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Ephemeris: 12/27/2023 – Our last look at the naked-eye planets for 2023

December 27, 2023 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, December 27th. Today the Sun will be up for 8 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 5:08, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:19. The Moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 5:30 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. Mercury and Mars rise too close to sunrise to be seen. Saturn and Jupiter are the only evening planets. Saturn can be seen moving from low in the southwest to setting in the west-southwest at 9:54 pm. Jupiter will be moving from the high in the southeast to the west-southwest, by midnight and will set at 3:24 am. The Moon, the night after it being full, will be in Gemini tonight, not that any of its stars will be visible, making the sky bright. Venus, the brilliant morning star, will rise in the east-southeast at 4:56, am, and be a brilliant beacon in the morning, shining in the southeast by before the bright morning twilight claims it around 8 am.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT –5 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Jupiter and Saturn as it might be seen at 8 pm tonight, December 27, 2023. Created using Stellarium.
The moon as seen in binoculars or low power telescope tonight, December 27, 2023, at 9 pm. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw and GIMP.
The morning star Venus at 7:30, or about 50 minutes before sunrise, tomorrow morning, December 28, 2023. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn, Jupiter and Venus (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. At 8 pm December 27, 2023, for Saturn and Jupiter, and 7:30 am on the 28th, for Venus. Apparent diameters: Saturn 16.23″, its rings 37.81″; Jupiter 44.56″; and Venus 14.39″, 76.8% 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) and GIMP.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on December 27, 2023. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 28th. 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: , , , , ,