Archive
01/30/2015 – Ephemeris – Looking ahead at the Sun’s advance in February and what’s happening after it sets
Ephemeris for Friday, January 30th. The sun will rise at 8:04. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 43 minutes, setting at 5:48. The moon, half way from first quarter to full, will set at 5:25 tomorrow morning.
February is the shortest month, even so the daylight hours through out the month will be getting longer. Daylight hours will increase from 9 hours and 49 minutes on Sunday the first to 11 hours and 6 minutes on the 28th. The sunrise time will decrease from 8:02 Sunday to 7:22 at month’s end. The sunset times will increase from 5:51 on Sunday to 6:28 on the 28th. Along with that the altitude of the sun at noon will increase from 28 degrees on Sunday to nearly 38 degrees at month’s end. Local noon, by the way for Interlochen and Traverse City is about 12:55 p.m. The planet Jupiter will reach its closest to the Earth in 6 days. Comet Lovejoy will continue to fade as it retreats from the Earth and the Sun.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addenda
Monthly Star Chart
Star Chart for February 2015. Created using my LookingUp program.
The Moon is not plotted. The planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 9 p.m. That is chart time.
Evening astronomical twilight ends at 7:31 p.m. on February 1st, increasing to 8:06 p.m. on the 28th.
Morning astronomical twilight starts at 6:21 a.m. on February 1st, and decreasing to 5:45 a.m. on the 28th.
Add a half hour to the chart time every week before the 15th and subtract and hour for every week after the 15th.
For a list of constellation names to go with the abbreviations click here.
The green pointer from the Big Dipper is:
- Pointer stars at the front of the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris the North Star.
- Drill a hole in the bowl of the Big Dipper and the water will drip on the back of Leo the Lion.
Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy)
Track of Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) for February 2015.
Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) will be fading fast throughout February as it moves from Andromeda to Cassiopeia.
Calendar of Planetary Events
Credit: Sky Events Calendar by Fred Espenak and Sumit Dutta (NASA’s GSFC)
To generate your own calendar go to http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html
Times are Eastern Standard Time on a 24 hour clock. Some additions made to aid clarity.
Conjunctions like the Moon-Saturn: 2.3° S means Saturn will appear 2.3° south of the Moon.
| Feb | 01 | Su | Venus: 23.8° E of Sun | |
| 03 | Tu | 18:09 | Full Moon | |
| 06 | Fr | 01:25 | Moon Apogee: 406,200 km | |
| 06 | Fr | 11:55 | Jupiter Opposition from the Sun | |
| 08 | Su | 12:10 | Moon Ascending Node | |
| 11 | We | 22:50 | Last Quarter | |
| 12 | Th | 19:10 | Moon-Saturn: 2.3° S | |
| 14 | Sa | 12:18 | Moon South Dec.: 18.4° S | |
| 17 | Tu | 01:20 | Moon-Mercury: 3.5° S | |
| 18 | We | 18:47 | New Moon | |
| 19 | Th | 02:29 | Moon Perigee: 357000 km | |
| 20 | Fr | 19:56 | Moon-Venus: 2° S | |
| 20 | Fr | 20:28 | Moon-Mars: 1.5° S | |
| 21 | Sa | 11:05 | Moon Descending Node | |
| 22 | Su | 00:18 | Venus-Mars: 0.4° N | |
| 24 | Tu | 10:59 | Mercury Greatest Elongation: 26.7° W | |
| 25 | We | 12:14 | First Quarter | |
| 25 | We | 18:02 | Moon-Aldebaran: 1° S | |
| 25 | We | 23:18 | Neptune Conjunction with the Sun | |
| 27 | Fr | 02:19 | Moon North Dec.: 18.3° N | |
| Mar | 01 | Su | Venus: 30.1° E of Sun | |
01/29/2015 – Ephemeris – The first thing noticed about Jupiter in a telescope
Ephemeris for Thursday, January 29th. The sun will rise at 8:05. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 41 minutes, setting at 5:46. The moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 4:33 tomorrow morning.
If it’s clear tonight dress up warmly and take the telescope out to look Jupiter. Jupiter is the brightest star-like object out tonight. It outshines Sirius the brightest night-time star lower in the sky and to its right. Jupiter, being the largest planet most of the time is the biggest planet in the telescope, It’s only challenger is Venus for a couple of months when its closest to us. The first thing one notices about Jupiter in a telescope is that it has companions, up to 4, strung out on either side of the planet. Those are the four moons or satellites discovered by Galileo in 1610. They will shift position from night to night and even as you watch. They can hide behind Jupiter or in its shadow or in front of the planet.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Jupiter’s retrograde path against the stars between Cancer and Leo October 2014 to July 2015. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts). Click to enlarge.
