03/23/2022 – Ephemeris – The search for the naked-eye planets moves to the morning sky
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, March 23rd. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 18 minutes, setting at 7:59, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:38. The Moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 2:50 tomorrow morning.
Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. There are no bright planets in the evening sky. The planet action shifts to the morning sky. All five naked-eye planets are there, though Jupiter and Mercury are too close to the Sun to be seen. Late winter and early spring mornings aren’t the best for spotting planets close to the Sun, since they tend to lie low in the southeastern sky. Venus will rise at 5:46 tomorrow morning, Mars will rise at 5:51, and Saturn will rise at 6:10. By 7 am, they will be low in the southeast with much dimmer Mars at the 4 o’clock position below Venus, with Saturn lower, and at between the 7 and 8 o’clock position. Jupiter is just rising at that time.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hours). They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Morning planets and Moon at 7 am tomorrow morning, March 24, 2022. At that time Mars and Saturn may require binoculars to spot, however a quarter or a half an hour earlier they should be visible to the naked-eye.
Waning gibbous Moon with animated labels. The Moon as it might appear in binoculars or a small telescope, with prominent lunar seas and craters labeled. I’ve retained the sea’s Latin names. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium, GIMP and LibreOffice.
Telescopic views of the Venus and Saturn (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification, tomorrow morning at 7 am, March 24, 2022. I do not show planets less than 10 seconds of arc in diameter. Apparent diameters: Venus 23.52″, 51.6% illuminated; Saturn 15.66″, its rings 36.47″. Mars is not shown, its apparent diameter is 5.06″ and is 92.3% illuminated. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on March 23, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 24th. Notice that all the naked-eye planets and the Moon are in the morning sky now. The labels for Saturn and Venus overlap. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program.
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