When the Curves Line Up

July 9, 2021:  Brilliant Evening Star Venus and Mars are in the west-northwest after sunset.  Use a binocular to find the Red Planet, 2.0° to the upper left of easily-observed Venus.

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July 8, 2021: Evening Star Venus is 2.6° to the lower right of Mars this evening, four evenings before their conjunction.  The star Regulus is to the upper left of the planetary pair.

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July 2021:  Elusive Mercury appears in the morning sky in the east-northeast during morning twilight.  The best mornings to see Mercury are July 7 and July 8, when the moon is nearby.

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July 7, 2021:  In five evenings, Venus passes Mars for the first conjunction in a triple conjunction that carries into 2022.  Look for them low in the west-northwest after sunset.

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July 6, 2021:  In less than a week, brilliant Venus passes Mars in the west-northwestern sky after sunset.  This evening the two planets are 3.8° apart.  Venus is over 18° to the lower right of the s…

July 1 – July 7, 2021, the waning crescent appears in the eastern sky.  Early in the viewing period, the moon is among the dim stars of Pisces.  As the week progresses, the moon wanes and moves farth…

July 5, 2021:  Our planet Earth reaches its farthest point in its yearly trek around the sun.  Our seasons are not related to Earth’s distance from the sun.  Coincidentally, the moon is at its farthe…

July 5, 2021:  Venus continues to close in on Mars in the west-northwest after sunset.  In a week Venus passes the Red Planet.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurvesline…

July 4, 2021: The Venus – Mars conjunction is eight days away.  This evening Venus moves to within 5° of the Red Planet.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com…

June 21, 2021:  Jupiter begins retrograde, moving westward compared to the distant stars, today. The Jovian Giant, among the stars of Aquarius, is in the southern sky before sunrise.

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During 2021 into 2022, Venus passes Mars three times for a triple conjunction.  The first occurs on July 12, 2021.  The others occur during early 2022, followed by a close approach of the two planets…

July 6, 2021:  This is the second bright planet – planet opposition this month.  Venus and Saturn are in opposite directions from Earth.  Venus sets about the time that Saturn rises.  After this date…

June 19, 2021: The waxing moon appears with Spica in the southwestern sky during the early evening hours.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/06/16/202…

June 26 – June 30, 2021:  The bright gibbous moon passes Jupiter and Saturn in the morning sky before sunrise.  Observe that the moon is in a different spot each morning, farther east toward the impe…

June 15, 2021:  The moon is with the Sickle of Leo this evening.  Step outside about an hour after sunset to find the crescent moon that is about 30% illuminated over one-third of the way up in the w…

July 12, 2021:  Venus – Mars conjunction evening.  Evening Star Venus passes 0.5° to the upper right of the Red Planet.  The crescent moon is nearby. This is the first of three conjunctions of Venus …

July 1, 2021:  Saturn and Mars are in opposite directions in the sky.  Mars sets as Saturn rises. In about a week, the two planets are visible in the sky at the same time.  This event signals that th…

June 13, 2021:  After sunset, look for the thin crescent moon near Mars.  The lunar sliver is also to the upper left of the star Pollux.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthe…

June 11, 2021:  During the early evening brilliant Evening Star Venus and the crescent moon appear together in the west-northwest after sunset.  The pairing is the second closest during this appearan…

June 23 – 30, 2021:  Venus is quickly catching Mars in the western sky after sun.  Venus passes the Red Planet next month.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.c…