Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Friday, August 17th. The Sun rises at 6:47. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 57 minutes, setting at 8:45. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 12:29 tomorrow morning.

The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society (GTAS) has another busy weekend. Tonight the society members will bring their telescopes to downtown Traverse City and Friday Night Live. During the event we’ll be looking at the Sun and the planet Venus and staying after to view Saturn and the Moon if it’s clear. Saturn’s rings are, of course, spectacular. Tomorrow night society members will be at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory beginning at 9 p.m. for a star party viewing Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. Later as it gets really dark, some of the brighter stellar wonders will come into view if it’s clear. There’s stars in groups called clusters great and small, and stars that orbit each other and can have different colors.

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

Addendum

Ron Uthe (with the beard) explains that his telescope is pointed to Saturn after the 2013 Friday Night Live. Credit mine.

Telescopes set up by members of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at the back of Northwestern Michigan College’s Joseph H. Rogers Observatory on August 3, 2018. Credit mine.