Stargazing

Have you noticed two very bright lights in the southwest during the month of November? Jim and I have noticed them quite a bit and have talked about trying to find out what they are. We suspected one of them was Jupiter. I finally remembered to look online tonight, and found this article:

As November begins, Venus shines brightly in the southwest and appears slightly higher each evening as the sun sets. Jupiter, which has dominated the southern summer skies is setting further to the west each night. Watch these two planets throughout November as they move closer together each night. They will be closest to each other on November 30, but the following evening the moon joins them for the special conjunction mentioned above. The other planet visible this month is Saturn which rises in the east well after midnight. With darkness stretching into the morning hours, you can catch Venus in the morning before sunrise. However, this year we will see Saturn’s rings almost “edge on” and it will be another couple of years before they spread open again. Sluggish Mars is now hidden in the glow of the sun and will be directly opposite the sun on December 4.