From Astronomy magazine's on-line newsletter (I couldn't find a link to it):
Early morning display [Image] [] Plan to awaken early October 7 - a spectacular view awaits you in the eastern sky. Shortly after 4:30 A.M., Venus, Saturn, the Moon and the bright star Regulus in Leo rise in the east, all within a 6° circle. Venus is bright, shining at magnitude -4.7. A telescope reveals a 38-percent-lit disk - an interesting contrast to the 13-percent-illuminated crescent Moon. Try viewing Venus through a scope with your right eye, and the Moon with your unaided left eye. Venus lies less than 3° southwest of 1st-magnitude Regulus, Leo's brightest star. Saturn lies 6° east of Venus, while the crescent Moon stands less than 2° west of Saturn. By dawn, around 6:30 A.M., the four objects have climbed high in the east. Be ready to answer questions from coworkers. The Moon leaves the scene the following morning, but beginning October 9, Venus, Saturn, and Regulus huddle within a 5° circle for 4 days. Saturn shines at magnitude 0.8. Saturn's rings now angle only 8° to our line of sight. The rings will be edge-on to us in 2009. Their long axis spans 39", while the rings' short axis spans just 5". Look on the rings' western side for the planet's shadow. Venus is less than 3° due south of Regulus October 9, and 2.9° south of Saturn October 15. Venus' sunlit portion rises to 50 percent when it reaches greatest elongation (46.5°) October 28. Venus is now moving away from Earth and spans just 23" by month's end. -- Ronn! :) _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
