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RISE & SET
This illustration presents
the night sky for 2020,
showing the best times to
observe the planets from
Mercury to Neptune. For each
planet, the times when it rises
and sets are shown throughout
the year. For Mercury and Venus,
which never stray too far from the
Sun, these times appear as loops
coming up from the sunset horizon
(on the left) or the sunrise horizon (on
the right). For Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, and Neptune, the times when
they transit — appear highest in
the sky and provide the best view
through a telescope — also are
shown. All the planets lie near the
ecliptic, so you can use this chart in
conjunction with the maps on the
previous pages to find a planet’s
approximate location. The chart
also includes the transit times of
four bright seasonal stars: Sirius,
Spica, Antares, and Deneb. This
map shows local times for an
observer at 40° north latitude.
Although exact times will
vary depending on your
longitude and latitude (and
don’t forget to add an hour
for daylight saving time),
the relative times and
approximate positions
will stay the same.
ASTRONOMY: RICK JOHNSON