When the Curves Line Up

October 25, 2021: This morning the bright gibbous moon seems to be caught between the horns of Taurus.  Mercury is making its best morning appearance.  The planet pack – Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are in the evening sky. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/18/2021-october-25-caught-between-the-horns/

October 24, 2021:  Saturn is at its closest to Jupiter as the Jovian Giant picks up eastward speed.  The morning moon and Mercury are visible before sunrise.  Brilliant Evening Star Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter are in the sky after sunset. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/17/2021-october-24-saturn-inches-toward-jupiter/

October 23, 2021:  This morning the bright moon is near the Pleiades star cluster.  Mercury is making its best morning appearance.  In the evening sky, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn are easy to spot. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/16/2021-october-23-morning-moon-near-pleiades/

October 22. 2021:  Speedy Mercury is low in the east before sunrise.  It is putting on its best morning performance of the year.  Arcturus, in the east-northeast, is about the same altitude as Mercury. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/15/2021-october-22-mercurys-morning-best-arcturus/

October 21-November 1, 2021:  Brilliant Venus steps through Ophiuchus to the upper left of the star Antares in the southwest after sunset . Afterward, the planet steps farther eastward . This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/14/2021-october-31-november-1-venus-steps-through-ophiuchus/

October 21, 2021:  The bright moon is low in the west about an hour before sunrise.  Mercury is in the east at about the same altitude as Arcturus.  Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter shine from the evening sky. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/13/2021-october-21-bright-morning-moon-mercury-evening-planet-pack/

December 18, 2021:  This is the anticipated launch date of the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most sophisticated space telescope view the universe. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/12/2021-december-18-james-webb-space-telescope-launch/

October 20, 2021: Mercury is brightening in the morning sky.  Brilliant Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are in the evening sky.  The bright moon starts the evening low in the eastern sky. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/11/2021-october-20-mercury-morning-planet/

October 19, 2021:  Four bright planets are visible during a twenty-four-hour interval.  Mercury is in the morning sky, while Venus, Saturn and Jupiter are joined by a nearly full moon. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/10/2021-october-19-four-bright-planets/

October 18, 2021:  Jupiter’s illusion of retrograde motion ends today.  Arcturus is appearing in the morning sky along with Mercury.  The planet pack – Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter – and the moon are in the evening sky. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/09/2021-october-18-jupiters-retrograde-ends/

October 17, 2021: Arcturus is making its first morning appearance in the eastern sky before sunrise, while Mercury is beginning its best morning appearance of the year.  The gibbous moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus are strung across the sky after sundown. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/08/2021-october-17-arcturus-mercury-morning-evening-...

October 16, 2021:  Use a binocular to scan the morning sky.  Brilliant Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter continue to gleam in the evening sky.  Venus passes Antares in the southwestern sky.  The gibbous moon joins Jupiter and Saturn in the southeast. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/07/2021-october-16-morning-binocular-view-evening...

October 16, 2021: At the beginning of morning twilight, the bright stars of the Orion region of the sky shine brightly from the southern sky. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/06/2021-october-16-morning-stars/

October 15, 2021:  Brilliant Evening Star Venus is near the star Antares this evening after sunset.  Another star in Scorpius, Al Niyat, along with Venus and Antares mark the corners of a small celestial triangle. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/05/2021-october-15-venus-antares-al-niyat/

October 13-15, 2021:  The waxing gibbous moon passes the bright evening planets, Saturn and Jupiter.  Look for them in the south-southeast after sunset. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/04/2021-october-13-15-moon-passes-saturn-jupiter/

October 12, 2021:  The moon, Saturn, and Jupiter are strung along the southern sky this evening after sunset.  Venus continues its trek through Scorpius. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/03/2021-october-12-moon-approaches-saturn-jupiter/

October 11, 2021:  The waxing moon appears above the spout of the Teapot of Sagittarius.  Brilliant Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are visible after sunset. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/02/2021-october-11-steamed-moon/

November 19, 2021:  A morning lunar eclipse is visible from across most of North America.  The moon is almost completely immersed in Earth’s shadow at 3:02 a.m. CST. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/10/01/2021-november-19-morning-lunar-eclipse/

October 10, 2021:  Saturn’s retrograde ends this evening.  It slowly resumes its eastward motion compared to the starry background.  The bright planet pack – Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn – are easily visible after sunset. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/09/30/2021-october-10-saturns-retrograde-ends/

NASA is pausing operational commands with the spacecraft exploring Mars as the Red Planet nears its conjunction with the sun . This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/09/29/2021-october-mars-command-pause/

October 8, 2021:  The crescent moon approaches Venus in the western sky this evening, leading up to tomorrow’s close grouping of Venus, the crescent moon, and the three stars of the Scorpion’s head. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/09/28/2021-october-8-venus-moon-group-with-scorpion/

October 7, 2021: The lunar crescent returns to the evening sky for a short visit in the western sky after sunset.  The bright planet pack – Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn – are visible during the early evening. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/09/27/2021-october-7-evening-crescent-planet-pack/

Mars is at its solar conjunction on October 7, 2021.  It begins a slow return into the morning sky. By year’s end it appears low in the southeastern sky with the moon. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/09/26/2021-october-december-mars-conjunction-return-to-morning-sky/

October 6, 2021:  The moon is at its New moon phase today.  This evening look for the three bright planets after sunset. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/09/25/2021-october-6-new-moon-evening-planet-pack/

October 5, 2021: Before sunrise, a very thin moon is visible in the eastern sky.  The evening planet pack – Evening Star Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn – are visible at the same time after sundown. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2021/09/24/2021-october-5-skinny-moon-evening-planet-pack/