Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Wednesday, August 13th.  The sun rises at 6:42.  It’ll be up for 14 hours and 8 minutes, setting at 8:51.   The moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 10:24 this evening.

Wednesday is bright planet day on Ephemeris.  Reddish Mars is between the constellations of Virgo and Libra, approaching Saturn in the southwest as darkness falls.  It will set at 11:40 p.m.  Saturn will be in the southwest, above and left of Mars as darkness falls, in the Libra the scales.  It will set at 12:16 a.m.  Saturn’s is still great viewing with small or large telescopes to see those fabulous rings and its large moon Titan.  Mars will pass Saturn traveling eastward later this month on the 27th.  Brilliant Venus will rise in the east-northeast at 5:03 a.m. in morning twilight.  Below left of Venus, we welcome back Jupiter which will rise at 5:23 tomorrow morning.  Jupiter and Venus will appear to cross paths on the 18th.

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

Addendum

Mars and Saturn with the zodiacal constellations Virgo, Libra, Scorpius and Sagittarius at 10 p.m. August 13, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

Saturn and its moons. Small telescopes will reveal only Saturn and Titan. Created using Stellarium.

The Moon low in the east at 11 p.m. Created using Stellarium.

Venus and Jupiter at 6 a.m. in the bright morning twilight with the rising stars of winter. Created using Stellarium.