Volume 14 Issue 2	February 2008

Planet Watch -- Keeping Track of the Visible Planets

Mercury moves from the evening skies to inferior conjunction with the Sun on the 6th. Watch for Mercury to reappear in the morning skies before sunrise, and especially on the morning of the 27th when Mercury and Venus will be about 1 degree from each other. Venus Venus continues outshining everything but the Moon as it rises about 2 hours before the Sun rises. However each morning has Venus a little lower over southeastern horizon and by May Venus will have moved behind the Sun to superior conjunction. Mars has an uneventful month as it slowly starts moving eastward toward the Gemini Twins. Jupiter Rises about 3 hours before the Sun and shines brightly near the stars marking the handle of the teapot-shaped Sagittarius. After the close conjunction with Venus early in the month the two planets pull away from each other rather rapidly. Saturn reaches opposition on the 24th, and rises at approximately local sunset. The highlight for Saturn this month is to be on the other side of the eclpsed full Moon on the 20th, from Regulus. All three will fit within the field of view of binoculars.

Click Here For More Planet Information