Dawn Triangle of Planets   
       
   Oct. 24, 2015: Winter is approaching. The early, wakeful sunbeams of summer   
   are a fading memory as October mornings grow dark and cold. Frankly, waking up   
   isn't as easy as it used to be.....   
       
   Except this week.   
       
   In the days ahead, if you find yourself yawning over your morning coffee   
   before sunrise, longing for repose, just take a look out the window. Three   
   bright planets are converging in the eastern sky--and the view is an eye   
   opener.   
       
   Look east before sunrise in late October for a beautiful conjunction of bright   
   planets.   
       
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCuQXGCuiPo   
       
   Every morning in late October, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars will rise in the east   
   an hour or so before the sun. Together, they form a triangle in the pre-dawn   
   sky. Venus and Jupiter are the brightest vertices--visible even after the   
   black pre-dawn sky turns cobalt blue. Once you find them, you will have little   
   trouble locating the dimmer Red Planet, which completes the triangle while the   
   sky is still black.   
       
   Although any morning in late October is a good time to look, the six day   
   stretch from Oct. 24th through the 29th is the best. That's because during   
   this time, the triangle of planets will shrink until it is less than five   
   degrees wide. For reference, the bowl of the Big Dipper is about 10 degrees   
   wide so two of these triangles would fit comfortably inside the bowl.   
       
   Of greater significance, however, is what you can see through binoculars.   
   Typical binoculars can see a patch of sky about six or seven degrees wide. So   
   when the triangle of planets shrinks to five degrees, they will all fit inside   
   a binocular field of view. Imagine looking through the eyepiece and seeing   
   three planets--all at once. This rare and beautiful sight is what is waiting   
   to help wake you up starting on the 24th of October.   
       
   In addition to the planets are the moons .  Jupiter's moons: Io, Europa,   
   Ganymede, and Callisto. 3 or 4 of these giant satellites will typically be   
   visible if the binoculars are held steady by leaning on something sturdy or by   
   mounting them on a tripod. The configuration of the moons will be different   
   every morning.   
       
   By the time October comes to an end, the planetary triangle will start   
   breaking apart. But there are still two dates of special interest: Nov. 6th   
   and 7th. On those increasingly wintry mornings, the crescent Moon will swoop   
   in among the dispersing planets for a loose conjunction guaranteed to dislodge   
   the "sleep in your eyes." On the 6th it will be close to Jupiter. By the 7th   
   it is just past Mars and Venus.   
       
   Waking up before sunrise may not be so bad after all....   
       
       
   Regards,   
       
   Roger   
      
   --- DB 3.99 + Windows 10   
    * Origin: NCS BBS - Houma, LoUiSiAna (1:3828/7)