Moon, Venus, Mars below Jupiter at dawn May 31
30 May 2011, 08:01 UTC
Our sky chart shows the moon, Venus, and Mars in the eastern sky for about 45 minutes before sunrise tomorrow (Tuesday, May 31, 2011) at North American mid-northern latitudes. The sky scene will look similar from mid-northern latitudes all around the world, except for a little difference in the position of the moon. As seen from Europe and northern Africa, the waning crescent moon may appear more to Venus’s upper left. In Asia, the lunar crescent will shine either to the upper left or above Venus.
You’ll need an absolutely level horizon in the direction of sunrise to catch the moon and Venus close to the horizon and in the glow of morning twilight. Binoculars may be helpful. Look first for the brilliant planet Jupiter almost due east, then seek for the moon and Venus to the lower left of Jupiter. Venus and Jupiter beam as the third and fourth brightest celestial objects, respectively, after the sun and moon.
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Even though we highlight the planet Mars on our chart, you probably won’t be able to see this world with the eye alone. In fact, you might not even see it with binoculars.
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