Spot November’s Planetary Parade: Four Planets Before Dawn
Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter form a diagonal line in the pre-dawn sky all November, visible without a telescope. Mars and Jupiter come exceptionally close on November 15 and 16. Here is when and where to look, and how the weekend weather looks.
Stargazers can spot November's planetary parade of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter in the south-eastern to eastern pre-dawn sky throughout the month, all with the naked eye. The four planets sit in a diagonal line before sunrise.
The standout night is Monday, November 16. Mars and Jupiter will appear exceptionally close together, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich.
When and where to look
Find a spot away from light pollution with a clear view of the eastern horizon. Let your eyes adjust to the dark for around 20 minutes.
The best time to look is roughly 45 to 60 minutes before sunrise.
How to tell the planets apart
Mercury is the hardest to see. It is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest in the solar system, so it is permanently locked in solar glare. It shows only in twilight, never in a fully dark sky, and stays dim and low. Look to the south-east with a wide open view and a flat horizon.
Venus is the easy one. It is the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon. Look above Mercury and toward the right. Venus sits higher in the sky and rises earlier in the night, in the hours before sunrise.
Do not confuse it with the bright star Spica, which will sit close by. Stars twinkle, while planets glow steadily.
Mars is currently high in the eastern sky. Jupiter sits below it and looks brighter.
Mars and Jupiter close up
The two planets will appear very close to each other on November 15 and 16. They will also sit near the bright star Regulus, and the trio may even look like a triple star.
"They will be separated by just 1.2 degrees, or roughly the width of a finger held at arm's length," said Gideon Bendavid-Walker, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
Bonus planets and the Moon
Binoculars or a telescope bring a few more planets into reach. At a similar time before sunrise, Uranus will be setting in the west. Saturn and Neptune will also be visible for a time, but in the evening sky rather than the morning.
From November 24, a full Moon will join the planets in the morning sky. It is the first of a run of four supermoons.
Weekend viewing forecast
In the UK, Saturday night turns progressively cloudier and windier, with outbreaks of rain moving eastwards. An early frost is still possible under clearer skies in the south and east, though breeze and cloud should increase even there.
Sunday night looks drier as the day's rain and hill snow clear. Wintry showers will affect northern Scotland under plenty of cloud, and the odd shower may pop up around north-west facing coasts. Elsewhere the night looks mostly clear and dry, apart from the odd patch of mist or fog.
