Archive
09/05/2019 – Ephemeris – A contest to name the Mars 2020 Rover
Ephemeris for Thursday, September 5th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 2 minutes, setting at 8:12, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:10. The Moon, at first quarter today, will set at 12:09 tomorrow morning.
The Mars 2020 Rover is in final preparation to be launched late next year, and its time to give it a name. Prior rover names were Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity and the currently operating Curiosity rover. NASA is holding a contest open to U.S. K through 12 students in public, Private and Home School, to submit a name with a short essay of up to 150 words why that name should be chosen. Deadline is November 1st. Nine names will be chosen and then the whole world will vote to pick the winner. For contest details use your favorite Internet browser and type in “go (dot) nasa (dot) gov forward slash name2020”. NASA also has a way to have your name sent to Mars with the Rover.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
From Sarah Marcotte of the JPL Mars team. Please share this contest announcement with any interested K-12 student…
—————
Name NASA’s Next Mars Rover!
NASA’s Mars 2020 rover needs a name! Any K-12 student in U.S. public, private, and home schools has a chance to name the next Mars rover bound for the Red Planet in July 2020.
To enter the contest, students submit their rover name and a short essay (max 150 words) to explain the reasons why their chosen name is the best. The contest closes Nov. 1, 2019. For contest entry and details, visit the Name the Rover site. : https://www.futureengineers.org/nametherover
Interested adults, especially with STEM experience can sign up to be a judge on this page.
Not in the U.S.? In January 2020, people all over the world will have an opportunity to vote on the nine finalist names.
Help us spread the word by downloading and printing an eye-catching flyer for teachers or students!
Read more about the Mars 2020 mission.
visit: go.nasa.gov/name2020
09/04/2019 – Ephemeris – Looking for the bright planets this week
Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 4th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 5 minutes, setting at 8:14, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:09. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 11:32 this evening.
Let’s look at the planets for this week. Mars, Venus and Mercury are too close to the Sun to be seen. Venus and Mercury are on the evening or east side of the Sun, Mars is on the west or morning side. Bright Jupiter will be in the south-southwestern sky as it gets dark. With steadily held binoculars a few of the 4 largest satellites of Jupiter can be seen. Three of the four of Jupiter’s Galilean satellites can be spotted in telescopes early this evening tonight. However the innermost moon Io will move from in front of the planet at 10:15 p.m. Jupiter will set at 12:11 a.m. Saturn, the ringed planet, will be in the southern sky in the evening. It will pass the meridian, due south at 9:48 p.m. and will set at 2:14 a.m.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon with the bright stars of the southern summer sky at 10 p.m. September 4, 2019. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.
The crescent Moon as it might appear in binoculars or a small telescope tonight at 10 p.m. September 4, 2019. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic views of Jupiter and Saturn with the same magnification at 10 p.m. September 4, 2019. Io started a transit at 8:03 p.m. or 0:03 tomorrow UT, not visible from here. The shadow begins to cross Jupiter at 9:21 p.m., 01:21 UT. The transit ends at 10:15 p.m., 2:15 UT. The shadow leaves the planet at 11:33 p.m., 3:33 UT. The moons are much dimmer than what shows here so spotting the moon and shadow against the face of Jupiter is difficult. The Great Red Spot will cross Jupiter’s central meridian at 10:17 p.m., 2:17 UT. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
Planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on September 4, 2019. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 5th. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
09/03/2019 – Ephemeris – Yesterday and today conjunctions of Mars and Mercury with the Sun
Ephemeris for Tuesday, September 3rd. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 8 minutes, setting at 8:16, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:08. The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 10:59 this evening.
Yesterday morning Mars passed in conjunction with the Sun. For astronomers Mars was either just north or south of the Sun. In this case it was north of the Sun, moving from the evening or east side of the Sun to the west or morning side. Later this evening Mercury will pass in superior conjunction with the Sun. Mercury, being an inferior planet, that is one whose orbit is within Earth’s orbit of the Sun can pass between the Earth and the Sun in what we call an inferior conjunction or around the back side of the Sun in superior conjunction. In doing so Mercury is moving from the morning to the evening sky. Today the SOHO satellite will show both planets, the Sun and even Venus in its coronagraph.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) LASCO C2 Coronagraph image of the solar atmosphere at 8:24 p.m. September 2, 2019. A disk, called an occulting disk covers the bright Sun. The white circle is the size of the Sun’s photosphere. The white dot just about directly above the Sun is Mars, which is slowly heading to the right (west).
