Thanksgiving Alignment of Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter
In today’s article, we explain how to see the alignment of three bright planets at the end of November and what’s up with the most promising comet of 2021. And don’t miss our Thanksgiving sale! The details are at the end of the article.
Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter Align
Watch for Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter lining up in the sky at the end of this month. They will appear closest to each other on November 25, 2021, visible to the naked eye after dusk.
Those living in the Northern Hemisphere will need an unobstructed horizon to see Venus as it sits very low in the sky; the planet climbs higher for the Southern Hemisphere. If nothing blocks your view, Venus is easy to find. With a visual magnitude of around 4, it’s the brightest planet in the sky, and in late November - early December shines even brighter. Watch for it in the constellation Sagittarius.
Jupiter, the second brightest planet, is high in the south (or west, if you’re in the southern latitudes) in the constellation Capricornus. The planet is still located near Saturn, which glows less than halfway from Jupiter to Venus. Saturn is the dimmest one of the trio — it’s visible to the naked eye, but you’ll need a darker sky to see it clearly.
If you doubt whether that bright dot in the sky is Venus, Jupiter, or a star, use the Sky Tonight app — it identifies any sky object. With its help, you can also visualize the planets’ positions in the sky and learn the best time to observe them from your sites.
Comet Leonard update
The brightest comet of the year, C/2021 A1 (Leonard), will reach a magnitude of 4 within the first two weeks of December and might even be visible with the unaided eye. Currently, it has a visual magnitude of about 8, and can be observed through backyard telescopes.
How to find Comet Leonard at the end of November? According to Chris Vaughan, this week, the comet will rise among the stars of Canes Venatici shortly after midnight and then will be climbing the eastern sky until dawn. The easiest way to spot Comet Leonard is to use the Sky Tonight app. The comet hasn’t reached naked-eye visibility yet, so you’ll need a pair of binoculars or a telescope to view it.
Thanksgiving Sale
To encourage you for the starry sky exploration, we arrange a Thanksgiving sale on our new astronomy tool, Sky Tonight. It helps to find and identify any object in the sky, features a calendar of astronomy events, allows you to set customizable reminders, and more.
From November 25 to 29, get the Sky Tonight lifetime Premium Access for up to 70% off! The Premium Access removes ads and allows you to use all the app’s features without limitations.
If you already have the Sky Tonight subscription but want to purchase it at a discounted price, don’t forget to cancel your subscription first. Unfortunately, we can’t do it automatically due to the stores’ rules. To cancel your subscription, open the app, go to the Menu > Premium Access and tap the “Cancel Subscription” button. You’ll be transferred to a system window, where you need to choose the desired subscription and cancel it.
Now you know when to see the Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter alignment and how to observe Comet Leonard this week. We wish you clear skies and happy observations!
