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02/02/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets this week
Ground Hog Day, Wednesday, February 2nd. The sun will rise at 8:00. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 52 minutes, setting at 5:52. The moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week. Mars is very near the direction of the sun and will come in conjunction with the sun on Friday. The planet Jupiter is up in the southwestern sky in the early evening. It is a spectacular sight in a telescope with its four satellites, shifting their positions from night to night, and the cloud bands running in the directions of the satellites. Jupiter is the brightest star-like object in the evening. It’s located left the Circlet in Pisces now and will set at 10:03 p.m. The ringed planet Saturn will rise at 11:13 p.m. in the east southeast and will move due south at 4:57 a.m. Venus is brilliant in the morning sky and will rise at 5:11 a.m. in the east southeast. Mercury is now too close to the direction of the sun to be seen.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
02/01/11 – Ephemeris – The River Eridanus
Tuesday, February 1st. The sun will rise at 8:01. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 5:51. The moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 7:31 tomorrow morning.
There is a long and sinuous constellation that’s part of the winter sky. It is Eridanus, which depicts a river. The river starts near the lower right corner of Orion, near the bright star Rigel and flows to the right then down near the southern horizon, then it meanders below the horizon. One has to travel to the far southern United States or even farther south to see the southern terminus of the river, the bright star Archernar. Writers over the ages have seen here the Nile and the earth circling river Ocean of the flat earth days. One of its stars is close to us and famous. It’s Epsilon Eridani host to at least two large planets and the fictional home to Mr. Spock and other Vulcans of the Star Trek franchise.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 