Jupiter and its four Galilean moons. The planet has to be over exposed to pick up the moons. But the eye can handle the brightness difference with no problem. This is one of my old pictures back in the days of film.
Jupiter with a solar eclipse in progress as Ganymede, lower left, casts its shadow on Jupiter on November 14, 2011. Credit: Scott Anttila.
Check out the Great Red Spot (GRS) above Ganymede’s shadow. It’s not really red. When I first aimed my telescope toward Jupiter back in the late 1950’s the GRS was indeed very red. Nowadays the GRS is very hard to find.
01/28/2015 – Ephemeris – Wednesday is bright planet and comet day on Ephemeris
Ephemeris for Wednesday, January 28th. The sun will rise at 8:06. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 39 minutes, setting at 5:45. The moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 3:37 tomorrow morning.
Lets take a look at the bright planets and a pretty bright comet for this week. Venus is in the west-southwest by 6:30 p.m. It will set at 7:41. Mercury is now too close to the direction of the sun to be seen. Mars appears above and left of Venus in the southwest, and is in the constellation of Aquarius. The Red Planet will set tonight at 8:42 p.m. Jupiter, 9 days from being in opposition from the sun, and opposite the sun in the sky, when it will be rising at sunset and setting at sunrise will rise tonight in the east at 6:27 p.m. It’s near the sickle-shaped head of Leo the lion. Early risers will be able to spot Saturn which will rise in the east-southeast at 3:32 a.m. Comet Lovejoy, visible in binoculars, is near the short end of the constellation of Triangulum.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus and Mars with the setting autumn constellations at 7 p.m. January 28, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter, the Moon and the constellations of winter at 9 p.m. January 28, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What the moon might look like in binoculars at 9 p.m. January 28, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What Jupiter and its moons might appear like in a telescope at 9 p.m., January 28, 2015. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
Saturn and a preview of the summer constellations at 6:30 a.m. January 29, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope at 6:30 a.m., January 29, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
Comet Lovejoy
The track of Comet Lovejoy for the next week (from 1/28/2015 to 2/03/2015 at 9 p.m.) Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
There are some fuzzy objects in this part of the sky. However only M31, the Great Andromeda Galaxy, is bright enough to be mistaken for the comet. Next Tuesday and Wednesday the comet will appear close to Almaak (γ Andromedae), a 2nd magnitude star. Note: six of the seven Big Dipper stars are 2nd magnitude.
01/27/2015 – Ephemeris – Looking at a valley on the Moon
Ephemeris for Tuesday, January 27th. The sun will rise at 8:07. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 36 minutes, setting at 5:44. The moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 2:36 tomorrow morning.
If it’s clear tonight drag out that telescope to look at the Moon. Your telescope may flip the moon around, viewing the Moon in different orientations. What I’m describing will be north is up, south is down. Your telescope may flop the image, so check your telescopic view with how it appears to the naked eye. I will use the north-south terminology. And we’ll stick close to the terminator, the sunrise line on the Moon. One of the striking linear features of the moon is the Alpine Valley, about 2/3rds the way from the center of the moon to the north pole. It is a fault valley through the lunar Alps. About half way from the center of the Moon to the north pole. It’s the largest of three craters in a nearly right triangle. It’s named after Archimedes.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Moon at 9 p.m. EST (UT -5h) January 27, 2015. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas.
I notice that I have quite a few followers to this blog from the UK. Unfortunately for you folks the crater Archimedes will not yet be visible tonight. I’ve labeled some extra craters that I didn’t discuss in the program, plus I’m adding the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mosaic that’s mapped onto the Virtual Moon Atlas globe.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mosaic of the region at the eastern shore of Mare Imbrium. Credit NASA/GSFC/LRO, Virtual Moon Atlas
01/26/2015 – Ephemeris – First quarter Moon, a telescopic asteroid misses the Earth tonight and a Jupiter shadow recap
Note: Ephemeris program generally features objects in the sky that are visible to the naked eye or binoculars. However in the blog, with the ability to expand in both content and illustrations I can add information for telescopic observers and expand postings.
Ephemeris for Monday, January 26th. The sun will rise at 8:08. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 5:42. The moon, at first quarter today, will set at 1:30 tomorrow morning.
