A Trio Of Planets And The Moon Before Dawn
Watch for the moon to slide past three bright planets in the morning sky this week. Read on to find out how, where and when to see them.
April 14: The Moon and mini-planet parade
No matter where you live, if you look at the predawn sky on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, you will see the illuminated side of the moon pointing to a line of three bright planets – Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. Jupiter starts the row at the top, Mars lies at the bottom and Saturn in the middle. The moon and the trio of planets will shine together on the mornings of April 14, 15 and 16. Not to miss this amazing naked-eye sight and great photo opportunity, use the stargazing app Star Walk 2. The app will show you where to look in the sky to find the planets and will help determine the best viewing time for your location.
Jupiter first
On Tuesday morning, April 14, 2020, the natural satellite of the Earth will approach Jupiter. Both objects will lie in the constellation Sagittarius. Jupiter is the brightest planet in the line, it is more than 10 times brighter than Saturn and Mars. Nonetheless, Saturn and Mars are also bright enough and can be easily visible to the unaided eyes.
April 15: Find the Moon near Saturn
The moon will continue to glide past the morning planets and will pay a visit to Saturn in the wee hours of Wednesday, April 15, 2020. The pair will shine among the stars of the constellation Capricornus and will fit within the field of view of a telescope or a pair of binoculars. This moon-saturn encounter is an opportunity to enjoy a good view of Saturn’s rings through a telescope.
April 16: Сlose approach with Mars
In the predawn hours on April 16, 2020, find the moon close to the red planet Mars. Both will lie in the constellation Capricornus. Get up early to see the moon close to Mars, Saturn, Jupiter as the moon’s trip to morning planets in April ends on Thursday. On Friday, April 17, you will still have a chance to see them all, but the moon will be further from the planets.
