LUNAR PHASES
New First Quarter Full Last Quarter
Jan. 2 Jan. 10 Jan. 17
Jan. 24 Feb. 1 Feb. 9 Feb. 15
Feb. 23 March 2 March 9 March 16
March 24 April 1 April 7 April 14
April 22 April 30 May 7 May 14
May 22 May 29 June 5 June 13
June 21 June 28 July 5 July 12
July 20 July 27 Aug. 3 Aug. 11
Aug. 18 Aug. 25 Sept. 2 Sept. 10
Sept. 17 Sept. 23 Oct. 1 Oct. 9
Oct. 16 Oct. 23 Oct. 31 Nov. 8
Nov. 15 Nov. 21 Nov. 30 Dec. 7
Dec. 14 Dec. 21 Dec. 29
All dates are for the Eastern time zone. A Full Moon rises at sunset
and remains visible all night; a New Moon crosses the sky with the
Sun and can’t be seen.VENUS shines brilliantly in the evening sky from
January into May. The planet appears farthest
from the Sun in late March, when it stands some
32° above the western horizon an hour after
sunset and gleams at magnitude –4.5. Venus
disappears in the Sun’s glow for the first two
weeks of June before reemerging in the predawn
sky, where it remains through year’s end. NASAMARS is visible for all of 2020, though
it appears most conspicuous when
it lies opposite the Sun in our sky
in October. The Red Planet then
shines at magnitude –2.6, swells to
an apparent diameter of 23", and
peaks at an altitude of nearly 60°. A
telescope reveals subtle features that
show up as contrasting shades of orange
and brown. ESA/ROSETTA/MPS/OSIRIS TEAMJUPITER always looks dramatic through a
telescope. Even small instruments show
the planet’s four big moons and resolve
its dynamic atmosphere into an
alternating series of bright zones and
darker belts. Jupiter reaches its peak
in mid-July, when it shines brightest
(magnitude –2.8) and looms largest (48"
across), though it’s a fine sight from mid-
January until the end of the year. NASA/JPL/USGSSATURN and its rings provide a spectacular
attraction for telescope owners from
February through December. The
ringed planet appears best around
opposition in late July. It then
shines at magnitude 0.1 and
its disk measures 18" across,
while the rings span 42" and
tilt 22° to our line of sight. NASA/
ESA/THE HUBBLE HERITAGE TEAM (STSCI/AURA)Astronomy’s
2020
Guide to
the Night Sky
A supplement to Astronomy magazine
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Visit our website at http://www.Astronomy.com
THE MOON is Earth’s nearest
neighbor and the only celestial
object humans have visited.
Because of its changing position
relative to the Sun and Earth, the Moon
appears to go through phases, from a
slender crescent to Full Moon and back. The
best times to observe our satellite through a
telescope come a few days on either side of its
two Quarter phases. For the best detail, look
along the terminator — the line separating the
sunlit and dark parts. NASA/GSFC/ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY