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On 18 Dec, Mercury reaches 20°E of the sun in the evening sky. It is a better view from the southern hemisphere, but not too bad from the north, either. On 18 Dec itself, Mercury is below the new crescent moon after sunset. Jupiter is in the evening sky, further out than Mercury. On 21 Dec it passes south of Neptune for the final time, and on 5 Jan it enters the constellation Aquarius. Mars is becoming more prominent on the borders of Leo and Cancer, especially as seen from Earth’s northern hemisphere. It rises in the evening and shines brightly for the rest of the night. It re-enters the constellation Cancer on 9 Jan. Saturn is growing prominent in the night and morning sky in the constellation Virgo. By the end of the lunar month it is substantially brighter than Spica, the bright star of Virgo. The moon is near Jupiter in the evening sky of 21 Dec. On New Year’s Eve there is a partial eclipse of the moon, visible from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Arctic. The partial eclipse lasts from 18:51 to 21:30 GMT, peaking at 19:22, with a penumbral eclipse visible for a while before and afterwards, but only the far southern edge of the moon is covered. The moon is south of Mars on the night of 2/3 Jan and south of Saturn in the early hours of 6 Jan. In the pre-dawn twilight of 12 Jan, as seen from the northern hemisphere, the old moon sits to the right of Mercury; as seen from the south, the moon is above Mercury. At Dark Moon on 15 January, there is an annular eclipse of the sun visible from central Africa and south and east Asia. The partial eclipse can be seen from Africa (except the west and the far south), Europe (except the west and the north) and Asia (except the far north and east). In an annular eclipse, the moon is not quite big enough to cover the sun's disc, because of its distance from Earth, and even at maximum eclipse leaves a ring of bright sunlight visible. The annular eclipse starts at dawn in the Central African Republic, including the capital Bangui, and also the far south of Chad. It moves through the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and into Uganda, with Kampala seeing maximum eclipse at 08:25 (05:25 UT), and Kenya, with Nairobi at 08:30 (05:30 UT). The annular eclipse is also visible from the far south of Somalia before moving out into the Indian Ocean, where it passes just north of the main islands of the Seychelles, but crosses the most of the Maldives, including the capital Male at 12:26 (07:26 UT). The annular eclipse can be seen from the north-west of Sri Lanka, including Jaffna at 13:25 (07:55 UT), and from the southern Indian states of Kerala of Tamil Nadu. The annular phase is visible from the far south of Kerala, including the capital Trivandrum at 13:15 (07:45 UT), and from the south-east of Tamil Nadu, including (just) the ancient capital, Madurai, at 13:20 (07:50 UT), but not Chennai. The eclipse then crosses the bay of Bengal, with its next landfall in the far SE of Bangladesh, including (just) Cox’s Bazar at 14:34 (08:34 UT). A better view can be had down towards the Burmese border. The annular eclipse crosses central northern Burma (Myanmar), including Mandalay at 15:09 (08:39 UT), and then on into China, finishing at the Shangdong Peninsula at sunset. It is visible from the Chinese cities of Chongqing at 16:51 (08:51 UT), Zhengzhou (just) at 16:54 (08:54 UT) and Qingdao at 16:56 (08:56 UT). Venus may well be visible just below the eclipse.
On 29 January, Mars is opposite the sun in the sky, and shines brightly all night. On 27 January, it is at its nearest to Earth this orbit, at 99.3 million kilometres, though this isn’t a particularly close encounter with Earth as they go. The closest approaches are when they happen towards the end of August. Northern skywatchers are, however, compensated by the fact that Mars is high up in the southern sky, in the constellation Cancer, between the bright stars Regulus in Leo and Castor and Pollux in Gemini, and considerably brighter than them. Any observers on Mars would have a hard time seeing the Earth, as it is too close to the sun in the sky at this time, and this is just how it is for people on Earth when Venus and Mercury are at their closest. On 30 January, the full moon passes well to the south of the bright red planet. Jupiter shines brightly in the western evening sky after sunset. The new crescent moon is nearby on 17 and 18 January. By the end of the lunar month, Jupiter is hard to see in the twilight as it moves around towards the back of the sun. Saturn rises in the mid-late evening, and shines brightly in the constellation Virgo. The moon is nearby on 2 February. On 27 January Mercury reaches furthest (24°) from the sun in the morning sky. Because of the low angle of the ecliptic at the horizon, Mercury will be hard to see from Earth’s northern hemisphere, but from the south, Mercury should be easily visible in the dawn sky for a fortnight or so either side of this date. Venus is out of view on the far side of the sun.
Mars shines brightly in the constellation Cancer, gradually falling in intensity as it moves further from Earth. The moon is nearby on 25 February. Saturn rises early-mid evening, and shines brightly in Virgo for the rest of the night. The moon is nearby on 1 March. As Jupiter disappears into the evening twilight, Venus emerges from it, and it is just possible that you might be able to see the two bright planets together low in the west on 16 February, with the new crescent moon well above, just after the sun sets. For the rest of the month, Venus makes slow progress out from behind the sun.
