TIME: Almanac 1993/TIME Almanac 1993.iso/time/charts/space/celestia.2

Text File | 1992-09-10 | 5.3 KB | 110 lines

                                                                                The Planets:1992


 Visibility of Planets:

MERCURY can only be seen low in the east before sunrise, or low
 in the west after sunset (about the time of the beginning or end
 of civil twilight). It is visible in the mornings between the
 following approximate dates: January 1 to January 30, April 3 to
 May 24, August 11 to September 6, and November 28 to December
 31. The planet is brighter at the end of each period (the best
 conditions in low northern latitudes occur for a few days in
 early January and during the third week of August; and in most
 northern latitudes for the first three weeks in December; and in
 southern latitudes from the second week in April until mid-May).
 It is visible in the evenings between the following approximate
 dates: February 23 to March 19, June 8 to July 26, and September
 27 to November 16. The planet is brighter at the beginning of
 each period (the best conditions in northern latitudes occur
 during the first half of March and in southern latitudes from
 the third week in June until the third week in July, and second
 week in October until just before mid-November).

VENUS is a brilliant object in the morning sky from the beginning
 of the year until the second week in May when it becomes too
 close to the Sun for observation. During the second half of July
 it reappears in the evening sky where it stays until the end of
 the year. Venus is in conjunction with Mars on February 19, with
 Saturn on February 29 and December 21, with Mercury on April 5
 and July 25, and with Jupiter on August 23.

MARS can be seen at the very beginning of January in the morning
 sky in Ophiuchus, then it passes through Sagittarius, Capricor-
 nus, Aquarius, Pisces, briefly into Cetus and back into Pisces,
 on to Aries and Taurus, (passing 5 degrees N. of Aldebaran on
 August 11), Gemini (passing 5 degrees S. of Pollux on November
 4 by which time it can be seen for more than half the night),
 Cancer, and back into Gemini in mid-December where it remains
 for the rest of the year (passing 3 degrees S. of Pollux on
 December 22). Mars is in conjunction with Mercury on January 10,
 with Venus on February 19, and with Saturn on March 6.

JUPITER can be seen in January for more than half of the night in
 Leo, its westward elongation gradually increases until it is at
 opposition on February 29 when it can be seen throughout the
 night. Its eastward elongation then gradually decreases until by
 early June it can be seen only in the evening sky. In early
 September it becomes too close to the Sun for observation until
 the beginning of October when it reappears in the morning sky in
 Virgo in which constellation it remains for the rest of the
 year. Jupiter is in conjunction with Venus on August 23.

SATURN can be seen in the evening sky in Capricornus until mid-
 January, then it becomes too close to the Sun for observation.
 It reappears in the morning sky in mid-February still in Capri-
 cornus, in which constellation it remains throughout the year.
 Its westward elongation gradually increases until it is at
 opposition on August 7 when it is visible throughout the night.
 Its eastward elongation then gradually decreases until from
 early November it can only be seen in the evening sky. Saturn
 is in conjunction with Venus on February 29 and December 21,
 and with Mars on March 6.

URANUS is too close to the Sun for observation until towards the
 end of January when it appears in the morning sky in Sagittar-
 ius, in which constellation it remains throughout the year. It
 is at opposition on July 7, when it can be seen throughout the
 night, after which its eastward elongation gradually decreases.
 From early October it can only be seen in the evening sky until
 second half of December when it again becomes too close to the
 Sun for observation.

NEPTUNE is too close to the Sun for observation until late
 January when it can be seen in the morning sky shortly before
 sunrise in Sagittarius, in which constellation it remains
 throughout the year. It is at opposition on July 9 when it can
 be seen throughout the night. From mid-October it can only be
 seen in the evening sky until mid-December when it again
 becomes too close to the Sun for observation.

DO NOT CONFUSE (1) Mercury with Mars during the first half of
 January, the reddish tint of Mars should assist in its
 identification. (2) Venus with Mars from mid-February to early
 March, with Saturn from late February to early March and mid-
 December to late December, with Mercury in early April and in
 the third week of May, and with Jupiter late August, in all
 occasions Venus is the brighter object. (3) Mars with Saturn
 for the first half of March when Mars is the brighter object.



 Visibility of Planets in Morning & Evening Twilight:

                  Morning                    Evening

 Venus       January 1 - May 7         July 20 - December 31

 Mars     January 1 - December 31

 Jupiter  January 1 - February 29   February 29 - September 4
          October 1 - December 31

 Saturn   February 16 - August 7      January 1 - January 13
                                      August 7 - December 31


Source:The Nautical Almanac Office, U.S. Naval Observatory.