Key Takeaways:
- Jupiter reaches opposition this month, resulting in peak brightness and visibility throughout the night.
- Mars and Saturn exhibit a conjunction mid-month, visible in the early evening western sky.
- Neptune and Uranus, termed "binocular planets," become observable after midnight.
- Mercury is visible in the predawn twilight early in the month.
Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, reaches opposition this month, which means the giant world is at its best and brightest all night. Mars chases Saturn above the western horizon in early evening, and the pair enjoys a fine conjunction mid-month. Then, around midnight, the “binocular planets” rise — first Neptune, then, an hour later, Uranus. If your observing stamina lasts through the night early this month, watch for Mercury greeting you in the predawn twilight.