On 21 March, Saturn is opposite the sun, and its nearest to Earth this orbit, at 1272 million kilometres or 70.7 light minutes. It rises at sunset and sets at sunrise, shining brightly all night in Virgo, exactly six months before Jupiter’s opposition. The full moon is nearby on 29 March. The rings, hidden from view for a time last year, are beginning to make a reappearance, and you should be able to see them through a small telescope. On 8 April, Mercury is furthest (19°) out from the sun in the evening sky, and is best seen from Earth’s northern hemisphere, from where the much brighter Venus is to be seen just to the left, making a fine pair in the western evening twilight. Venus emerges further from behind the sun into the western evening sky. On 16 March, the very new crescent moon may just be seen below it, and then above it the following evening. Mars shines less brightly than before in the evening and night sky in the constellation Cancer, but it is still quite a bit brighter than the nearby stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini. The moon is nearby on 24/25 March. Jupiter emerges from behind the sun into the eastern morning sky, but is low down as seen from the north. The old crescent moon is nearby on 11-12 April.
On 15 April, viewed from Earth’s northern hemisphere, the very thin crescent moon can be seen just above Mercury in the western evening twilight. The much brighter planet Venus is to the left, and higher above the horizon. On the evening of 16 April, the moon is near Venus, with the Pleiades above. Venus grows gradually brighter this month as it continues its journey back from the far side of the sun, as seen from Earth. On 25 April, it is south of the Pleiades. Mars is in the evening sky in the constellation Cancer, outshining the nearby stars Castor, Pollux and Regulus. The moon passes south of the red planet on 21/22 April. On 12 May, Mars crosses into Leo. Saturn shines brightly in Virgo until it sets in the early hours. The moon is nearby on 25 April. Saturn is moving away from its closest to earth, and is becoming gradually less bright. Mars starts off the lunar month brighter than Saturn, but loses its brightness more quickly, and at the end of the month, Saturn and Mars shine with the same intensity. Jupiter moves out and away from the dawn, and shines brightly in the morning sky. The old crescent moon is nearby on 9 May.
Venus grows gradually brighter as the evening star. On the evening of 16 May, the new crescent moon is close to Venus in the sky, and as seen in the evening twilight of South-East Asia, moves in front of it for an hour or so. This occultation can also be seen from India, the Middle East and much of North Africa, but takes place during the day, and is thus much harder to make out. Along with Venus in the evening sky are Mars and Saturn, with Saturn now slightly the brighter of the two, as both planets gradually move towards the far side of the sun. As Saturn is so far away from Earth, its orbital position doesn’t make a great difference to its brightness, but the nearer Mars varies during 2010-11 between 99 and 355 million kilometres distant from Earth (indeed with a much greater range in some years), and accordingly its brightness varies hugely. First out from the sunset beyond Venus is Mars in the constellation Leo. The red planet passes 0.8°N of the star Regulus on 7 June. Mars is just the brighter of the two. Saturn shines brightly on the western edges of Virgo, now about the same brightness as the star Spica, but considerably brighter and just to the north of the star Beta Virginis. The moon is nearby on 22 May. On 26 May, Mercury reaches its furthest (25°) from the sun in the eastern morning sky, and can be seen for several days either side of that date by both northern and southern observers. The brighter Jupiter is further out from the dawn, and shines prominently in the morning sky. The moon is nearby on 6 June. On 8-9 June, there is a good opportunity to see Uranus as Jupiter passes half a degree (moon’s width) south of it. It may just be possible to make out Uranus unaided if you have a good, dark sky, but it is easier with binoculars or telescope.
Venus, Mars and Saturn move gradually closer in the evening sky. Venus continues its gradual brightening. The moon is nearby on the evenings of 14 and 15 June. On 20 June, Venus is just north of the lovely Beehive Cluster in the constellation Cancer. On 10 July, it is just north of Regulus, the bright star of Leo. Mars and Saturn are both gradually fading, and by the end of July, Mars’ brightness drops below that of Regulus. Look for it below the main lion shape of Leo. Saturn is in Virgo, still near the fainter star Beta Virginis. Saturn is brighter than Mars, but has now fallen dimmer than Spica, the bright star of Virgo. The moon is nearby on 18 June. By the end of the lunar month, the three planets Venus, Mars and Saturn are a fine sight together after sunset. Jupiter rises around midnight, and is prominent in the morning sky. The moon is nearby on 3 and 4 July. On 26 June, there is a partial eclipse of the moon visible from Australia and the Pacific, maximum eclipse at 11:38 UT. It can be seen during moonrise from east and SE Asia, and during moonset from the west of the Americas. On 11 July, there is a total eclipse of the sun visible from the South Pacific, especially Rapa Nui (Easter Island), with the partial eclipse being seen as far north as Midway Island and Galápagos, as well as western parts of South America. Totality itself does not make much landfall, but is visible from Mangaia Island (Cook Islands) at 08:20 (18:21 UT), the Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia at about 08:40 (18:40 UT), and Rapa Nui at 14:11 (20:11 UT). It can also be seen from the far south of Chile and Argentina at sunset, including El Calafate at 17:50 (20:50 UT).
During the course of the month, Venus, Mars and Saturn approach each other in the western evening sky to create a fabulous view of the three planets. Each evening, you can watch them to see as the triangle they make changes shape. You can also see the crescent moon pass south of the three on the evenings of 14-16 July. On 19 July, Mars crosses into the constellation Virgo, and on 31 July, Mars passes south of Saturn. On 6 August, Mercury is furthest out (27°) from the sun in the evening sky, best seen by southern observers. As viewed from the northern hemisphere, where Mercury is still visible, though quite low down in the west just after sunset, the cluster of Venus, Mars and Saturn is to the left, and a bit higher above the horizon. On 8 August, Venus passes south of Saturn, with Mars nearby. As the three planets set, Jupiter rises over in the east, and dominates the sky for the rest of the night. The moon is nearby on 30 July.
The fabulous view of the evening planets continues, though as seen from the north, Venus, Mars and Saturn are lower and lower in the SW after sunset, and become hard to see. On 10 August, the three planets are at their closest in the sky. On 11 August, the new crescent moon is near Mercury in the western evening twilight, and on the evenings of 12 and 13 August, as seen from the north, the moon is below the Venus-Mars-Saturn cluster. On 18 August, Venus is furthest out (46°) from the sun, and from then on swings round to the near side of the sun, growing ever brighter. On 20 August, Venus passes south of Mars. On 31 August and 1 September, Venus is south of Spica, the bright star of Virgo, with Mars still nearby. On 2 September, Venus, Spica and Mars form a straight line. By now, they are hard to see from northern lands. Jupiter rises as the trio set, and shines very brightly for the rest of the night. The moon is nearby on 26 August. Watch out for the Perseid meteors around 12 August.
Venus is growing ever brighter in the evening sky, and is quite unmissable. Mars is still near to it in the heavens, but Saturn has now pretty much faded into the sunset, and indeed passes behind the sun on 1 October. On 10 and 11 September, the moon is close to Venus, Mars and the bright star Spica. On 11 September, the moon occults Venus as seen from southern Africa in the daytime, and the southern Indian Ocean after sunset. On 2 October, Venus is again south of Mars, as the brighter planet comes back towards the sun (on the near side). On 26 September, Mars moves into the constellation Libra, and as seen from the north is low in the south-west at sunset. Jupiter is opposite the sun and closest to Earth on 21 September, rising at sunset and setting at sunrise, and shining very brightly indeed all night. It is 591.5 million kilometres or 32.9 light minutes away, its closest approach until 2022. Jupiter is so large that its volume is over twice that of all the other planets of our solar system put together. Its pull on the sun is such that the two revolve around a point just outside the sun, and its effect on the orbits of the other planets is very noticeable. It may well have helped life evolve on Earth to the complexity it has by mopping up comets and asteroids that would otherwise have hit our planet more frequently. As the sun sets, look to see both Jupiter and Venus in the sky, both about as bright as they ever get, Venus in the west, and Jupiter in the east. On 23 September, the day of the equinox, the full moon rises with Jupiter. As seen from the north, Jupiter is to the right of the moon, and a bit below. It should be so bright as to be easily visible even low down when it is not properly dark. Look out, too, later on in the dark sky, for Uranus, back less than a degree north of Jupiter. On 19 September, Mercury is furthest (19°) from the sun in the eastern morning sky, best seen from Earth’s northern hemisphere. Regulus, the bright star of Leo, is above, but fainter than Mercury.
During the first part of the lunar month, Venus shines immensely brightly in the west for a while after sunset. The planet is in the process of swinging round in between Earth and the sun. If you are able to view it in a telescope, or through good binoculars, you will be able to see that we on Earth can now only see part of the daylight side of Venus, and that forms a crescent, just as it does on the moon near to its solar conjunction. On 5 November, the almost dark moon occults Venus in daylight over central and southern Africa, too near the sun to be visible without specialist equipment; from Europe on that morning, watch out for Venus as it emerges brightly into the low eastern twilight. You may be able to make out the very thin old crescent moon just to its right. Venus is at this time relatively close to Earth, at 41.5 million kilometres, or just 2.3 light minutes - compared to the sun’s eight light minutes. In the last week or so of the lunar month, Saturn emerges from behind the sun into the eastern morning sky, and the old crescent moon is nearby on 3-4 November. On the morning of 5 November, if you are looking for Venus and the moon, you may also be able to see the star Spica somewhat above them, and then Saturn, already brighter again than Spica. Mars drops into the evening twilight, especially as seen from the north, but you may be able to see it above the very new and very low down crescent moon on 9 October. Over in the east after sunset, Jupiter shines very brightly, and dominates the sky for the rest of the night, albeit low down as seen from the north. The moon is nearby on 19 October.
Jupiter continues to shine brightly in the evening and early night sky. The moon is nearby on 15 and 16 November. Venus shines very brightly indeed in the eastern morning sky. It moves quite quickly away from the sun, rising earlier and earlier before the sun, and gradually growing less bright as it pulls away from its closest encounter with Earth this orbit. Further out from the dawn is Saturn, in the constellation Virgo, slightly brighter than its brightest star Spica. For the first half of the lunar month, the two planets draw closer, until on 18 November Venus turns back away from Spica and Saturn. On 1 December, the old crescent moon is near Saturn, and on 2 December it is near Spica and Venus. On 1 December, Mercury is furthest (21°) from the sun in the western evening sky, best seen from Earth’s southern hemisphere. The fainter Mars is between Mercury and the sunset, and is pretty hard to see this month as it moves towards the far side of the sun. Watch out for the Leonid meteors around 17 November.
Jupiter shines brightly in the evening sky, setting around midnight. The moon is nearby on 13 December. On 4 January, Jupiter makes its third and final pass of Uranus until 2024, half a degree south of the faint planet, which most people need magnification to see. Venus is the bright morning star, gradually dimming as it moves further from Earth, and approaches the time when it reaches furthest out from the sun before heading towards the far side. The old crescent moon is nearby on 31 December. Saturn is rapidly brightening in the morning sky in the constellation Virgo, with its rings now better on display and increasing the brightness overall. The moon is near Saturn and the bright star Spica on 29 December. On 6 December, the very new crescent moon is near to Mars in the sky and, as seen from parts of Central America, is in front of it as the sun sets. From Miami and elsewhere, you may be able to see Mars emerging just before the moon sets. Mars is, however, moving around the far side of the sun, and is hard to make out in the twilight. On 21 December there is a total eclipse of the moon visible from the Americas and the Pacific. Total eclipse runs from 07:40 to 08:53 UT. From NW Europe, you can see it at moonset/sunrise, so if you are out to see the sunrise on the morning of the solstice, you can see the eclipsed moon setting in the north-west as well, if the sky is clear. It might be hard to see in the brightening sky. In London, sunrise is at 08:03, and moonset is at 08:11. On 4 January 2011, there is the first of a series of four partial eclipses of the sun this year, as the moon's shadow glances off the Earth, and the central part of the shadow misses the planet altogether. This eclipse is visible from Europe, north Africa and western Asia. The part of the earth nearest to the centre of the shadow is Scandinavia, and here in the depths of winter the sun is very low in the sky, if it makes an appearance at all. The greatest eclipse can be seen from those parts of northern Sweden where the sun just shows above the horizon. At Sundsvall, 81% of the sun is covered at 09:45 (08:45 UT). When the sun rises at Skellefteå a few minutes later, and if the sky is clear, you should be able to see two horns of sun rising either side of the invisible moon. Percentages and times of maximum eclipse: Helsinki 80% 10:52 (08:52 UT), Stockholm 80% 09:43 (08:43 UT), Tallinn 80% 10:51 (08:51 UT), Sankt Peterburg 80% 11:58 (08:58 UT), Riga 79% 10:48 (08:48 UT), Oslo 79% 09:35 (08:35 UT) (only just after sunrise), København 77% 09:32 (08:32 UT), Vilnius 76% 10:48 (08:48 UT), Warszawa 76% 09:39 (08:39 UT), Moskva 75% 12:06 (09:06 UT), Berlin 75% 09:28 (08:28 UT), Wien 71% 09:27 (08:27 UT), Amsterdam 71% 09:19 (08:19 UT), Brussel/Bruxelles 69% 09:16 (08:16 UT), London 68% 08:13 (during sunrise), Brighton 67% 08:12 (towards the end of sunrise), Paris 66% 09:11 (08:11 UT), Roma 61% 09:12 (08:12 UT), Athina 58% 10:26 (08:26 UT), Madrid 47% 08:52 (07:52 UT), Al-Qahira (Cairo) 43% 10:38 (08:38 UT), Tehran 39% 12:54 (09:24 UT), Delhi 0.25% 15:33 (10:03 UT). In Ireland, and in Britain NW of London, maximum eclipse occurs before mid-sunrise, or before sunrise altogether, but a partial eclipse is still visible when the sun emerges, albeit only just in the far NW.