Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Election Day, Tuesday, November 6th.  The sun will rise at 7:27.  It’ll be up for 9 hours and 56 minutes, setting at 5:24.   The moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 12:06 tomorrow morning.

Be sure and vote today.  I have a tale of what happens when a low turn out leads for many to the wrong result.  I’m referring to the vote at the International Astronomical Union meeting in 2006 that demoted Pluto to dwarf planet.  It was the last day of the conference and many delegates had already left when the when the matter of defining what a planet was.  A hastily formed proposal won the day.  I haven’t the time to go into the definition, but Pluto didn’t fit it.  Pluto, Eris the Kuiper belt object that caused the furor in the first place and the asteroid Ceres were given the titles dwarf planet because they are round.  To add insult to injury Pluto was given an asteroid number 13430.  That Pluto has 5 moons doesn’t change anything.

Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Here’s the IAU definition of a planet:

(1) A “planet” is a celestial body that: (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.

(2) A “dwarf planet” is a celestial body that: (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape², (c) has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.

(3) All other objects, except satellites, orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as “Small Solar System Bodies”.

Note the mention of the sun in all three points.  Thus this does not apply to exoplanets, those orbiting other stars.  We are a long way from seeing and assessing all the bodies orbiting other stars, so it may be that every stellar system will have its own rules.

Oh by the way, I have come to agree with the IAU definition.  Sorry, there are only 8 planets in our solar system.