You can see Jupiter and Mars snuggle up in the predawn sky Friday. Here's how.

[Admin]

Early Friday morning (March 20), Jupiter and Mars will make a close approach, and you can catch them together with Saturn and the crescent moon.

You can see Jupiter and Mars snuggle up in the predawn sky Friday. Here's how. : Read more

 

[rod]

Early Friday morning (March 20), Jupiter and Mars will make a close approach, and you can catch them together with Saturn and the crescent moon.

You can see Jupiter and Mars snuggle up in the predawn sky Friday. Here's how. : Read more

I viewed this close conjunction early this morning using my 90-refractor telescope with 14-mm eyepiece. 71x with true FOV a bit larger than 1-degree in the eyepiece. Jupiter, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto moons visible with cloud belts on Jupiter and Mars, small distinct planetary disk shape about 6" angular size, orange-red hue. I created charts using Starry Night and Stellarium software with MS Power Point slides. Very lovely views with waning crescent Moon low in SE sky behind trees near my horse barn. I also observed using 10x50 binoculars that provided very good views. I was out from 0600 to 0652 EDT or 1000 UT to 1052 EDT. Altocumulus clouds and cirrus caused some problems at times. Winds aloft according to NWS for my area, 260/50 to 260/70 knots from 9, 000 to 30,000 feet altitudes so clouds from the west blew over and more later as 0700 approached and by 0652, Jupiter and Mars disappeared from view. I am tracking Mars since 06-Dec-19 when it was in Libra, this morning moving through Sagittarius and closing with Saturn end of the month. Time well spent vs. thinking about COVID-19 news reports Mars opposition in October this year. Mars will be in Pisces then and a bit larger than 22" angular size compared to this morning size, 6". Looking forward to clear skies and excellent Mars opposition viewing later this year.