Home > Ephemeris Program, Observing, Planets > 07/12/2023 – Ephemeris – Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week

07/12/2023 – Ephemeris – Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week

July 12, 2023

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 12th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 9:27, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:09. The Moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:30 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Tonight, Venus is our blazing Evening Star, seen very low in the west in evening twilight. It will set at 11:06 pm, and by four minutes earlier each night. The red planet Mars is seen left of and above Venus. It’s the second “star” with the brighter real star Regulus in Leo the lion between it and Venus. Mars is much fainter than Venus and difficult to spot in twilight. Saturn will rise shortly before midnight. And by 5 am tomorrow, will appear in the south, the brightest “star” in that direction. Jupiter will be in the east at that hour. It will appear above and right of the waning crescent Moon 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, Regulus and Mars as they might appear tonight, July 12, 2023 at 10:15 or about 45 minutes after sunset. Venus would be about 8 1/2 degrees above a flat horizon. At this time, Venus would appear a bit higher from south of our approximately 45 degrees north latitude, and lower north of here. Created using Stellarium.
A panorama of the morning horizon from northeast to south at 5 am tomorrow morning, or about an hour and a quarter before sunrise. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it.
The Moon as it might appear tomorrow morning, July 13, 2023. The whole Moon might be visible due to earthshine (The nearly full Earth, from the Moon’s perspective, illuminating its night side). Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium, Libreoffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification at 10:15 pm July 12, 2023, for Venus and 5:00 am July 13, 2023, for Jupiter and Saturn. Apparent diameters: Venus 40.49″ and is 22.0% illuminated; Saturn 18.36″, its rings 42.77″; Jupiter 37.73″. Mars, too small to be represented here, is 4.18″ in diameter. Venus now appears larger than Jupiter. Venus, Saturn and Jupiter are approaching us, so their apparent diameters are growing. Europa is casting its shadow on Jupiter, see the small dot below center on the planet. 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 July 12, 2023. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 13th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
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