Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Wednesday, March 28th. The Sun will rise at 7:31. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 8:05. The Moon, 3 days before full, will set at 6:49 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the bright planets. We’re down to 4 the naked eye planets are visible now. One is in the evening sky. Venus will be visible low in the Western twilight from about 8:30 p.m. until before it sets at 9:43. Mercury is heading between the Earth and the Sun, not directly but will enter the morning sky Sunday. It’s morning appearance later next month will not be a good one for us in the northern hemisphere. Late this evening Jupiter will rise at 11:46. Mars will rise at 3:23 a.m. Saturn will end the procession, rising 3 minutes later. At 6 tomorrow morning these three planets will be strung across the southern sky. Bright Jupiter will be in the south-southwest, dimmer Mars will be in the south-southeast, just right of and a bit below Saturn.

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

Addendum

Venus, the bright winter stars and the Moon at 8:30 p.m. tonight March 28, 2018. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.

The Gibbous Moon tonight at 8:30 p.m., March 28, 2018. Created using Stellarium.

The morning planets and constellations at 6 a.m. March 29, 2018. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium

The morning planets as seen by a telescope using the same magnification for all at 6 a.m. March 29, 2018. At 6 a.m. Jupiter’s moon Io is behind the planet. See the table below for Io events in the morning. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Moon  Event            Date        Time      Local Time
Io:   Eclipse start:   29 Mar 2018  7:10 UT  3:10 a.m. EDT
Io:   Occultation end: 29 Mar 2018 10:11 UT  6:11 a.m. EDT

Planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on March 28, 2018. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 29th. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.