The Moon will be perfectly half illuminated by the sun at 11:48 p.m. The gray patches that appear on the Moon’s surface were called by early telescopic astronomers: seas; because they thought they were bodies of water. The Moon is pretty much bone dry, except for some eternally shadowed craters at the poles, which still aren’t wet because the water is frozen. Anyway the seas or maria on the moon are indeed low spots. The seas, from the top center of the moon down to the lower right are Serenity, Tranquility, Nectar and Fertility. To the upper right all by itself is the Sea of Crises. From Serenity to Fertility some can imagine an upside down rabbit, with ears of unequal sizes. In a few more days we’ll see the face of the man in the Moon.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addenda
First Quarter Moon
Rabbit in the first quarter Moon. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas.
Tonight Asteroid 2004 BL86 will pass three times the Moon’s distance from the Earth
This evening a rather large asteroid for a Near Earth Object or NEO will pass three-quarters of a million miles from the Earth. The asteroid has the designation 2004 BL86. The cool thing is that this asteroid is half a kilometer or so meters across, that’s 5 soccer or football fields in diameter. Radar from this close passage should nail down the size and shape. Between Goldstone Tracking Station and Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico the asteroid should be mapped down to 2 to 4 meters. It would be definitely not cool if this asteroid ever hit the Earth. It will be 9th magnitude, and so will be visible in small telescopes, and it will cross the east or left side of the Beehive star cluster also designated M44 starting about midnight tonight.
If you want to observe the event and don’t have the equipment head on over to www.slooh.com. This is the site for Slooh (pronounced “slew”) Community Observatory which has observatories in the Canary Islands and Chile, and partners with others. Besides these events, members can schedule time and use the telescopes via the internet. Check the above link for more information.
The chart below is from NASA/JPL’s Near Earth Object Program: Updated Charts for Asteroid 2004 BL86 Earth Flyby on Jan 26, 2015
The track of asteroid 2004 BL86 as viewed from the Earth, plotted on a star chart with an equatorial coordinate grid. The asteroid location is shown at four-hour intervals from January 26 to 28. The indicated times are Universal Time; subtract 5 hours for Eastern Standard Time (EST), 6 hours for CST, and 8 hours for PST. On January 26, the asteroid will pass within 11 degrees of Jupiter, now shining brightly in the east in the evening sky. Image and caption credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. JPL orbit solution #43, with star chart graphics produced using C2A. Click to enlarge.
Below is a chart from Universe Today. Here’s a link to their web page.
A Black on white chart of asteroid 2004 BL86 crossing to the right of M44. Note that the actual path depends on your location since the chart is based on the center of the Earth. The closer to your horizon the greatest deviation from the path shown. Time Ticks are for CST. Add one hour to them for EST. The Midnight tick mark is 0 h UT or GMT the 27th. Credit Universe Today and created with Chris Marriott’s SkyMap software.
Sky and Telescope has charts that have BL86’s track plotted about 15 minutes ahead of the track above. It is a newer chart, so the asteroid’s position may have been updated. The Sky and Telescope narrative and charts are here.
Results from Jupiter’s early Saturday satellite shadow play
The video live feed from the Griffith Planetarium in Los Angeles was a bust. It suffered from what astronomers call bad seeing. I mean really horrible seeing. Astronomers ascribe at least two qualities to the sky, other than brightness due to the moon or light pollution. That is transparency and seeing. Seeing is the steadiness of the sky. What Jupiter looked like was looking at a small disk at the bottom of a swimming pool while the kids are still playing in it. At first I ascribed it to Jupiter being low in the LA sky, being 3 hours west of here. But it didn’t get better as the night progressed. I could occasionally make out Callisto’s shadow, just because I knew where it’s supposed to be. But that’s it.
However my friend from the Detroit area, Scott Anttila, blessed at least for a while with clearer and calmer skies got some wonderful pictures of the first part of the multiple shadow event.
Left to right the shadows of Io and Callisto crossing the face of Jupiter at 12:52 a.m. January 24, 2015. Credit Scott Anttila.
Note that Callisto has a larger shadow than Io. That’s mainly due to it’s greater distance from Jupiter that makes its shadow larger and fuzzier than the closer Io.
In this picture Io’s shadow has just caught up with Callisto’s shadow. Credit: Scott Anttila.
Rocking animation of the early stages of the shadow show on Jupiter. Callisto’s shadow already on the planet while Io’s shadow is just entering. Also Io’s transit is starting, following its shadow on the planet. Credit: Scott Anttila
01/23/2015 – Ephemeris – Checking on Comet Lovejoy and the Moon.
Ephemeris for Friday, January 23rd. The sun will rise at 8:11. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 5:38. The moon, half way from new to first quarter, will set at 9:59 this evening.
The crescent moon is growing brighter but shouldn’t bother binocular views of Comet Lovejoy, now between the Pleiades and the small constellation of Triangulum, a narrow pointy triangle. Tonight only it’s above the crescent Moon. The Moon in binoculars or a small telescope is revealing more of its surface nightly. The Sea of Crises or Mare Crisium is now fully in sunlight and The Sea of Fertility Or Mare Fecunditatis is now half in sunlight, with the odd pair of craters Messier and Messier A right at the terminator near the center of the sea. Check these craters after a few days and an odd ray pattern will appear. Apparently the body or bodies that created them came in at a very low angle and threw material forward in a couple of streaks.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Comet Lovejoy appearing tonight only above the Moon. This is for 8 p.m. January 23, 2015. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts)
The Moon through a telescope at low power. 8 p.m., January 23, 2015. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas and Gimp.
The Craters Messier A and B from Apollo 11. NASA
01/23/2015 – Jupiter will experience three simultaneous total solar eclipses tonight!
Total solar eclipses on Jupiter are nearly a daily occurrence on Jupiter. However what we’ll see is the shadows of the moons crossing the face of the planet. Shadows of the Jovian moons on the fave of Jupiter are difficult to see with small telescopes. The look like tiny inky black dots.
Another way to watch the event is via Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. The link is here. Their event starts at 11:30 p.m. EST because Jupiter rises later there. The email I received from them says the next triple shadow event on Jupiter won’t occur until 2032,
Here’s the schedule: Moons: I = Io, II = Europa, IV = Callisto; SHA = Shadow, Tra = Transit (a moon crossing disk of Jupiter)
Moon Event UT Date hh:mm EST Date Time IV: Sha start: 24 Jan 2015 3:11 23 Jan 2015 10:11 p.m. I: Sha start: 24 Jan 2015 4:36 23 Jan 2015 11:36 p.m. I: Tra start: 24 Jan 2015 4:56 23 Jan 2015 11:56 p.m. IV: Tra start: 24 Jan 2015 6:20 24 Jan 2015 1:20 a.m. II: Sha start: 24 Jan 2015 6:28 24 Jan 2015 1:28 a.m. I: Sha end : 24 Jan 2015 6:53 24 Jan 2015 1:53 a.m. II: Tra start: 24 Jan 2015 7:08 24 Jan 2015 2:08 a.m. I: Tra end : 24 Jan 2015 7:13 24 Jan 2015 2:13 a.m. IV: Sha end : 24 Jan 2015 8:02 24 Jan 2015 3:02 a.m. II: Sha end : 24 Jan 2015 9:23 24 Jan 2015 4:23 a.m. Note: All three shadows will be on Jupiter at the same time from 1:28 to 1:53 a.m. EST. Times provided by the Jevent.exe DOS program downloaded from http://www.projectpluto.com/
Here’s an animation of what the event might look like at half hour intervals look like starting at 9:45 p.m.
Animation of Jupiter’s satellite shadows starting at 9:45 p.m. and ending at 4:45 a.m. Created using Cartes du Ceil Sky Charts) and GIMP. The circle in the center of Jupiter is an artifact of the program. Click for a larger view.
01/22/2015 – Ephemeris – Let’s spot the Moon and Mars with a bonus look at Neptune
Ephemeris for Thursday, January 22nd. The sun will rise at 8:11. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 25 minutes, setting at 5:37. The moon, 2 days past new, will set at 8:44 this evening.
Tonight the crescent moon is nearing Mars low in the southwest in the early evening. The motion of Mars has been interesting for the last few months. Even though the Sun is overtaking it in the sky, it has been setting later each night, not earlier. This is due to the fact Mars is moving northeasterly in the sky, and the sun also is setting later. The moon, is a thin crescent. In binoculars, the terminator is crossing the small, near circular Sea of Crises near the top of the crescent. Lower down, in binoculars and especially in small telescopes a beautiful crater of Langrenus is fully visible. I have a picture of it from Apollo 8, a photograph from orbit. It looks pretty much like it will be visible tonight only a lot clearer.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Magnified field with Mars, and the Moon. Neptune is also in the field for 7 p.m. January 22, 2015. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
The Moon with Earth shine at 7 p.m. January 22, 2015. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas and GIMP.
The crater Langrenus as imaged by the Apollo 8 crew on their historic orbiting of the Moon Christmas Eve 1968. Credit: NASA.
01/21/2015 – Ephemeris – Our weekly look at the bright planets and a comet
Ephemeris for Wednesday, January 21st. The sun will rise at 8:12. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 23 minutes, setting at 5:35. The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 7:29 this evening.
Lets take a look at the bright planets and a pretty bright comet for this week. Venus and Mercury are close low in the southwest by 6:30 p.m.. Mercury is about 8 moon widths at about 4 o’clock angle from the brighter Venus. Tonight the Noon will be above and between them. Mercury will set at 6:59, while Venus will set at 7:22 p.m. Mars appear above and left of Venus in the southwest, and is in the constellation of Aquarius. The Red Planet will set tonight at 8:41 p.m. Jupiter will rise in the east at 6:59 p.m. It’s near the sickle-shaped head of Leo the lion. Early risers will be able to spot Saturn which will rise in the east-southeast at 3:57 a.m. Comet Lovejoy, visible in binoculars, is a bit more than the width of a fist to the right of the Pleiades.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus, Mercury and the crescent Moon, which will be a lot dimmer than seen here, with Mars at 6:30 p.m. January 21, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
One day old Moon at 6:30 p.m., January 21, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and the winter constellations at 9 p.m., January 21, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and 4 Galilean moons through a telescope. The moon’s aren’t really that bright compared to Jupiter. The time for this observation will be 9 p.m. January 21, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
The track of Comet Lovejoy for the next week (from 1/21/2015 to 1/27/2015 at 9 p.m.) Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
What we need in the depths of winter, a preview of the summer stars, 5 months hence, but at 7 a.m. January 22, 2015. Saturn is visible in Scorpius. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and its moons at 7 a.m., January 22, 2015. Actually only Titan would be visible in small telescopes. Created using Stellarium.
01/20/2015 – Ephemeris – Keeping track of Comet 2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) and also 15P/Finley unexpectedly brightens
Ephemeris for Tuesday, January 20th. The sun will rise at 8:13. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 5:34. The moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
Comet 2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) the to use its official name, is now moving through the constellation of Aries the ram, just west or to the right of the Pleiades. Comet Lovejoy is actually visible to the naked eye from a dark location, far from city lights. It appears to be about 4 ½ magnitude, about a bright as the dimmest star in the bowl of the Little Dipper. It’s tail is still only visible in photographs. It appears that Comet Lovejoy is not a very dusty comet. Dust in comets appears to have the size of smoke particles to be affected they way they are by the pressure of sunlight. Larger particles grains are usually invisible and would only become visible then they burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. No chance with Comet Lovejoy, it will never get closer to the Earth than Mars.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
This is the comet track ending tonight from last Wednesday’s post.
The track of Comet Lovejoy for the week (from 1/14/2015 to 1/20/2015 at 9 p.m.) Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
This is tomorrow’s track for the next week
The track of Comet Lovejoy for the next week (from 1/21/2015 to 1/27/2015 at 9 p.m.) Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
Brightness curve for C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy). Vertical axis is magnitude, Horizontal axis is date. The orange line is projected magnitude and black dots are actual reported observational estimates of magnitudes. The vertical line in the center is for the date the comet is closest to the sun, perihelion. As of January 18, 2015 Credit: Seiichi Yoshida.
This is a great website for keeping track of observable comets: http://www.aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html.
Comet 15P/Finley is a very dim comet, usually relegated to large amateur telescopes. However twice on this trip to the inner solar system it has brightened remarkably from being barely visible at magnitude 10 in 3-4 inch telescopes, to 7th magnitude, visible in binoculars. A 3 magnitude jump in brightness means it brightened by some 16 times. Something’s going on!
Finder chart for Comet Finley with stars down to 9th magnitude. The 5 sided circle of stars above and right of the track is the “Circlet” of the constellation Pisces. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
General view of the planets and constellations looking to the southwest at 7 p.m. The comet is not visible in this view. Note that Mars is unmarked under the Aq in Aquarius. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
Brightness curve for 15P/Finley. Vertical axis is magnitude, Horizontal axis is date. The orange line is the projected magnitude and black dots are actual reported observational estimates of magnitudes. As of January 18, 2015 Credit: Seiichi Yoshida.
Tip o’ the old observers cap to Universe Today for the heads up.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 