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06/28/2023 – Ephemeris – Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week

June 28, 2023 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 28th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 9:32, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:59. The Moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 2:43 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Venus is our blazing Evening Star, seen in the west all evening. It sets tonight at 11:51 pm, and three minutes earlier each night. The red planet Mars is seen left of and above Venus by around a third the width of one’s fist held at arm’s length. Venus is closing the gap between them, They will be closest this Saturday, before Venus pulls away. Their paths will not cross while they are in the evening sky. Mars is much fainter than Venus and difficult to spot in twilight. In the morning, Saturn will be visible in the south-southeast at 5 am, the brightest “star” in that direction. Jupiter will be low in the east at that hour. Jupiter is the brightest star-like object in the morning sky now.

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

Venus, Mars and bright star Regulus can be seen low in the west at 10:30 pm EDT tonight, June 28, 2023. Created using Stellarium.
The nearly 11 day old Moon (2 days past first quarter) as it might appear at 10:30 pm tonight, June 28, 2023. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw and GIMP.
Jupiter and Saturn seen at 5 am, about an hour before sunrise tomorrow morning, June 29, 2023. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification at 10:30 pm June 28, 2023, for Venus and 5 am June 29, 2023, for Jupiter and Saturn.
Apparent diameters: Venus 32.52″ and is 33.6% illuminated; Saturn 17.99″, its rings 41.91″; Jupiter 36.41″. Mars, too small to be represented here, is 4.26″ in diameter. Venus, Saturn and Jupiter are approaching us, so their apparent diameters are growing. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click or tap 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 June 28, 2023. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 29th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Planets Tags: , , , ,