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05/26/2021 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week

May 26, 2021 Comments off

There is a lunar eclipse this morning. See https://bobmoler.wordpress.com/2021/05/25/05-25-2021-ephemeris-viewing-the-lunar-eclipse-tomorrow-morning/

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 26th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 12 minutes, setting at 9:16, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:03. The Moon, at full today, will rise at 9:57 this evening.

Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. Venus might be spotted low in the west-northwest twilight by 10 pm. Mercury will be a bit above and left of Venus, but is now too dim to spot. Venus will set at 10:36 pm. Mars can be found in the west at 10:30 tonight, in the constellation of Gemini the twins. Tonight it’s on the left side of the constellation, below Gemini’s brightest star, Pollux. Mars will set at 12:37 am. Jupiter and Saturn, are in the morning sky. Saturn will rise at 1:36 am. It’s seen with the stars of Capricornus. Brighter Jupiter, now within the boundaries of Aquarius, will rise at 2:21 am. By 5 am they will be in the southeast in the morning twilight.

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

Addendum

Venus in the evening
Venus and where Mercury should be, see text, at 10 pm May 2, 2021. Created using Stellarium.
Mars at 11 pm May 26, 2021, seen below Pollux. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear at 11 pm tonight. Shadows are starting to appear on the upper right edge of the Moon 17 hours after full moon. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and Saturn in the morning
Jupiter and Saturn seen in the southern sky at 5 am, May 27, 2021. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Jupiter and Saturn
Saturn and Jupiter as seen in a small telescope at the same magnification at 5 am May 27, 2021. Apparent diameters: Saturn, 17.45″, rings, 40.64″; Jupiter, 40.58″. Mars is too far away to make out detail on its surface, except maybe a polar cap. Its apparent diameter is 4.22″. Venus’ apparent diameter is 10.21″ and will be added when it gets far enough from the Sun to be easily seen. Mercury’s apparent diameter is 10.20″. The normal cutoff for whether to show a planet here is an apparent diameter of 10″ or greater. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree). 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 26, 2021. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 27th. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.

Categories: Ephemeris Program, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,