Antaletriangle
02-22-2009, 11:31 AM
Morning Glory - Moon, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter
http://astroblogger.blogspot.com/2009/02/morning-glory-moon-mercury-mars-and.html
Mercury, the Moon, Jupiter and Mars make a fantastic grouping in the early morning sky on Monday February 23. This image shows the appearance of the eastern horizon at around 6:00 am (click to enlarge).
You can start observing as early as 5:30 if you have a nice level horizon, and the sky will be pretty light by 6:30, so it will be hard to see Mars. So you have about an hours window in the morning to see this lineup at its best.
Looking on the 22nd will be pretty good too. The waning crescent Moon, Mercury Jupiter and Mars are all in a nice line.
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AN EXAMPLE FROM 2006, December 9:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0612/20061207_tezel.jpg
Three Planets in Dawn Skies
Credit & Copyright: Tunc Tezel
Explanation: Three children of the Sun rise in the east in this peaceful dawn skyview recorded December 7th near Bolu, Turkey. Inner planet Mercury, fresh from its second transit of the 21st century, stands highest in the bright sky at the top right. Gas giant Jupiter lies below the cloud bank near picture center. A newsworthy Mars is also visible, right of Jupiter and just above the dark cloud bank. On Sunday, these planets will form a much tighter grouping before sunrise, while in the coming days the western sky after sunset will be ruled by brilliant planet Venus, also known as the evening star.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-v9bvVdlwE
http://astroblogger.blogspot.com/2009/02/morning-glory-moon-mercury-mars-and.html
Mercury, the Moon, Jupiter and Mars make a fantastic grouping in the early morning sky on Monday February 23. This image shows the appearance of the eastern horizon at around 6:00 am (click to enlarge).
You can start observing as early as 5:30 if you have a nice level horizon, and the sky will be pretty light by 6:30, so it will be hard to see Mars. So you have about an hours window in the morning to see this lineup at its best.
Looking on the 22nd will be pretty good too. The waning crescent Moon, Mercury Jupiter and Mars are all in a nice line.
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
AN EXAMPLE FROM 2006, December 9:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0612/20061207_tezel.jpg
Three Planets in Dawn Skies
Credit & Copyright: Tunc Tezel
Explanation: Three children of the Sun rise in the east in this peaceful dawn skyview recorded December 7th near Bolu, Turkey. Inner planet Mercury, fresh from its second transit of the 21st century, stands highest in the bright sky at the top right. Gas giant Jupiter lies below the cloud bank near picture center. A newsworthy Mars is also visible, right of Jupiter and just above the dark cloud bank. On Sunday, these planets will form a much tighter grouping before sunrise, while in the coming days the western sky after sunset will be ruled by brilliant planet Venus, also known as the evening star.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-v9bvVdlwE