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Mercury was at greatest western elongation
(18 degrees) on Oct. 22nd, and should still be
visible to northern hemisphere observers during
bright morning twilight in the first days of the
month. Mercury is at superior
conjunction on Nov. 25th.
Venus brightens to magnitude -4.2 during
the month, dominating the evening sky since it sets
well after it gets dark. On Nov. 30th the two
brightest planets have a striking conjunction,
as Venus passes 2 degrees south of magnitude
-1.9 Jupiter, while the three day old crescent
Moon with earthshine has closed to only 7 degrees
away (as seen from the west coast of North
America), a scene that will make for a wonderful
photo opportunity. Northern observers will need a
flat southwestern horizon to view the trio.
Mars will be in conjunction
with the Sun on Dec. 5th, and is therefore hidden
in the Sun's glare.
Jupiter decorates the evening sky,
especially at month's end when it joins Venus. At
the end of civil twilight on the 15th, Jupiter is
approximately 32 degrees up in the southwest. It
sets in the west-southwest during mid-evening for
mid-northern observers.
Saturn, in Leo, rises in the east near
01:30 am at mid-month. By morning civil twilight
its altitude in the southeast is approximately 47
degrees. On the 15th of the month the inclination
of the rings is only 1.5 degrees from edge-on.
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