Archive
07/07/2014 – Ephemeris – The Moon will appear near Saturn tonight
Ephemeris for Monday, July 7th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 24 minutes, setting at 9:29. The Moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 2:43 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:05.
Tonight the planet Saturn will be seen above the bright gibbous Moon. At 11 p.m. Saturn will be only 3 moon widths above the moon and may be hard to spot in the Moon’s glare, so that binoculars may be needed to find it. Other than that the moon makes a nice pointer to the ringed planet. The rings of Saturn become apparent in telescopes of at least 20 power. At first the planet looks elliptical, then the planet can be seen to separate from the rings. The Moon itself is a fine but bright object for the telescope. Look near the terminator or sunrise line to see the long lunar shadows delineate the Moon’s crater detail, especially the grand Crater Copernicus near the center of the Moon.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and the Moon as they would appear at 11 p.m. on July 7, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Oops, here’s the Moon for tomorrow night July 8th, 2014. The difference from tonight is the Aristarchus will not be visible, and Sinus Iridium will look cooler. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas. It’s 2 a.m. and I’m too tired to fix it.
02/21/2014 – Ephemeris – Some nebulae in Orion
Ephemeris for Friday, February 21st. The sun will rise at 7:33. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 46 minutes, setting at 6:19. The moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 1:31 tomorrow morning.
With the moon out of the sky, it’s a good time to get those binoculars or small telescope out to view at least one nebula in the constellation Orion the hunter and maybe even more. Orion is in the south with those belt stars lie in a straight line. Below the belt are three fainter stars, vertically arranged: Orion’s sword. In binoculars each of those stars are multiples. Around what looks like a center star there is a haze, which is the Great Orion Nebula, the nearest star forming region to us at around 1,400 light years away. Some of its gasses envelop the stars that make up the top star of the sword. Orion hosts the famous Horse head Nebula, which unfortunately can only be seen in photographs, It is right below the left star of the belt.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Orion’s Nebulae in the southern part of the constellation as displayed by Stellarium.
A couple of nebulae are seen here that are not in the text above. M78 is a small nebula north of the belt star Alnitak. It is visible in a telescope. The Witch Head Nebula, another large nebula, shining by the reflected light of Rigel. It’s officially in the neighboring constellation of Eridanus, and I believe strictly a photographic nebula. The witch head is best seen if the image is turned upside down.
05/27/2013 – Ephemeris – They’re breaking up that old planet gang of mine
Ephemeris for Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 12 minutes, setting at 9:16. The moon, 2 days past full, will rise at 11:51 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:02. | Tonight the planets Jupiter and Venus will appear close together in the west northwest after 10 p.m. With Mercury above them and to the left. Find a spot with a low western horizon to check them out. The grouping will break up from there. But in the days to come keep checking out Venus and Mercury. A week ago I was doing some telescope work at the Leelanau School’s Lanphier Observatory on the shore of Sleeping Bear bay. It was a gorgeously clear night. Twilight was fading. The fat crescent moon was high in the southwest, with Jupiter in the west. Venus was visible just above the horizon. A great many stars were visible too. The sight took this old astronomer’s breath away.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Update: I spotted the three last night in that tight triangle in a binocular field. Venus was easiest to spot, then Jupiter and Mercury. It was a gorgeous sight.
Addendum
Dance of the planets Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, May 21 thru May 28, 2013. Created using Stellarium. Click on the image to start animation.
05/24/2013 – Ephemeris – The grouping of planets will reach its climax Sunday
Ephemeris for Friday, May 24th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 7 minutes, setting at 9:13. The moon, 1 day before full, will set at 6:31 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:04.
This holiday weekend the planet grouping of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury reach their most compact. The group is collapsing rapidly, and the planets will be at their most compact Sunday night the 26th. For a preview of the planet’s motion go to my blog at bobmoler.wordpress.com. As far as any astronomical significance to this alignment of the planets, there isn’t any. Astrologers make a big deal of such groupings, called conjunctions but astronomers have long since discarded astrology as not having any scientific value. Conjunctions like this are reasonably rare and rather remarkable in appearance. It is for this reason that we track and observe them. The heavens are filled with beauty,
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Jupiter, Venus and Mercury at 10 p.m. on May 24, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
Dance of the planets Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, May 21 thru May 28, 2013. Created using Stellarium. Click on the image to start animation if it has stopped.
