Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Wednesday, January 4th.  The sun will rise at 8:19.  It’ll be up for 8 hours and 56 minutes, setting at 5:15.   The moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 5:03 tomorrow morning.

It’s the first Wednesday of 2012 and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets.  The planet Venus is brilliant in the southwestern sky after sunset setting at 8:07.  Jupiter is the most prominent planet of the evening sky, once Venus sets.  It’s located high in the south and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries.  It will pass due south at 7:41 p.m.  It will set at 2:26 a.m.. Mars will rise at 10:52 p.m in the east northeast and is below the hind end of the  constellation Leo the lion.  It is 92.4 million miles away and closing.  Saturn will rise at 2:07 a.m. just to the left of the bright star Spica in the east southeast.  The sun is its closest to earth of the entire year today.  Only 91.3 million miles away.

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