The planet action is in the morning sky now, where brilliant Venus and Jupiter and fainter Mars all cluster in the east before sunup. Niko Powe in Illinois captured this image of them on the morning of September 30, 2015. The photo also shows the star Regulus, brightest light in the constellation Leo the Lion. Thank you, Niko!
October is going to be a fantastic month for planet-watching before dawn. Here’s a preview of what’s to come … May you be blessed with clear skies!
Bottom line: The brightest planets – Venus and Jupiter – are up before dawn now. Mars is there, too. Mercury will soon join them. During October … wow! They’re going to put on a show.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. 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. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. 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.
Like what you read? Subscribe and receive daily news delivered to your inbox.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.