Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Wednesday, February 6th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 2 minutes, setting at 5:58, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:54. The Moon, 2 days past new, will set at 7:47 this evening.

Let’s look at the planets for this week. Our only evening planet Mars will be in the southwestern sky this evening and will set at 11:50 p.m. It’s too far away to see much detail in a small telescope. In the morning sky we have Jupiter which will rise tomorrow at 4:17 a.m. It is second to Venus in brightness, and now is west of Venus. In small telescopes up to four of Jupiter’s moons are visible. Venus will rise at 5:17 a.m. tomorrow. In small telescopes it is a featureless slightly gibbous moon shape. Its phase will now grow more toward full as its size shrinks as it continues its long journey around and behind the Sun. Saturn is making an appearance in morning twilight rising at 6:12 a.m. tomorrow in the east-southeast.

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

Addendum

Mars and the evening constellations tonight at 8 p.m. February 6, 2019. Note the faint planet Uranus near Mars.  They will appear only a degree apart next Wednesday night for a telescopic treat. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter, Venus, and the rising Saturn at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning February 7, 2019. Created using Stellarium.

Venus and Jupiter with the same magnification at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning February 7, 2019. Io is just peeking out on the lower left edge, though not quite showing up in this chart. 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 February 6, 2019. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 7th. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.