SOHO LASCO C3 Coronagraph image of the solar atmosphere at 8:14 p.m. September 2, 2019. A disk, called an occulting disk covers the bright Sun. The white circle is the size of the Sun’s photosphere. Venus is the bright object to the left. It passed superior conjunction of the Sun back on September 14th. Mercury is just to the upper right of the occulting disk. Both planets are heading to the left (east).
09/02/2019 – Ephemeris – Previewing September Skies
Ephemeris for Labor Day, Monday, September 2nd. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 11 minutes, setting at 8:18, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:07. The Moon, half way from new to first quarter, will set at 10:29 this evening.
Let’s look at to the skies of September which started yesterday. The Sun will moving at its greatest speed in its retreat to the south. Daylight hours in the Interlochen/Traverse City area will drop from 13 hours and 11 minutes today to 11 hours 46 minutes on the 30th. The altitude of the Sun above the southern horizon at local noon will be 53 degrees today, and will descend to 42 degrees on the 30th. The Straits area will see the Sun a degree lower. The season of summer is getting short, so enjoy it while you can. Summer ends and autumn begins at 3:49 a.m. on September 23rd. Mars is in conjunction with the Sun today and Mercury will be in conjunction with the Sun tomorrow.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
September Evening Star Chart
Star Chart for September 2019 (10 p.m. EDT September 15, 2019). Click on image to enlarge.Created using my LookingUp program. Click on image to enlarge.
The planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 10 p.m. EDT in the evening and 5 a.m. for the morning chart. These are the chart times. Note that Traverse City is located approximately 45 minutes behind our time meridian, West 75° longitude. (An hour 45 minutes behind our daylight saving time meridian during EDT). To duplicate the star positions on a planisphere you may have to set it to 1 hour 45 minutes earlier than the current time.
September Morning Star Chart
Star Chart for September mornings 2019 (6 a.m. EDT September 15, 2019). Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
For a list of constellation names to go with the abbreviations click here.
- Pointer stars at the front of the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris the North Star.
- Leaky dipper drips on Leo.
- Follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper to the star Arcturus.
- The Summer Triangle is in red.
Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical
| EDT | |||||||
| Traverse City | Morning twilight | Evening twilight | Dark night | Moon | |||
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2019-09-01 | 5h25m | 6h04m | 21h29m | 22h08m | 22h08m | 5h25m | 0.08 |
| 2019-09-02 | 5h27m | 6h05m | 21h27m | 22h05m | 22h29m | 5h27m | 0.17 |
| 2019-09-03 | 5h28m | 6h06m | 21h25m | 22h03m | 23h00m | 5h28m | 0.27 |
| 2019-09-04 | 5h30m | 6h08m | 21h23m | 22h01m | 23h33m | 5h30m | 0.37 |
| 2019-09-05 | 5h31m | 6h09m | 21h21m | 21h59m | – | 5h31m | 0.48 |
| 2019-09-06 | 5h33m | 6h10m | 21h19m | 21h56m | 0h10m | 5h33m | 0.59 |
| 2019-09-07 | 5h35m | 6h12m | 21h17m | 21h54m | 0h52m | 5h35m | 0.69 |
| 2019-09-08 | 5h36m | 6h13m | 21h15m | 21h52m | 1h40m | 5h36m | 0.78 |
| 2019-09-09 | 5h38m | 6h14m | 21h13m | 21h50m | 2h32m | 5h38m | 0.86 |
| 2019-09-10 | 5h39m | 6h16m | 21h11m | 21h48m | 3h29m | 5h39m | 0.92 |
| 2019-09-11 | 5h41m | 6h17m | 21h09m | 21h45m | 4h29m | 5h41m | 0.92 |
| 2019-09-12 | 5h42m | 6h18m | 21h07m | 21h43m | 5h30m | 5h42m | 0.96 |
| 2019-09-13 | 5h43m | 6h20m | 21h05m | 21h41m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2019-09-14 | 5h45m | 6h21m | 21h03m | 21h39m | – | – | 1 |
| 2019-09-15 | 5h46m | 6h22m | 21h01m | 21h37m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2019-09-16 | 5h48m | 6h23m | 20h59m | 21h35m | – | – | 0.96 |
| 2019-09-17 | 5h49m | 6h25m | 20h57m | 21h33m | 21h33m | 21h45m | 0.91 |
| 2019-09-18 | 5h51m | 6h26m | 20h55m | 21h30m | 21h30m | 22h11m | 0.85 |
