Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Wednesday, March 8th.  The Sun will rise at 7:07.  It’ll be up for 11 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 6:39.  The Moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 5:24 tomorrow morning.

Let’s check out the bright planets for this week.  Venus and Mars are in the evening sky. At 7:30 p.m. these planets will be seen in the western sky.  Venus is unmistakable as the brilliant evening star,  Mars will be left and above it and much dimmer.  Venus exhibits a dazzling crescent in small telescopes and binoculars now.  It looks like a tiny Cheshire Cat grin.  Telescopes, however can turn that grin into a frown.  It will set at 9:01 p.m. while Mars will set at 10:12.   Jupiter will rise in the east at 9:22 p.m.  It will also be seen in the morning in the southwest above the star Spica.  Saturn can be glimpsed this and tomorrow mornings in the south-southeast before 6:30 a.m.  It will rise tomorrow at 2:53 a.m. in the east-southeast.

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

Addendum

Venus and Mars in the west at 7:30 p.m. March 8, 2017. Created using Stellarium.

The thin sliver of Venus as it might appear in a telescope tonight March 8, 2017. I processed the image to overexpose it as it would appear in a telescope. Created using Stellarium.

The gibbous Moon as it might look in binoculars. 7:30 p.m. March 8, 2017. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter rising in the east at 10:30 p.m. near the star Spica. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter in the southwest above the star Spica with Saturn the south-southeast at a.m. tomorrow morning, March 9, 2017. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and its moons at 6 a.m. (11:00 UT) March 9, 2017. Note that Io is transiting the planet at that time. See the list of events for it below. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Events related to the Io transit in the early morning of March 9, 2017

Io’s shadow starts to cross the face of Jupiter: 9 Mar 2017 8:54 UT or 3:54 a.m. EST
Io’s transit of Jupiter starts: 9 Mar 2017 9:35 UT or 4:54 a.m. EST
Io’s shadow leaves the face of Jupiter: 9 Mar 2017 11:05 UT or 6:05 a.m. EST
Io’s transit of Jupiter ends: 9 Mar 2017 11:44 UT or 6:44 a.m. EST

Above times are from Project Pluto:  https://www.projectpluto.com/jevent.htm.  Shadow crossings and transits are difficult to observe.  The beginnings and endings of transits are visible as the satellite disappears and reappears at the edge of the planet.

Saturn and its brightest moons as they might appear in telescopes tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. March 9, 2017. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on March 8, 2017. The night ends on the left with sunrise on March 9. Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.