Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Wednesday, February 26th.  The sun will rise at 7:25.  It’ll be up for 11 hours and 1 minute, setting at 6:26.   The moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 5:58 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the planets.  Jupiter will be in the southeastern sky as darkness falls tonight.  It’s cruising against the stars of Gemini now.  It will pass due south at 9:01 p.m., and will set at 4:44 a.m. in the west-northwest.  Reddish Mars is in Virgo now and above and left of the bright star Spica, which it now outshines.  Mars will rise at 10:29 p.m. and will appear above the moon when it rises a half an hour later.  It will pass due south at 4 a.m.  Saturn will rise at 12:45 a.m. in the east-southeast.   It’s seen against the stars of Libra the scales this year.  Venus will rise at 5:03 tomorrow morning but this morning it will appear above and right of the Moon. and shines brightly in the southeast before sunrise.

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

Addendum

Jupiter and the winter constellations at 9 p.m. on February 26, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic Jupiter. The missing moon Ganymede is near Io from our vantage point, however it’s in Jupiter’s shadow. It will emerge into sunlight at 10:25 p.m. (3:25 UT on the 27th) between Io and Europa. Created using Stellarium.

Stellarium models the eclipses of the satellites fine, but for this one it is more than a half hour early.  It may not take into account the light travel time between Jupiter and the earth.  Another free program Cartes du Ciel does not model Jovian satellite eclipses at all.

Mars rising near the star Spica at 11:30 p.m. February 26, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

The morning planets Mars, Saturn and Venus with the moon at 6:15 a.m. February 27, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

Saturn through a telescope on the morning of February 27, 2014. It would be difficult to see any satellites other than Titan with a small telescope. Created using Stellarium

Venus through a telescope, except there will be no cloud detail, in the morning of February 27, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

The thin crescent moon at 6:15 a.m. on February 27, 2014. Created using Stellarium.