Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Wednesday, March 18th.  The Sun will rise at 7:50.  It’ll be up for 12 hours and 2 minutes, setting at 7:52.   The Moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 7:14 tomorrow morning.

Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week.  Brilliant Venus is in the west by 8:30 p.m. It will set at 10:49 p.m.  Mars appears below and right of it.  The Red Planet will set tonight at 9:47.  Jupiter will appear In the southeastern sky in the evening.  It will set at 6:41 a.m.  It’s near the sickle-shaped head of Leo the lion, and it’s the brightest star-like object in the sky after Venus sets.  In telescopes tonight the moon Io will duck behind Jupiter at 11:17, but will pop into sunlight a bit away from the planet on the other side at 2:28 a.m. because it also will be hidden in Jupiter’s shadow.  Early risers will be able to spot Saturn which will rise in the east-southeast at 1:27 a.m.  It will be low in the south at 6 to 7 a.m.

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

Addendum

Jupiter, Venus and Mars at 9 p.m. March 18, 2015. Created using Stellarium.

Saturn and the summer constellations of Scorpius and Sagittarius at 6:30 a.m. March 19, 2015. Created using Stellarium.

Planets to the same scale as viewed in a telescope of the same power. Venus and Jupiter at 8:30 p.m. on March 18, 2015. Saturn at 6:30 a.m. on March 19. 2015. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).