| 2019-09-19 | 5h52m | 6h27m | 20h53m | 21h28m | 21h28m | 22h42m | 0.77 |
| 2019-09-20 | 5h53m | 6h29m | 20h51m | 21h26m | 21h26m | 23h19m | 0.67 |
| 2019-09-21 | 5h55m | 6h30m | 20h49m | 21h24m | 21h24m | – | 0.57 |
| 2019-09-22 | 5h56m | 6h31m | 20h47m | 21h22m | 21h22m | 0h03m | 0.46 |
| 2019-09-23 | 5h57m | 6h32m | 20h45m | 21h20m | 21h20m | 0h57m | 0.35 |
| 2019-09-24 | 5h59m | 6h34m | 20h43m | 21h18m | 21h18m | 2h01m | 0.24 |
| 2019-09-25 | 6h00m | 6h35m | 20h41m | 21h16m | 21h16m | 3h12m | 0.14 |
| 2019-09-26 | 6h01m | 6h36m | 20h39m | 21h14m | 21h14m | 4h30m | 0.07 |
| 2019-09-27 | 6h03m | 6h37m | 20h37m | 21h12m | 21h12m | 5h49m | 0.02 |
| 2019-09-28 | 6h04m | 6h39m | 20h35m | 21h10m | 21h10m | 6h04m | 0 |
| 2019-09-29 | 6h05m | 6h40m | 20h33m | 21h08m | 21h08m | 6h05m | 0.01 |
| 2019-09-30 | 6h07m | 6h41m | 20h32m | 21h06m | 21h06m | 6h07m | 0.06 |
Twilight calendar was generated using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
See my blog post: Twilight Zone for the definitions of the different periods of twilight here: https://bobmoler.wordpress.com/2018/09/27/.
NASA Calendar of Planetary Events
Date Time Event
Sep 1 Su Venus: 5.2° E
2 Mo 6:18 am Mars Conjunction
3 Tu 9:26 pm Mercury Superior Conj.
5 Th 11:10 pm First Quarter
6 Fr 2:52 am Moon-Jupiter: 2.4° S
8 Su 5:39 am Moon South Dec.: 22.5° S
8 Su 9:53 am Moon-Saturn: 0°
8 Su 1:35 pm Moon Descending Node
10 Tu 2:18 am Neptune Opposition
13 Fr 9:32 am Moon Apogee: 406400 km
14 Sa 12:33 am Full Moon
20 Fr 12:14 pm Moon-Aldebaran: 2.8° S
21 Sa 10:41 pm Last Quarter
22 Su 9:54 pm Moon North Dec.: 22.7° N
23 Mo 2:30 am Moon Ascending Node
23 Mo 3:49 am Autumnal Equinox
24 Tu 5:15 pm Moon-Beehive: 0.4° S
27 Fr 10:27 pm Moon Perigee: 357800 km
28 Sa 2:26 pm New Moon
29 Su 12:13 am Mercury-Spica: 1.3° N
Oct 1 Tu Venus: 13.1° E
All event times are given for UTC-4 hr: Eastern Daylight Saving Time.
Sky Events Calendar by Fred Espenak and Sumit Dutta (NASA’s GSFC),
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html.
If you go to the above site you can print out a list like the above for the entire year or calendar pages for your time zone.
Sun and Moon Rising and Setting Events
LU Ephemeris of Sky Events for Interlochen/TC September, 2019 Local time zone: EDT +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Sun 1| 07:04a 08:19p 13:14 | 09:26p 05:58a | Set 10:00p 10%| |Mon 2| 07:06a 08:18p 13:11 | 09:24p 05:59a | Set 10:29p 18%| |Tue 3| 07:07a 08:16p 13:08 | 09:22p 06:01a | Set 10:59p 28%| |Wed 4| 07:08a 08:14p 13:05 | 09:20p 06:02a | Set 11:32p 38%| |Thu 5| 07:09a 08:12p 13:02 | 09:18p 06:03a |F Qtr Set 12:09a 49%| |Fri 6| 07:10a 08:10p 12:59 | 09:15p 06:05a | Set 12:52a 59%| |Sat 7| 07:11a 08:08p 12:56 | 09:13p 06:06a | Set 01:39a 69%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 8| 07:13a 08:07p 12:53 | 09:11p 06:07a | Set 02:32a 77%| |Mon 9| 07:14a 08:05p 12:50 | 09:09p 06:09a | Set 03:29a 85%| |Tue 10| 07:15a 08:03p 12:47 | 09:07p 06:10a | Set 04:29a 91%| |Wed 11| 07:16a 08:01p 12:44 | 09:05p 06:11a | Set 05:29a 96%| |Thu 12| 07:17a 07:59p 12:41 | 09:03p 06:13a | Set 06:30a 99%| |Fri 13| 07:19a 07:57p 12:38 | 09:01p 06:14a | Set 07:31a 100%| |Sat 14| 07:20a 07:55p 12:35 | 08:59p 06:15a |Full Rise 08:36p 99%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 15| 07:21a 07:53p 12:32 | 08:57p 06:17a | Rise 08:58p 97%| |Mon 16| 07:22a 07:51p 12:29 | 08:55p 06:18a | Rise 09:21p 93%| |Tue 17| 07:23a 07:50p 12:26 | 08:53p 06:19a | Rise 09:45p 87%| |Wed 18| 07:24a 07:48p 12:23 | 08:51p 06:21a | Rise 10:11p 80%| |Thu 19| 07:26a 07:46p 12:20 | 08:49p 06:22a | Rise 10:42p 71%| |Fri 20| 07:27a 07:44p 12:17 | 08:47p 06:23a | Rise 11:19p 62%| |Sat 21| 07:28a 07:42p 12:14 | 08:45p 06:24a |L Qtr Rise 12:03a 51%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 22| 07:29a 07:40p 12:10 | 08:43p 06:26a | Rise 12:57a 40%| |Mon 23| 07:30a 07:38p 12:07 | 08:41p 06:27a | Rise 02:01a 30%| |Tue 24| 07:32a 07:36p 12:04 | 08:40p 06:28a | Rise 03:13a 20%| |Wed 25| 07:33a 07:34p 12:01 | 08:38p 06:29a | Rise 04:30a 11%| |Thu 26| 07:34a 07:33p 11:58 | 08:36p 06:31a | Rise 05:49a 5%| |Fri 27| 07:35a 07:31p 11:55 | 08:34p 06:32a | Rise 07:09a 1%| |Sat 28| 07:36a 07:29p 11:52 | 08:32p 06:33a |New Set 07:56p 0%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 29| 07:38a 07:27p 11:49 | 08:30p 06:34a | Set 08:25p 2%| |Mon 30| 07:39a 07:25p 11:46 | 08:28p 06:36a | Set 08:55p 7%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Generated using my LookingUp for DOS program.
08/30/2019 – Ephemeris – Astronomy events at the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes tomorrow
Ephemeris for Friday, August 30th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 20 minutes, setting at 8:23, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:03. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
The second Sun and star party in August at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will be held at the Dune Climb tomorrow if it is reasonably clear. The solar portion will start at 4 p.m., while dark sky viewing will start at 9 p.m.. It will be hosted by the Park Rangers and the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society. The society’s new solar telescope can generally tease out some interesting detail from the currently quiet Sun. Later on the wonders of the Milky Way, which will span the skies from horizon to horizon will be seen, along with the planets Jupiter and Saturn. The park has one of the darkest skies in the Lower Peninsula, and the Milky Way is especially impressive this time of year.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Milky Way from the Sleeping Bear Dunes four years ago by Mark Stewart. This year Jupiter and Saturn would also be in this photograph.
A Sun Party at the Dune Climb. Credit: Eileen Carlisle.
This in the beginning of setup for the October 21, 2917 star party at the dune climb. Taken early while there was enough light. The dune blocks up to 12 degrees from the southwest to northwest, but the rest of the horizon is quite low. Photo by the author.
The weather for this event is very iffy, so if it is cancelled members of the GTAS will have their telescopes at the Dune Climb Sunday night, if it is clear, to view the sky. Though not an official star party, campers and the public to view the heavens. For a voicemail on the status of the star party on Saturday please call 231-326-4700, ext. 5005.
08/29/2019 – Ephemeris – To astronomers constellations are just areas of the sky
Ephemeris for Thursday, August 29th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 23 minutes, setting at 8:25, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:02. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 7:00 tomorrow morning.
What are constellations? I talk about them all the time on this program. There are 88 officially recognized constellations by the International Astronomical Union. Most, in the northern sky come from the ancient Greeks, and are given Latin names. For professional astronomers the constellations mark out specific areas of the sky in an interlocking set of puzzle pieces. In some cases it looks like there’s some gerrymandering with the shapes. Some star to star lines drawn do seem to represent the namesake, like Scorpius the scorpion. Most don’t. Stars of a constellation generally are not near one another, they’re just in the same direction from us. Asterisms, or informal star groups, like the Big Dipper however do look like what they represent.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Summer constellations showing stars, lines, boundaries, and figures in succession. Click on the image to enlarge. Here you can see that Jupiter is in Ophiuchus, not Scorpius. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
08/28/2019 – Ephemeris – Looking at and for the 5 brightest planets
Ephemeris for Wednesday, August 28th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 26 minutes, setting at 8:27, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:01. The Moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 5:40 tomorrow morning.
Let’s look at the planets for this week. Mars, Venus and Mercury are too close to the Sun to be seen. Venus is on the evening or east side of the Sun, as is Mars which will pass conjunction with the Sun next Monday. Bright Jupiter will be in the south-southwestern sky as it gets dark. With steadily held binoculars a few of the 4 largest satellites of Jupiter can be seen. All four of Jupiter’s Galilean satellites can be spotted in telescopes tonight: one on the east and three west of the planet. Jupiter will set at 12:37 a.m. Saturn, the ringed planet, will be in the southern sky in the evening. It will pass the meridian, due south at 10:17 p.m. and will set at 3:12 a.m. Mercury will enter the evening sky next Tuesday.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Jupiter and Saturn with the constellations of the southern summer sky at 10 p.m. August 28, 2019. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic views of Jupiter and Saturn with the same magnification at 10 p.m.August 28, 2019. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
Planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on August 28, 2019. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 29th. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
08/27/2019 – Ephemeris – The obscure constellation of Scutum the shield
Ephemeris for Tuesday, August 27th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 29 minutes, setting at 8:28, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:00. The Moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 4:23 tomorrow morning.
In the southern sky between the Teapot of Sagittarius below and Aquila the Eagle with its southernmost star of the Summer Triangle lies Scutum the shield of John Sobieski the Polish king who stopped the advance of the Turks at Kalenberg in 1683. The Polish half of me is very proud. Scutum is one of two official constellations which are related to real persons. The other one is Coma Berenices, a hank of the Egyptian Queen Berenice’s hair. However the stars here are so dim and embedded in the glow of the Milky Way as to be nearly impossible to discern. Scutum lies in one of the richest portions of the Milky Way, wonderful to scan with binoculars and telescopes for star clusters and nebulae or clouds of dust and gas.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Binocular and telescope deep sky objects in Scutum and Sagittarius. Created using Stellarium.
08/26/2018 – Ephemeris – The Great Rift
Ephemeris for Monday, August 26th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 8:30, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:59. The Moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 3:13 tomorrow morning.
High overhead the Milky Way is seen passing through the Summer Triangle of three bright stars. Here we find the Milky Way split into two sections. The split starts in the constellation of Cygnus the Swan or Northern Cross very high in the east. The western part of the Milky Way ends southwest of the Aquila the eagle. This dark dividing feature is called the Great Rift. Despite the lack of stars seen there, it doesn’t mean that there are fewer stars there than in the brighter patches of the Milky Way. The rift is a great dark cloud that obscures the light of the stars behind it. Sometimes binoculars can be used to find the edges of the clouds of the rift, as stars numbers drop off suddenly. This is especially easy to spot in Aquila the eagle.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Great Rift finder animation as seen in the Summer Triangle, also showing the constellations of Cygnus the swan and the the northern part of Aquila the Eagle. This image a stack of 5 30 second exposures taken the morning of the Perseid meteor shower the is year in a vain attempt to capture some meteors.
Annotated and animated photograph taken of Aquila August 13, 2018 during the Perseid meteor shower. Alas, no Perseids in this photograph. Taken by me and processed using Registax and GIMP.
08/23/2019 – Ephemeris – Two small constellations around the Summer Triangle
Ephemeris for Friday, August 23rd. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 41 minutes, setting at 8:35, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:55. The Moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 12:43 tomorrow morning.
Located below the eastern edge of the Summer Triangle of three of the brightest stars in the sky, which is overhead in our sky at 10 p.m., is the tiny constellation of Delphinus the dolphin. Delphinus’ 6 stars in a small parallelogram with a tail, really does look like a dolphin leaping out of the water. The parallelogram itself has the name Job’s Coffin. The origin of this asterism or informal constellation is unknown. Of the dolphin itself: the ancient Greeks appreciated this aquatic mammal as we do, and told stories of dolphins rescuing shipwrecked sailors. There’s another tiny constellation to the right of Delphinus, Sagitta the arrow a small thin group of 5 stars, which represents Cupid’s dart. Above-right of Sagitta binoculars will find a little star group called the Coat hanger.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Delphinus and Sagitta finder animation. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
Closeup of Sagitta and the binocular asterism the Coathanger. Created using Stellarium.
