dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) (11/24/84)
The moon is back in the evening sky. More on planets near the moon tonight and tomorrow -- in just a minute. November 24 Planets Near the Moon If you want to identify some planets, and if you have a clear sky Saturday and Sunday evening, look in the southwest for Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and the moon. Saturday evening, the crescent moon is nearest Mercury -- which is the lowest of the three planets in the southwest after sunset. Mercury is so low in the sky now that you'll need an unobscured view of the southwest to see it -- but Venus and Jupiter are higher up -- and also brighter. Moving eastward in its orbit around Earth, the moon will leave Mercury behind by Sunday evening -- to be visible near Venus and Jupiter. Venus, Jupiter and the slim crescent moon will make a striking sight in the southwest Sunday evening. All three objects will be bright -- and close together. And by the way, of the two planets, Venus is brighter than Jupiter. There's a fourth bright planet in the evening sky -- the red planet Mars. Mars is also visible in the southwest after the sun goes down -- but it's even higher in the sky than Venus and Jupiter. Since it never stops moving in orbit, the moon will make its way past the red planet as well -- it'll be nearest Mars this coming Tuesday. Script by Deborah Byrd. (c) Copyright 1983, 1984 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin