SKY GUY VIEWING ALERT 4/27 to 4/30: MERCURY & PLEIADES AT DUSK; JUPITER-VENUS SPECTACULAR PRE-DAWN CONJUNCTION

 Hey Space Placers!

Sky Safari 6 Pro Star Chart For 4/27/22

Made by Greg Redfern

Starting tonight, 4/27/22, and continuing to 4/29/22 for closest approach, the planet Mercury will be very near the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) after sunset. Start looking in the W-NW about a fist width above the horizon 45-minutes after sunset. Binoculars will be a big help.

Mercury will be fairly bright and a golden yellow color. The Seven Sisters will be somewhat dim until it gets darker. Having a clear view of the horizon free of trees and buildings will greatly improve your chances.

Early risers can catch brilliant Venus and Jupiter very close together in late April and early May. The pair will be closest at 19 UTC on April 30, when Venus is 0.2 degrees south of Jupiter. Venus will be shining at magnitude-4.1 and Jupiter will be at magnitude -2.1. Also notice reddish Mars nearby the pair. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

In the predawn eastern sky now until 4/30/22, the planets Venus and Jupiter are moving towards one another for a spectacular conjunction (close pairing in the sky) on 4/30/22 when they will be only 2/10ths of a degree apart.

Venus is the brighter of the two but Jupiter is bright. Use the same technique you did for Mercury to spot these two but they will be far easier to spot because of their brightness.

Here is a good article to read about this planetary conjunction.

Both of these sky happenings can be imaged using cell phones and cameras so try your luck.

Hoping your skies are clear....

Sky Guy in VA