■ Listed here for Boston are viewing suggestions for and the rise and set times (EST/EDT) of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn on specific days each month, as well as when it is best to view Mercury. Approximate rise and set times for other days can be found by interpolation. Use the Key Letters at the right of each listing to convert the times for other localities (see pages 108 and 237). For all planet rise and set times by zip code, visit Almanac.com/astronomy.
The brightest planet is a dazzling evening star in
1 January. It attains greatest brilliancy in February, reaching magnitude – 4. 8, and meets the Moon on the 27th. In March, it appears lower each evening until it vanishes into the western horizon. After its infe- rior conjunction on March 27, Venus emerges into the morning sky in April and for several months remains about 20 degrees high as morning twilight begins. It brightens to magnitude – 4. 7 in May, then dims throughout the summer and fall. Though easily found, Venus is not a prominent morning star apparition; it sinks lower in October and is lost to sight by the end of November.
Jan. 1........set 8: 14 B Apr. 1......rise 5: 33 B July1......rise 2: 36 B Oct. 1......rise 4: 32 B Jan. 11......set 8: 32 B Apr. 11....rise 4: 54 C July11....rise 2: 31 B Oct. 11....rise 4: 56 C Jan. 21......set 8: 46 C Apr. 21...rise 4: 25 C July21....rise 2: 31 A Oct. 21....rise 5: 20 C Feb. 1.......set 8: 56 C May1.....rise 4:02 C Aug. 1.....rise 2: 36 A Nov. 1.....rise 4: 46 D Feb. 11.....set 8: 59 D May11...rise 3: 43 C Aug. 11...rise 2: 47 A Nov. 11...rise 5: 12 D Feb. 21.....set 8: 52 D May21...rise 3: 26 C Aug. 21...rise 3:02 A Nov. 21...rise 5: 37 E Mar. 1.......set 8: 36 D June 1.....rise 3:09 C Sept. 1....rise 3: 23 B Dec. 1.....rise 6:03 E Mar. 11.....set 8: 59 D June11...rise 2: 56 B Sept. 11...rise 3: 45 B Dec. 11...rise 6: 28 E Mar. 21.....set 8:00 D June21...rise 2: 45 B Sept. 21...rise 4:08 B Dec. 21...rise 6: 49 E
Dec. 31...rise 7:06 E
As in 2008, the Red Planet has no opposition in
0 2009. The year begins with Mars behind the Sun and lost to view. It emerges, dim, low, and tiny in late February just before dawn, then gets higher and brighter as the year progresses. In late May and all of
June, Mars keeps company with dazzling Venus in the predawn sky as it brightens to first magnitude. It finally starts rising around midnight in October and conspicuously meets the Moon on October 11–12. In November, Mars, at zero magnitude, rises by 11:00 P.M. In December, it begins to rise by 9:00 P.M., in Leo, retrograding toward its opposition in Cancer in January 2010.
Jan. 1......rise 6: 49 E Apr. 1......rise 5: 30 D July1......rise 2: 16 B Oct. 1......rise12:07 A Jan. 11....rise 6: 41 E Apr. 11....rise 5:09 C July11....rise 1: 58 A Oct. 11.....rise 11: 53 A Jan. 21....rise 6: 31 E Apr. 21...rise 4: 47 C July21....rise 1: 41 A Oct. 21....rise 11: 38 A Feb. 1......rise 6: 17 E May1.....rise 4: 24 C Aug. 1.....rise 1: 24 A Nov. 1......rise 10: 20 A Feb. 11....rise 6:03 E May11...rise 4:02 C Aug. 11...rise 1:09 A Nov. 11....rise 10:01 A Feb. 21...rise 5: 47 E May 21...rise 3: 40 B Aug. 21...rise 12: 56 A Nov. 21....rise 9: 38 B Mar. 1.....rise 5: 33 D June 1.....rise 3: 16 B Sept. 1....rise 12: 43 A Dec. 1......rise 9: 11 B Mar. 11...rise 6: 14 D June 11...rise 2: 55 B Sept. 11...rise 12: 31 A Dec. 11....rise 8: 40 B Mar. 21...rise 5: 54 D June 21...rise 2: 35 B Sept. 21...rise 12: 19 A Dec. 21....rise 8:01 B Dec. 31....rise 7: 16 B –illustrations, Beth Krommes 2009
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