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gearing up for a very interesting alignment between Mercury, Venus and Saturn next week. Plus, you can see the planet Jupiter anytime on these late November 2012 nights. Earth will pass between Jupiter and the sun next week, placing Jupiter in its best place to observe this year. All four planets - including Mercury - should remain in fine view for the next several weeks.
• If you're an acute observer, and have binoculars, you might even catch Mars low in the southwest sky after sunset. So it's possible for you to see all five visible planets on this November night. By visible planet, we mean any planet that's readily visible without an optical aid and which has been observed by our ancestors since time immemorial. In their outward order from the sun, the visible planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
• Brilliant Jupiter will be super easy to spot. It'll be low in the east at nightfall and rising upward during the evening hours. It'll be highest up for the night around midnight and low in the west at morning dawn. If it's clear, you simply can't miss Jupiter because it's the most brilliant star-like object to light up the evening sky.
• The only planet to outshine Jupiter is Venus, the morning "star." At mid-northern latitudes, dazzling Venus and the fainter planet Saturn rise together in the east about two and one-half hours before sunrise. If you can't see Saturn next to Venus with the eye alone, use binoculars or a low-powered telescope.
• Venus and Saturn will remain within the same binocular field of view in the predawn and dawn sky from about November 24 to December 1. Day by day, look for (Continued on page 18)
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