This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 26th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 53 minutes, setting at 9:15, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:23. The Moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 1:08 tomorrow morning. | Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Venus is our hard to find Evening Star, seen very low in the west in evening twilight by 9:45 pm. It will set at 10:11 pm, Mercury might be spotted to Venus’ right and a bit above. The red planet Mars is pretty much lost in the evening twilight, above and left of Venus. Saturn will rise at 10:38 pm. And by 5:30 am, or a bit less than an hour before sunrise tomorrow, it will appear in the south-southwest, the brightest “star” in that direction. Its above the bright star Fomalhaut, normally the loneliest bright star in the sky. Jupiter will be in the east-southeast at that hour. Jupiter is the brightest star-like object in the morning sky now, near some of the bright stars of a winter’s evening.
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, Mercury and Mars in evening twilight at 9:15 pm, about a half hour after sunset. Also shown are what their orbits would look like from Earth’s prospective. In actuality, Mercury and Mars will not be visible in the bright twilight. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
The Moon, with labels for select features, as it might appear at 10 pm tonight, July 26, 2023. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Jupiter and Saturn with the bright stars of autumn (Fomalhaut) and winter (Aldebaran, Betelgeuse, and Rigel) evenings at 5:30 am, July 27, 2023. Off-topic: the last reports I’ve seen is that Betelgeuse is acting up again. Four years ago it got dimmer than usual. Now, from the reports I’ve seen, is that it’s brighter than usual. Betelgeuse normally varies a bit in brightness, but these excursions are out of its normal range. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Large images like this are sometimes truncated to the right. Enlarging the image will restore the whole image. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification at 9:45 pm July 26, 2023, for Venus and 5:30 am July 27, 2023, for Jupiter and Saturn. Apparent diameters: Venus 50.30″ and is 9.8% illuminated; Saturn 18.66″, its rings 43.47″; Jupiter 39.28″. Venus now appears larger than Jupiter. Venus, Saturn and Jupiter are approaching us, so their apparent diameters are growing. 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 July 26, 2023. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 27th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Large images like this are sometimes truncated to the right. Enlarging the image will restore the whole image. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
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