This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, August 2nd. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 37 minutes, setting at 9:07, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:31. The Moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 10:15 this evening.
Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Venus is gone, setting too close to sunset. It will pass between the Earth and the Sun on the 13th, and be visible before sunrise by the end of the month. Mars and Mercury, though technically in the evening sky and like Venus, appear too close to the Sun to be spotted. Mars will pass behind the Sun in November. The other two naked eye planets are in the morning sky. Appearing at 5:45 am, which is roughly 45 minutes before sunrise, tomorrow morning, Jupiter will be high in the southeast, while Saturn will be lower in the southwest. And tomorrow morning Saturn will be just above the bright waning gibbous Moon.
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
Mercury in the evening, a half hour after sunset, from near 45 degrees north latitude. This is one week before its greatest eastern elongation. The reason why Mercury isn’t mentioned as being visible, is that it’s hard to spot on the most favorable conditions. Mars is two and a half times dimmer than Mercury, and not much higher than the sky. August evenings are not the best times to spot planets close to the Sun. The alternate view shows the orbits of Mercury, Mars and the recently departed Venus. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
The Moon, one day past full, at 11 pm tonight, August 2, 2023. Selected features are labeled. Created with Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon with the bright stars of autumn (Fomalhaut) and winter (Aldebaran, Betelgeuse, and Rigel) evenings at 5:45 am, August 3, 2023. 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 Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification at 5:45 am August 3, 2023. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.78″, its rings 43.75″; Jupiter 40.13″. 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. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Large images like this are sometimes truncated to the right. Enlarging the image will restore the whole image.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 