Archive
04/05/11 – Ephemeris – Zodiacal Light
Tuesday, April 5th. The sun will rise at 7:16. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 58 minutes, setting at 8:14. The moon, 2 days past new, will set at 10:45 this evening.
After you spot the moon tonight, hang around outside at the end of astronomical twilight, about 9:37 p.m. look to the west at Taurus the bull and Gemini. Then broaden your gaze. There will be a very faint triangular glow with broad base at the horizon leaning a bit to the left, with its apex near the V of the face of Taurus the bull and the bright star Aldebaran to the right of Orion. This glow is called Zodiacal Light, caused by the reflected sunlight off a cloud of dust located in the plane of the solar system. Most of the large bodies of the solar system orbit the sun close to a single plane. The exceptions to this are comets, which orbit at all angles to the sun and Kuiper belt objects. Zodiacal Light is best seen on spring evenings and autumn mornings.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Back in 1997 I caught the zodiacal light when I photographed Comet Hale-Bopp. This was taken later in April when the apex of the zodiacal glow extended almost to Gemini. Click on the image to enlarge.
IZodiacal Light and Comet Hale-Bopp April 1997. My image.
Here is an enhanced image in black and white.
Zodiacal Light and Comet Hale-Bopp April 1997. Enhanced contrast.
04/06/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets for this week
Wednesday, April 6th. The sun will rise at 7:14. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 1 minute, setting at 8:15. The moon, 3 days past new, will set at 11:46 this evening.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets for this week. Jupiter is in conjunction with the sun today and will enter the morning sky. It’ll be more than a month before it’s easily spotted in the morning twilight. The ringed planet Saturn is rising before sunset and will be visible low in the southeast as it gets dark. It will cross the meridian due south at 1:37 a.m. and will set at 7:27 a.m. In telescopes Saturn shows its rings which are a year and a half along their seven and a half year opening along with at least one satellite, the large moon Titan. Venus is brilliant in the morning sky and will rise at 6:09 a.m. in the east southeast. It is really a beautiful sight in the morning twilight, though disappointingly small in a telescope.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 