Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 12th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 8 minutes, setting at 7:03, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:55. The Moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 8:28 this evening.

Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. Jupiter and Saturn will be visible this evening, in the east-southeast and south-southeast respectively, as soon after sunset as it will be dark enough to see them, which would be by 7:45 pm. Jupiter is seen against the stars of Pisces the fish, while Saturn is spotted in the eastern end of Capricornus the sea goat. The red planet Mars, though a morning planet, will rise tonight at 10:04 pm in the northeast. It’s located between the long horns of Taurus the bull. By seven tomorrow morning, the red planet Mars will be high in the southwestern sky, above the winter constellation of Orion. Tiny Mercury can be spotted at that hour very low in the east and by 7:30 for the next week or so.

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

Evening planets and the Moon at 9 pm tonight, October 12, 2022, with the line figures of the zodiacal constellations in their part of the sky. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

Annotated waning Gibbous Moon Animation for tonight, October 12, 2022, as it might look like in binoculars or a small telescope. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw and GIMP.

Translations of some lunar feature names according to Virtual Moon Atlas

Mare Frigoris – Sea of Cold
Mare Humorum – Sea of Moisture
Mare Imbrium – Sea of Showers
Mare Nubium – Sea of Clouds
Mare Serenitatis – Sea of Serenity
Mare Tranquillitatis – Sea of Tranquility
Mare Vaporum – Sea of Vapors
Montes Alpes – Alps Mountains
Montes Apenninus – Apennines Mountains
Oceanus Procellarum – Ocean of Storms
Sinus Asperitatis – Golfe des Asperites
Sinus Iridium – Bay of Rainbows
Sinus Medii – Central Bay

Craters are generally named after astronomers, people of science, or explorers

Note that Mare is pronounced Mar-é

Morning planets Mars, Mercury and the Moon at 7 am tomorrow morning, October 13, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image of Mars doesn’t show it, but the white north polar cap will appear at the top or north limb of Mars. Saturn and Jupiter are shown at 9 pm, Mars at 6 am. I do not show planets less than 10 seconds of arc in diameter, so Mercury is not shown. Apparent diameters: Saturn 17.81″, its rings 41.48″; Jupiter 49.34″. Mars 13.13″. Mars’ distance is 66.5 million miles (107.1 million kilometers). Mercury, which isn’t shown, is 6.17″ in diameter and 71.1% illuminated. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click on the image to enlarge it. 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 October 12, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 13th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program and GIMP.