The Night Sky This Week
January 29,2021
Wednesday, June 30
The planet Uranus stands about 14° high two hours before sunrise. You’ll find it in the east, glowing a faint magnitude 5.9 in a sparse region of Aries the Ram. This morning, use binoculars to home in Uranus and you’ll see it’s sitting just 11′ due north of Omicron (ο) Arietis, which shines at roughly the same magnitude as the planet.
Once you’ve looked your fill, consider swinging your gaze to nearby Taurus, where the Pleiades (M45) are rising. This famous grouping of young stars is often mistaken for the Little Dipper because of its dipperlike shape — but the actual Little Dipper is much larger and lies upside-down in the north this morning, stretching outward from the end of its handle, which is marked by Polaris.
The Moon passes 4° south of Neptune at 5 A.M. EDT this morning. Before sunrise, you’ll find them in Aquarius, which sits above the southeastern horizon.
Thursday, July 1
It’s finally time to welcome planet Mercury back into the sky. The solar system’s smallest planet will now begin appearing about an hour before sunrise, rising in the east with the horns of Taurus the Bull. Half an hour before sunrise, Mercury is a scant 7° high, glowing at magnitude 0.8. It currently hangs about 9° east-northeast of ruddy Aldebaran, the eye of the Bull. Binoculars should show the tiny planet, whose disk spans 9″; however, take care to stop observing several minutes before sunrise at your location to avoid accidentally catching our star’s glare in your optics.
Last Quarter Moon occurs at 5:11 P.M. EDT today. Over the next week and a half, our satellite will shrink as a waning crescent until it disappears at New Moon on the 9th.
Friday, July 2
This month, there’s a race between Venus and Mars in the post-sunset sky. Over the next few weeks, you’ll see Venus overtake Mars as they skim across Cancer and end the month within the bounds of Leo the Lion.
Tonight, brilliant Venus (magnitude –3.9) lies within the northern regions of the stunning Beehive Cluster in the center of Cancer, also known as Praesepe and M44. There is a bit of time to enjoy the sight before they set around 10 P.M. local time, and binoculars or any small scope should net you a great view, especially if you’ve got a clear, dark western horizon. Astrophotographers will especially want to capture the scene.
Just over 6° east of Venus sits Mars, glowing at a fainter magnitude 1.8. The Red Planet spans roughly 4″ — a small but still rewarding target in binoculars or a telescope.
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