Uranus
will be only a marginal target for observing in the early evening this
month. It will be starting to fade into the southwest glare. It will be
easy to spot through binoculars and from a dark site it will possible
to spot it with just your (good) set of eyes. The best time to observe
it will be just as it gets dark when it will be in the sky in the southwest.
Uranus sits south of Pegasus in southern Pisces very close to the ecliptic
and the celestial equator.
Using the constellation Pegasus can help to spot Uranus. Locate the big
square shape in Pegasus then find the two eastern stars that define the
square (Algenib and Alpheratz). An imaginary line going south through
these stars, at about the same distance apart as these two stars, and
slightly to the southwest, you should see Uranus. Binoculars will help
a lot.
There will be a much easier way to find Uranus this month using the very
bright Venus. On the evening of the 9th Uranus will be 0.3º from
Venus. The two planets will be in the same vicinity from the 3rd to the
15th. Since Venus is still climbing and Uranus is sinking, Uranus will
be above Venus from 3rd to the 8th and below Venus after the 9th. Uranus
will be much dimmer than Venus at magnitude 5.9. Around the 9th both planets
will be in the same binocular field of view. Look for the aquamarine color
of Uranus.
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