Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Wednesday, December 18th.  The sun will rise at 8:14.  It’ll be up for 8 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 5:03.   The moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 6:38 this evening.

This is our weekly look at the planets.  Venus is brilliant in the southwest after sunset.  It will set at 7:30 p.m.  Venus us beginning to noticeably close with the sun.  It will be gone from our evening sky in a month.  Venus is a crescent, and we’re coming to the point where the crescent can be visible in binoculars.  The giant planet Jupiter will rise at 6:28 p.m. in the east northeast.  It’s cruising against the stars of Gemini now.  It will pass due south at 2:07 a.m.  Mars will rise at 1:13 a.m. in the east.  Reddish Mars is closer to Spica in Virgo than to Regulus in Leo.  Saturn will rise at 5 a.m. in the east southeast.  There is a comet visible in binoculars in the morning sky.  It’s Comet Lovejoy.  A finder chart for the next week will be at bobmoler.wordpress.com with today’s transcript.

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

Addendum

Venus in the southwest at 6 p.m. on December 18, 2013. Created using Stellarium.

Venus as seen in a telescope at 6 p.m. December 18, 2013. The disk will be blindingly bright with no detail. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and the Moon at 9 p.m. on December 18, 2013. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and its moons as seen in a telescope at 9 p.m. December 18, 2013. The orientation may be rotated or even mirror image. Created using Stellarium.

Mars, Saturn and the ghost of Comet ISON at 6 a.m. on December 19, 2013. Created using Stellarium.

Comet Lovejoy finder chart for the next week at 6 a.m. We’re stuck also with the ghost of Comet ISON. Look in the northeast at the constellation Hercules. Created using Cartes du Ciel.