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Ephemeris: 09/13/2023 – Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to

September 13, 2023 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 13th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 38 minutes, setting at 7:57, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:20. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 6:41 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to. Three of those five planets are now visible but Mars and Mercury are too close to the Sun to be seen. Saturn is the sole evening planet visible. Mercury is now in the morning sky, and should be visible in a week. Jupiter and Venus are officially the only visible morning planets. Saturn can be spotted in the southeast in the evening. And it will still be visible throughout the morning hours morning twilight starts. Saturn is in retrograde or westward motion now, against the stars of Aquarius. Jupiter will rise at 9:59 pm. It is starting its retrograde motion now. Venus is our brilliant morning star, rising in the east-northeast at 4:21 am and be visible until about 7 am.

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 in the southeast at 9:30 pm. Created using Stellarium.
Morning planets Jupiter, Venus and Mercury with the winter stars. Mercury will be much more visible a week from now. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
Telescopic Saturn, Jupiter and Venus (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification at 9:30 pm September 13, 2023, for Saturn and 6:30 am September 14, 2023, for Jupiter and Venus. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.87″, its rings 43.95″; Jupiter 45.74″; and Venus 40.80″ and is 23.2% illuminated. 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 September 13, 2023. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 14th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.

Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets