Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Wednesday, February 11th.  The sun will rise at 7:49.  It’ll be up for 10 hours and 16 minutes, setting at 6:05.   The moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 1:52 tomorrow morning.

Lets take a look at the bright planets and a binocular comet for this week.  Brilliant Venus is in the west-southwest by 7 p.m. It will set at 8:19 p.m.  Mars appears above and left of Venus in the southwest.  Venus is approaching Mars and they will be at their closest on the 22nd.  The Red Planet will set tonight at 8:44 p.m.  Jupiter will appear In the southeastern sky in the evening.  It will be up all night, and will set just before sunrise.  It’s near the sickle-shaped head of Leo the lion, and it’s the brightest star-like object in the sky.  Early risers will be able to spot Saturn which will rise in the east-southeast at 2:41a.m.   Comet Lovejoy, visible in binoculars, is about the width of a binocular field to the right of the star at the end of Andromeda, called Almaak.

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

Addendum

Venus and Mars low in the west at 7 p.m. on February 11, 2015. The crescent moon will be seen with the two planets on the evening of the 20th, and they will be in conjunction on the 22nd. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and the bright winter stars at 9 p.m. on February 11, 2015. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and its moons as they might appear in a telescope tonight. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).

The Moon will appear near Saturn at 6 a.m. February 12, 2015. Created using Stellarium.

The Moon as it might appear in binoculars at 6 a.m. on February 12, 2015. Created using Stellarium.

What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope at 6 a.m., February 12, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).

The track of Comet 2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) from 2/11/15 to 02/17/15 which will appear high in the west at 9 p.m. Toward the end of the period the comet will pass near M76, a 10th magnitude planetary nebula. It will be much dimmer than the comet. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).