Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, August 16th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 1 minute, setting at 8:47, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:47. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Only two of these five planets are visible. Mars, Mercury and Venus are all too close to the Sun to be seen. Jupiter and Saturn are officially morning planets, although Saturn does rise in the evening shortly after sunset. It will become an evening planet on the 27th, when it will rise at sunset. It can be spotted in the southeastern part pf the sky in the evening. It will also be visible throughout the morning hours. Saturn is in retrograde or westward motion against the stars of Aquarius now. Jupiter, still moving slowly eastward against the stars of Aries the ram, also rises in the evening, but barely, rising just before midnight. It will be stationary, that is, it will stop its eastward motion against the stars, and will begin its retrograde or westward motion on September 7th.

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

Saturn can be seen low in the east-southeast around 10 pm, or an hour or so after sunset. Created using Stellarium.

Morning planets and the winter stars are still visible about 45 minutes before sunrise. In the Interlochen/Traverse City Area, that would be about 5:45 am. Large images can be truncated on the right. Click or tap on the image to enlarge and display the complete image. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification, Saturn at 11 pm, tonight, August 16, 2023, and Jupiter at 5:45 am on the 17th. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.93″, its rings 44.10″; Jupiter 41.94″. 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 August 16, 2023. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 17th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge and display the complete image. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.