05/23/2013 – Ephemeris – The planetary group tightens
Ephemeris for Thursday, May 23rd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 5 minutes, setting at 9:12. The moon, 2 days before full, will set at 5:39 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:05.
Lets take a look at the planet jam in the west after sunset. There’s a rather short period and a very low western horizon that will let you see them. Jupiter will be on top, with Venus just below and to its right. Mercury will be to Venus’ right and just a bit higher. The separation from Jupiter to Mercury is just under 6 degrees, a bit more than half the width of a fist held at arm’s length. It is generally true that the width of one fist held at arm’s length describes a ten degree angle in the sky, Kind of a rule of thumb, or in this case fist to help one gauge the sky with out a sextant or quadrant. Tomorrow the grouping will be getting even more compact. Reaching their most compact Sunday evening.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Jupiter, Venus and Mercury at 10 p.m. on May 23, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
Dance of the planets Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, May 21 thru May 28, 2013. Created using Stellarium. Click on the image to start animation.
05/22/2013 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 22nd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 4 minutes, setting at 9:11. The moon, 3 days before full, will set at 4:54 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:06.
The early evening will be taken up with the grouping of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury low in the west northwest at about 10 p.m. Jupiter will be on top and the easiest to spot with Venus below and right of Jupiter and tiny Mercury off to its right. Mercury sets at 10:24 p.m., with Venus following a minute later, while Jupiter will set at 10:48. Hanging backing from this planetary grouping in the east southeast will be Saturn this evening, the brightest star-like object in the constellation Virgo appearing yellowish to the left of the extremely blue-white star Spica. Tonight Saturn will be to the left of and above the bright moon. Saturn will pass due south at midnight, and will set at 5:16 tomorrow morning.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Dance of the planets Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, May 21 thru May 28, 2013. Created using Stellarium. Click on the image to start animation.
Saturn and the moon at 10 p.m. on May 22, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
05/21/2013 – Ephemeris – Dances with Planets
Ephemeris for Tuesday, May 21st. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 2 minutes, setting at 9:10. The moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 4:17 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:07.
Over the next week there will be a planet grouping low in the west about 10 p.m. as Jupiter continues it slide toward the sun while Venus and Mercury move away from the sun. Mercury will earn its title as the messenger of the gods, and fastest planet by overtaking Venus and Jupiter on consecutive nights. The group of the three planets will be their most compact on Sunday night he 26th. Tonight however Mercury will be to the right and a bit below Venus with Jupiter above and left of them both. Tomorrow night Mercury will have moved to be almost level with Venus, while Jupiter drops toward them. On bobmoler.wordpress.com there is an animation of these planets for the next 8 days.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Dance of the planets Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, May 21 thru May 28, 2013. Created using Stellarium. Click on the image to start animation.
03/29/2013 – Ephemeris –
Ephemeris for Thursday, March 28th. The sun will rise at 7:30. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 8:05. The moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 10:01 this evening.
Venus is passing superior conjunction with the sun today. Superior means Venus is passing behind, thought not directly behind the Sun. You can see it only in the images of the SOHO spacecraft. On the Internet google soho nasa to find the site. Our last inferior conjunction of Venus was the transit of Venus last June, when Venus crossed the face of the sun. Mars is about to pass in conjunction with the sun. All its conjunctions are superior. For about a month, starting April 4th. the satellites and rovers cannot receive transmissions from the earth due to the sun’s radio noise, so they are put into a passive state. The Deep Space Network on the earth can pick up their transmissions, though not well during this period due to its greater sensitivity.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Annotated SOHO LASCO C3 image of the sun, behind the occulting disk with Venus and Mars. Image: ESA, NASA
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 