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Ephemeris: 10/04/2023 – Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week

October 4, 2023 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 4th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 7:18, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:45. The Moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 10:18 this evening.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Three of those five planets are now visible, but Mars sets too close to sunset to be seen, and Mercury rises too late. Saturn is the sole evening planet visible. It can be spotted in the southeast in the evening. And it will still be visible most of the morning hours morning until it sets at 4:15 am. Saturn is in retrograde or westward motion now, against the stars of Aquarius, and will continue to do so until November 5th. Jupiter and Venus are the visible morning planets. Jupiter, in Aries, will rise at 8:29 pm. It, like Saturn is in retrograde, which will last the rest of this year. Venus is our brilliant morning star which will rise in the east-northeast at 3:56 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

Jupiter and Saturn among the constellations of the Zodiac, plus Piscis Austrinus with the loneliest star in the sky, Fomalhaut, at 9 pm tonight, October 4, 2023. Click or tap on image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and Venus and the Moon with the constellations of the Zodiac, plus Orion, at 6 am tomorrow morning, October 5, 2023. Click or tap in the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The waning Moon about 1 day before last quarter at 6 am tomorrow, October 5, 2023. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Saturn, Jupiter and Venus (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification at 10 pm October 4, 2023, for Saturn and Jupiter, and 6 am October 5, 2023, for Venus. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.51″, its rings 43.17″; Jupiter 48.02″; and Venus 30.46″ and is 38.8% illuminated. 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 October 4, 2023. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 5th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , ,