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Founded January 1970
Julian Date: 245892.16
2019-2020: CIV
THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Ascent of the Superiors
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OPPOSITION
the passage of Earth between the Sun and a superior planet,
defined as a planet at a greater distance from the Sun than
Earth.
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Well, yes, of course, that dazzling show off Venus is garnering all the attention now as it is currently adorning the western evening sky and outshining the devil out of every other celestial object, apart from the Sun and Moon. However, keep your eye on the three superior planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn currently congregating around the eastern pre-dawn sky. They might not be as pleasing to the eye as the love goddess world, but they are all destined to ascend into greater prominence as we proceed through the year.
We'll take each world in turn
MARS
The red planet rises first, the grand marshall of our three planet parade. Though currently the dimmest of the three planets, Mars will be growing ever brighter as it and Earth approach each other. Mars will reach opposition (and maximum brightness) on October 13, 2020.
JUPITER
The biggest planet is also the brightest of the three morning worlds. We will watch Jupiter rising quickly into greater prominence as its brilliance increases. It will reach opposition on July 14, 2020
SATURN
The most distant of the naked eye planets rises last and will reach opposition on July 20th, less than a week after Jupiter. While Saturn will never shine as bright as its heftier counterpart, it will be quite easy to find later in the spring and into the summer.
Venus is garnering all the attention now, but wait until later this year when the second world moves into the morning sky and the three superiors dominate the evening.
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