Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 10th.  The sun will rise at 7:15.  It’ll be up for 12 hours and 46 minutes, setting at 8:02.   The moon, 2 days past full, will rise at 8:54 this evening.

Let’s take our weekly look at the bright planets.  Mars and Saturn are now nearly side by side with Saturn to the right by 10 degrees, about the width of your fist held at arm’s length.  Saturn will set at 10:30 p.m.  Saturn in a telescope will suffer because it’s getting close to the horizon but it’s still possible to see those rings and its large moon Titan.  Reddish Mars is leaving Saturn in the dusk, leaving Libra, where Saturn is and will be entering Scorpius on Saturday.  Mars will set at 10:38 p.m., 8 minutes after Saturn.  In the morning sky brilliant Jupiter will rise in the east-northeast at 4:04 a.m., while the brighter Venus, will rise at 6:14 a.m.  Jupiter is increasing its distance from the sun, while Venus is retreating toward the Sun from our point of view.

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

Addendum

Saturn and Mars with the evening summer constellations at 9:30 p.m. September 10, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

Saturn through the telescope at 9:30 p.m. September 10, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and Venus with the Winter constellations at 6:30 a.m. September 11, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic view of Jupiter and its 4 Galilean moons at 6:30 a.m. on September 11, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

The waning gibbous Moon at 6:30 a.m. September 11, 2014. Created using Stellarium. Tomorrow the program will be about the moon and its features that will be visible late in the evening. The terminator will advance by a small bit between tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening.