Planets in the West
Explanation:
Have you seen any bright planets lately?
Chances are if you've been outside
under clear skies
just after sunset, then you have.
Now shining in the west as bright
"
stars"
in the night sky, are all five planets of the solar
system
known to ancient astronomers -
Mercury, Venus,
Mars, Saturn, and
Jupiter.
Recorded from Holt, Michigan, USA about 40 minutes after sunset
on April 14th,
this
digital image captures three of them, Venus,
Mars, and
Saturn, along with a young
crescent Moon.
Also indicated are the
Pleiades
star cluster and
bright red giant
star Aldebaran in Taurus.
Mercury,
setting, is lost in the trees and glow along the horizon,
while Jupiter is off the top of this view.
The coming weeks will see photo opportunities galore
as all five planets gradually move closer together, posing
after sunset with the Moon and stars in the western
sky.
Venus, Mars,
and Saturn will form the closest trio,
drawing within a 5 degree circle (about the apparent
size of your fist with arm extended) above Aldebaran by May 3rd.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
