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Friday, July 6, 2018

2018: Best Summer I can Remember for Viewing Naked Eye Planets

This is the best summer  I can remember ever for viewing the naked eye planets. All five, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, are all visible in the early evening sky, sometimes as many as four at one time! These are all the planets known to  the ancients, the sixth, Uranus, not being visible to the naked eye had to await the invention of the telescope and was discovered by the famous British astronomer Sir William Herschel on March 13, 1781.

Start off your evening of planet watching at 8:30pm looking west. You can't help but see the brilliant luminary Venus high in the western sky, looking like a beacon of light. In fact during war times it has frequently been mistaken as an incoming enemy aircraft and shot at by anti-aircraft gunners. They missed. Below and to the right of Venus, about 2/3rds down a diagonal line connecting Venus to the sunset point, is much dimmer Mercury. Around 8:30pm on July 6-12 it is the only other bright object visible in the sky, about 15 degrees above the horizon, WNW. Can you see it's distinctly yellow color compared to creamy white Venus?

Venus and Mercury in the western sky about 8:30pm on July 6, 2018.
Later in mid-July the new moon will appear near Mercury and make it easier to find if you haven't found it yet.

Venus and Mercury during mid-July with the new crescent moon right next to Mercury.
Don't wait too long to look for elusive Mercury it will start sinking lower in the sky at dusk after mid-month as it heads back towards the sun. This is a particularly good apparition of the planet with it so high in the sky and making it so easily found.

While you're watching Mercury set turn Eastward to find the ringed gas-giant planet Saturn rising about 15 degrees above the horizon in the southeast, right above the bow of the constellation Sagittarius. While the dimmest of all the planets in the sky now, besides Mercury, it is still the distinctively brightest object in that region of the sky. It kind of distorts the shape of the Archer's bow as it lies just above and left of its top-most star.

Now turn and face due south. It's hard to miss the brightest object now high in the sky at about 50 degrees above the horizon, the brilliant gas-giant Jupiter. After Venus sets about 10:00pm it is distinctively the brightest object in the sky.

You have now seen four of the five naked eye planets simultaneously in the  sky, a rare occurrence. I can't remember the last time I saw so many.

But wait! It get's better. Around 10:15pm be sure to look due east where you will see the brilliant red planet Mars rise at the horizon. This is the best apparition of Mars since 2003, so it is a brilliant red orb in the sky, brighter even than Jupiter, another rare occurence. Be sure to watch it as it rises and see if you can feel the earth move beneath you. I never can!

You have now seen all five naked eye planets in the sky in the span of just two hours. I have no idea when this will happen again so enjoy it now while you can.

For a real thrill why not join us for a star tour in Mitzpe Ramon where you can see the planets through our telescopes, as well as the star clouds of the Milky Way with the ringed planet Saturn in the foreground. Click the link below for a reservation.

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