Dawn of the Planets
May 8th, 2011
This month, four of the five
naked-eye
planets gather
along the eastern horizon near dawn.
The celestial grouping is seen here just before sunrise on May 5,
from a beach near Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Starting near the top of the frame, the brightest beacon is Venus.
Mercury is below and right of Venus and brilliant Jupiter is
lower still, near image center.
Below Jupiter, Mars is relatively faint and struggles
the most to shine through a thin cloud bank
and the warming twilight glow.
Watch, and as the month progresses
the tantalizing configuration will change,
with Mars and Jupiter moving higher while
Venus and Mercury wander through the sky
closer to the rising sun.
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