Space and Astronomy

The Planets and Special Events

Venus (Mag -4.0) is in the Western sky and is absolutely brilliant as twilight sets in.

Jupiter (Mag -2.6) is the brightest morning planet and can be seen in the Eastern Sky just bfore Sunrise.

Mars (Mag +1.4) appears 15° up in the Western sky at sunset.

Saturn (Mag +1.1) is in the West as darkness falls and is half way up from the horizon.

Reprinted with permission, the information above is made available in the Griffith Observer , a monthly publication by the Griffith Observatory. For complete information on the Planets and other items related to Astronomy, please visit the Griffith Observatory Web Site.

The Griffith Observatory provides free public viewing through it's Triple-Beam Coelostat-Fed Solar Telescope, 12-inch Zeiss Refractor and 11-inch Computer Controlled Telescopes. For more information on observing through these Telescopes or visiting the Griffith Observatory visit the Griffith Observatory Web Site.

The theory that our Sun is the center of the universe and our planets revolve around it was first documented by Nicolas Copernicus. The interesting thing is that Copernicus was a Catholic Priest and Philosopher, not an Astronomer. But he believed that God would have made the movements of the planets more simple than the previously documented theory (which was very complex). As we know today, Corpernicus was right !

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