Mercury Shines in October's Sky with Mars, Jupiter and Venus: How to Watch

First Posted: Oct 13, 2015 05:57 AM EDT
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Get ready to see Mercury. In the early morning skies over the next several weeks you'll be able to glimpse the planet at around 5:45 a.m. in the Eastern skies.

Mercury is just one of the planets that are visible during the month of October. You'll also be able to find Jupiter, Mars and Venus if you know where to look.

Jupiter, Mars and Venus can be seen in the predawn sky stretched out in a diagonal line in that order, going from lower left to the upper right. Interestingly, though, the planets tend to change their positions relative to each other from one morning to the next. In addition, you should be able to see Saturn before the end of the month in the evening twilight.

As the end of October approaches, Mercury will actually appear to become brighter and brighter in the pre-dawn sky. By October 30, the planet will look brighter than every other star in the sky.

The real show, though, comes between Oct. 22 and Oct. 29. That's when the planets will have a "summit meeting." This is when the three planets of Jupiter, Mars and Venus will be within 5 degrees of each other.

This month, you're likely to see quite a few planets if you manage to stay up and the skies are clear. Just remember to look up and watch out for these amazing planets.

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