This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 18th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 51 minutes, setting at 6:53, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:03. The Moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 8:50 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 close to sunrise, and besides it will enter the evening sky after Friday. Saturn is the sole official evening planet visible. It can be spotted in the southeast to south in the evening. And it will still be visible in the morning hours until it sets at 3:17 am. Saturn is seen against the stars of Aquarius this year and next. Jupiter and Venus are the visible morning planets. Jupiter, still a morning planet, will rise at 7:34 pm. It’s in Aries this year. Jupiter has to rise before sunset to be an evening planet. Venus, the brilliant morning star, will rise in the east-northeast at 4:02 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
The waxing crescent Moon, as it might appear in binoculars or a small telescope tonight, October 18th 2023, before it sets. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw and GIMP.
Jupiter and Saturn in the east and south-southeast respectively. They should be easy to spot due to the fact that they are in a relatively star poor region of the sky against the faint constellations of Aries, for Jupiter and Aquarius for Saturn. This year Saturn is keeping the normally loneliest star in the sky, Fomalhaut, company. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The morning planets Jupiter and Venus are on opposite sides of the sky at 7 am tomorrow, October 19, 2023, with the winter constellations and stars between them. The orange line is the ecliptic, the path of the Sun, also near which the planets hang out. We’re getting a preview of the winter skies, which will include Jupiter, but Venus will be gone, chasing the Sun. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Saturn, Jupiter and Venus (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. At 9 pm October 18, 2023, for Saturn and Jupiter, and 7 am October 12, 2023, for Venus. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.17″, its rings 42.32″; Jupiter 49.14″; and Venus 25.28″ and is 47.3% illuminated. Note that for Jupiter Europa is labeled but visible but labeled by me. It is in Jupiter’s shadow at 9 pm, having entered it at 8:56 pm, and it will reappear from behind Jupiter at 12.01 am. Io will continue to approach Jupiter throughout the evening and enter Jupiter’s shadow at 4:30 am and will reappear from occultation on the other side of the planet at 7:02 am. 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 18, 2023. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 19th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 
