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Best photos: This weekend’s planets before dawn

Posted by in Today's Image | October 18, 2015

Venus is the brightest one up before dawn, but Mars and Jupiter were closer on Saturday than they will be again until 2018. Plus many people caught Mercury!

Planets before dawn on Saturday morning, October 17, 2015 by Greg Hogan in Kathleen, Georgia.

Planets before dawn on Saturday morning, October 17, 2015 by Greg Hogan in Kathleen, Georgia.

Greg Hogan also zoomed in to catch Jupiter's moon, with Mars nearby, on Saturday morning.

Greg Hogan also zoomed in to catch Jupiter’s moon, with Mars nearby, on Saturday morning.

Martin Marthadinata in Indonesia saw the planets like this on Saturday morning, October 17.

Martin Marthadinata in Indonesia saw the planets like this on Saturday morning, October 17.

The morning planets can be seen from around the world. Here's a photo of Saturday morning's sky from Bashar Alaeddin in Amman, Jordan.

The morning planets can be seen from around the world. Here’s a photo of Saturday morning’s sky from Bashar Alaeddin in Amman, Jordan. Notice the meteor!

Scott MacNeil caught the planets on October 17 from Frosty Drew Observatory in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Notice the reddish color of Mars. To the eye, in a dark sky, the red color of Mars can be seen clearly.

Scott MacNeil caught the planets on October 17 from Frosty Drew Observatory in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Notice the reddish color of Mars. To the eye, in a dark sky, the red color of Mars can be seen clearly.

This photo is from Randy Baranczyk in St. Paul, Minnesota.

This photo is from Randy Baranczyk in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jack Webb in Wapiti, Wyoming caught the planets Saturday morning, too.

Jack Webb in Wapiti, Wyoming caught the planets Saturday morning, too.

Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.

Tonight

Mercury’s greatest elongation Mar 6, 2021

THe morning planets - Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn - low in the east before sunrise March 3, 2021.

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