05/23/2018 – Ephemeris – Wednesday is bright planet day on Ephemeris
Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 23rd. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 6 minutes, setting at 9:13, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:05. The Moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 3:56 tomorrow morning.
It’s Wednesday again and time to look for the bright planets. Two of them are in the evening sky. The brilliant beacon of Venus will be visible in the western twilight from about 9:35 p.m. until it sets at 11:54. Jupiter will be in the southeast as it gets dark. Jupiter is only out shown by Venus and the Moon. And after Venus sets will have the night to itself as the brightest star-like object until it sets at 5:31 a.m. Binoculars will show it to be not quite star-like in size, that is it will appear as a tiny orb flanked by little star-like moons. Saturn will rise at 11:43 p.m. in the east-southeast. Mars will rise at 1:28 a.m. and is now outshining Saturn, and will, this summer even outshine Jupiter.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Panorama of the Moon and planets Venus and Jupiter at 10 p.m. May 23, 2018. Click on image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear in a small telescope or binoculars tonight May 23, 2018 at 10 p.m. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and its 4 Galilean moons at 10 p.m. EDT May 23, 2018 (2:00 UT, May 24, 2018) Io is transiting the face of Jupiter at that time. Io transit begins at 8:52 p.m. EDT ():52 UT, Shadow start 9:13 p.m. EDT 1:13 UT, Transit ends 11:00 p.m. EDT, 3:00 UT, Shadow ends at 11:22 p.m. EDT, 3:22 UT. Io actually will be practically invisible during its transit, but its shadow may be spotted in small telescopes. Created using Stellarium.
The morning planets Mars and Saturn at 5 a.m. May 24, 2018. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and Mars with the same magnification with an inset of Mars at higher magnification at 5 a.m. May 24, 20`8. 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 May 23, 2018. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 24th. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
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