Download Planet Viewing in 2011 - Montana State University Extended

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Venus
Mercury
Mercury is always close to the
Sun so it’s hard to find. Late
March is the best time to look
for Mercury in the evening
sky in 2011. It’s in the west at
sunset, not far from Jupiter.
Its best morning appearances
will be early January and
late December, when it will
be low in the southeast at
twilight.
http://stardate.org/resources/
ssguide/mercury.html
Jupiter
Jupiter is in fine view
during the second half
of 2011. In August,
it rises after midnight
and stands high in the
south at first light. It
rises earlier each night
through the end of
the year, with its best
showing in late October
and early November,
when it rises around
nightfall and remains
in view all night.
The planet outshines
everything in the night
sky except the Moon
and Venus, so you
won’t have any trouble
finding it.
http://stardate.org/
resources/ssguide/
jupiter.html
Venus, the dazzling
morning or evening
star, outshines all
the other stars and
planets in the night
sky. It begins 2011
in the morning sky.
It will disappear
from view in
October as it passes
between Earth and
the Sun. It will
return to view as
the “evening star” in
December.
Mars
Mars spends much of 2011 either
lost in the Sun’s glare or shining
wanly in the pre-dawn hours. The
view improves as the year progresses,
though, with its best showing of the year
in November and December. It more
than doubles in brightness during that
two-month period, and rises earlier each
night. By year’s end, it rises around 11
p.m. and outshines all but a handful of
planets and stars.
http://stardate.org/
resources/ssguide/
venus.html
Saturn
Saturn looks
like a bright
golden star.
It spends all of 2011 in the
constellation Virgo, the virgin.
Saturn is at its best in early
April, when it’s closest to Earth.
It disappears behind the Sun in
late September, then returns to
view in the morning sky in late
October.
http://stardate.org/resources/ssguide/
saturn.html
http://stardate.org/resources/ssguide/mars.html
Uranus
Although it’s the third-largest planet
in the solar system, it is so far from the
Sun that you need binoculars to see
it. It spends 2011 in the constellation
Pisces. It stages its best appearance in
late September and early October,
when it is at its brightest and is in
the sky all night.
http://stardate.org/resources/ssguide/
uranus.html
Neptune
The fourth-largest planet in the solar
system is so far away that you need a
telescope to find it.
Neptune stages its best appearance of
2011 in late August.
http://stardate.org/resources/ssguide/
neptune.html
(All planet viewing facts from
stardate.org)
For information on NASA
projects at Montana State
University and student
scholarships and internships For information on MSU science outreach and events
visit spacegrant.
visit www.montana.edu/outreach
montana.edu