Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Wednesday, November 17th.*  The sun will rise at 7:41.  It’ll be up for 9 hours and 31 minutes, setting at 5:12.   The moon, half way from first quarter to full, will set at 4:35 tomorrow morning.

Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week. Mars is very low and lost in the evening twilight.  The planet Jupiter is up at sunset appearing in the southern sky in the early evening.  It will move due south at 8:33 p.m..  It is the brightest starlight object in the sky.  It’s located in Pisces this year and will set at 2:19 a.m.  The ringed planet Saturn will rise at 3:56 a.m. in the east southeast.  It’s located in the constellation Virgo this year.  It’s rings are opening nicely for telescopic observers.  Venus is in the morning sky and will rise at 5:18 a.m. in the east southeast but may be hard to spot in the twilight.  Mercury is also too close to the sun to be seen.  It’s near where Mars is this year, in the evening sky.

* Times, as always are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.