern hemisphere as it is rather low over the western horizon as seen from north of the equator.

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Venus continues to dominate the western skies after sunset local time. It has a close conjunction with with the star Regulus in Leo the Lion on the 9^th and is also in conjunction with the waxing crescent Moon a few days later on the 15^th.

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Mars continues moving in retrograde and near the end of the month Mars will be at opposition (27^th) and closest to the Earth on the 31^st. Mars will also be in conjunction with the totally eclipses Moon on the night of the 27^th. The eclipse will be visible from south of the equator.

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Dwarf Planet Ceres is over the southwestern horizon at sunset but with an apparent magnitude of nearly 8.0 Ceres is only visible with telescopes or time-exposure images. Watch for Venus to be within about 7-8^o from Ceres on the 18^th.

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Jupiter ends its retrograde motion on the 11^th but continues to be very visible in the evening and night skies.

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Saturn is now just past its opposition and is still very visible albeit not very high above the southern horizon for observers in the northern hemisphere. Watch for a conjunction with the waxing gibbous Moon on the 24^th.

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