Look up in the sky tonight (if you live in the Western half of the US, like I do). The planets are showing off in the heavens tonight. Mercury will be visible after sunset. Look for it about 45 to 75 minutes after sunset, near the waxing crescent moon. Try drawing an imaginary line from Jupiter through Venus to locate Mercury by the horizon. Although Mars appears in the evening sky and Saturn at late evening, these two worlds light up the morning hours after midnight and all the way till dawn throughout February 2012.
Jupiter and Venus are edging toward a spectacular conjunction in March 2012. Mars is getting bright and will join up with Jupiter and Venus as soon as darkness falls in late February. This month, three planets – Venus, Jupiter and mars – conspicuously stage themselves in the February 2012 evening sky, while Saturn more modestly displays itself in the predawn hours. Mercury, the shyest of the five visible planets, will put on a good showing after sunset during the last week of February. Check it out!
