| Jupiter, Mars, and Uranus are gathered in Taurus as we move into late summer. On this August 29th morning, Jupiter shines at magnitude -2.32, Mars at +0.76, and Uranus comes in at magnitude +5.71, which is not much dimmer than it will be at opposition in November. If we compare these positions to those of August 1 or August 15, we see that Mars has moved beyond the line connecting the horns of Taurus, while Uranus is hovering in almost the exact same position because it is very close to beginning its retrograde loop in early September. Additionally, Mars has gained in ecliptic latitude, now being positioned almost directly on the ecliptic. |