Astronomy blog

Planets reach milestones this week

By Dave Samuhel, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

6/23/2018, 5:11:29 PM

Share this article:

We now have a waxing gibbous moon. That means it will be tough to see a lot of stars over the next week or so. What won't be tough to see? The planets!

For starters, you can't miss the moon and Jupiter tonight. Our largest planet will appear right next to the 85% illuminated moon tonight. Both the moon and Jupiter rise before sunset, so you will clearly see them early in the evening.

Saturn will make the news this week.

The ringed planet will reach opposition Wednesday night. At this time, the Earth will be directly between the sun and Saturn, but this is the night of the full moon. Saturn is not the brightest planet, and it will be right next to the moon; it may be hard to see. You should still be able to see it, but it will be harder to see than usual. If you are looking to see its rings, you have the rest of the summer to do so as Saturn will remain in the sky through the nighttime hours all summer.

Then on Friday, Mars reaches a milestone

This will be the sky view late in the evening of June 29th (as seen from Pennsylvania)

On Friday night, Mars will shine brighter than Jupiter for the first time in two years. Mars is becoming brighter every night. Mars will continue to brighten until its opposition in late July! Even with bright moonlight this week, you can't miss Mars. The planet is highest in the sky after midnight, but it will continue to rise earlier and earlier each night.

View of the Milky Way that I took near my house with wide angle lens and long exposure. Specs: 11mm, f/2.8, 30s, ISO 1600

Unfortunately, this won't be the week to get your Milky Way pic, but you can't miss the planets.

The best things in life are free. Not too many things are free anymore; however, looking at the night sky is still one of those things. Thanks for reading! Just look up; you never know what you will see.

The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com

Comments

Comments that don't add to the conversation may be automatically or manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.

Astronomy blog

Moon dominates night sky

Astronomy blog - September 19, 2018, 6:07:04 PM EDT

The moon will shine brightly over the next week or so. But, you can still see bright planets; one of which will be at its brightest.
Jupiter's blue spot, looking for Neptune

Astronomy blog - September 06, 2018, 6:43:38 PM EDT

The powerful magnetic field of Jupiter has puzzled scientists for decades. Now it's even more complicated! Neptune reaches opposition. It's a good week for stargazing with the new moon approaching.
Labor Day weekend astronomy guide

Astronomy blog - August 30, 2018, 6:32:20 PM EDT

Four major planets will be visible right after the sun goes down this weekend! Also, a new target for backyard telescopes shows up after midnight.
Star Adventurer Mini (SAM)

Astronomy blog - August 29, 2018, 6:45:52 PM EDT

The Star Adventurer Mini- is it “quite possibly the most compact and versatile camera tracking platform in the known universe.
Guide to the 2024 total solar eclipse across the eastern United States

Astronomy blog - August 21, 2018, 12:43:09 PM EDT

The next total solar eclipse in the United States is on April 8, 2024 and may be more impressive than last year's Great American Eclipse.
First Aurora of the season; Moon near Saturn and Perseid pics

Astronomy blog - August 20, 2018, 3:09:58 PM EDT

Aurora season is just beginning. Auroras will become more likely as we head toward fall. The moon will be near Saturn and Mars this week. Check out some of my Perseid shots.
Perseids Peak Tonight

Astronomy blog - August 12, 2018, 8:55:36 PM EDT

This is it! The best night of the year to see meteors! 100 meteors per hour can be seen in dark areas. But, even light polluted areas will see plenty as the Perseids feature many bright, colorful meteors!
2018 Perseid Meteor Shower Reaches Peak

Astronomy blog - August 11, 2018, 4:45:59 PM EDT

The best meteor shower of the year is peaking. Reports from Europe and Asia show 40 meteors per hour already. If you are going to see one meteor shower all year, make it the Perseids!