Archive
11/09/11 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Wednesday, November 9th. The sun will rise at 7:30. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 50 minutes, setting at 5:21. The moon, 1 day before full, will set at 7:25 tomorrow morning.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The planet Venus is still rather close to the sun in the evening setting at 6:25, 64 minutes after the sun and not really visible. Jupiter is now the prominent planet of the evening sky located in the east and southeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries, and to the right of the moon tonight. It will pass due south at 11:30 p.m. In a telescope it will be accompanied by its 4 brightest moons. The moons and planetary features change from night to night and sometimes while you watch. Mars will rise at 12:38 a.m also in the east northeast and is moving between the constellations of Cancer and Leo. Mars is 139 million miles away and closing.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
11/07/11 – Ephemeris – A closer look at Jupiter
Monday, November 7th. The sun will rise at 7:27. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 55 minutes, setting at 5:23. The moon, 3 days before full, will set at 5:24 tomorrow morning.
Jupiter is the planet to spot in the evening sky. It’s in the east in the early evening. I’ve talked to some folks who thought it was Venus. Jupiter is second only to Venus in brightness, but where it is now, opposite the sun in the sky, is a place Venus never can be because its orbit is closer to the sun than the earth. Jupiter is bright because it is big. It’s 5 times earth’s distance from the sun, so sunlight is diluted by a factor of 25 by the inverse square law. It’s 11 times the earth’s diameter. Square that, and its surface area is roughly 120 times that of the earth, so it reflects more light totally than Venus but appears somewhat fainter because it’s much farther than Venus. Volume wise Jupiter is 1,300 times the volume of the earth, but is only 318 times as massive as the earth.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
11/02/11 – Ephemeris – Where are the planets this week?
Wednesday, November 2nd. The sun will rise at 8:21. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 9 minutes, setting at 6:30. The moon, at first quarter today, will set at 1:17 tomorrow morning.
Well it’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The planet Venus is still rather close to the sun in the evening setting 55 minutes after the sun and not really visible. Jupiter is now the prominent planet of the evening sky located in the east and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries. It will pass due south at 1:05 a.m. In a telescope it will be accompanied by its 4 brightest moons. The moons and planetary features change from night to night and sometimes while you watch. Mars will rise at 1:46 a.m also in the east northeast and is moving between the constellations of Cancer and Leo. Mars is 145 million miles away and closing now ti will be closest to the earth March 3rd next year.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
10/26/11 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Wednesday, October 26th. The sun will rise at 8:11. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 28 minutes, setting at 6:40. The moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
Well it’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The planet Venus is still rather close to the sun in the evening setting 48 minutes after the sun and not really visible. Jupiter is now the prominent planet of the evening sky located in the east and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries. It will pass due south at 1:36 a.m. In a telescope it will be accompanied by its 4 brightest moons, and as the planet rises higher Jupiter’s image becomes sharper, and its cloud bands will become visible. The moons and planetary features change from night to night and sometimes while you watch. Mars will rise at 1:54 a.m also in the east northeast and is moving between the constellations of Cancer and Leo.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
10/19/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets visible this week
Wednesday, October 19th. The sun will rise at 8:02. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 6:51. The moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 12:31 tomorrow morning. | Well it’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The planet Venus is still rather close to the sun in the evening setting 42 minutes after the sun and not really visible. Jupiter is now the prominent planet of the evening sky after it rises at 7:15 p.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries. It will move due south at 2:07 a.m. In a telescope it will be accompanied by its 4 brightest moons, and as the planet rises higher Jupiter’s image becomes sharper, and its cloud bands will become visible. The moons and planetary features change from night to night and sometimes while you watch. Mars will rise at 2:01 a.m also in the east northeast and is going through the constellation of Cancer heading to Leo.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
10/13/11 – Ephemeris – Jupiter viewing tips
Thursday, October 13th. The sun will rise at 7:54. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 7 minutes, setting at 7:01. The moon, 2 days past full, will rise at 7:29 this evening.
Jupiter is now rising before 8 p.m. in the east northeast. You’ll have to wait a couple of hours after it rises for good telescopic views of it. That was my problem in my youth with my first telescope. I was viewing Jupiter low on the horizon when it was just coming into the evening sky. I just couldn’t wait until it rose higher. The thick atmosphere of the earth I was looking through to see Jupiter washed out the planetary details of its cloud bands and Great Red Spot. So wait for later in the evening or wait a month or so until Jupiter is higher in the sky to get the best views of Jupiter in a telescope. Jupiter will be closest to the earth on the 29th of this month when it will be in opposition from the sun, rising at sunset and setting at sunrise.
10/12/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets this week
Wednesday, October 12th. The sun will rise at 7:53. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 10 minutes, setting at 7:03. The moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 7:00 this evening.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The planet Venus is rather close to the sun in the evening setting 38 minutes after the sun and not really visible. Jupiter is now the prominent planet of the evening sky after it rises at 7:45 p.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries. It will move due south at 2:34 a.m. In a telescope it will be accompanied by its 4 brightest moons, and as the planet rises higher Jupiter’s image becomes sharper, and its cloud bands will become visible. The moons and planetary features change from night to night and sometimes while you look. Mars will rise at 2:09 a.m also in the east northeast and is entering the constellation of Cancer.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
10/05/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets visible this week
Wednesday, October 5th. The sun will rise at 7:44. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 31 minutes, setting at 7:16. The moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 2:21 tomorrow morning.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The planet Venus is rather close to the sun in the evening setting 34 minutes after the sun and not really visible. The ringed planet Saturn also hidden in the bright twilight is setting 29 minutes after the sun. Jupiter is now the prominent planet of the evening sky after it rises at 8:15 p.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries. In a telescope it will be accompanied by its 4 brightest moons, and as the planet rises higher Jupiter’s image becomes sharper, and its cloud bands will become visible. Mars will rise at 2:14 a.m also in the east northeast and is entering the constellation of Cancer.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
09/28/11 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Wednesday, September 28th. The sun will rise at 7:36. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 52 minutes, setting at 7:29. The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 7:50 this evening.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The planet Venus is rather close to the sun in the evening setting 29 minutes after the sun and not really visible. The ringed planet Saturn also hidden in the bright twilight is setting 38 minutes after the sun. Jupiter is now the prominent planet of the evening sky after it rises at 8:44 p.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries now. In a telescope it will be accompanied by its 4 brightest moons, and as the planet rises higher Jupiter’s image becomes sharper, and its cloud bands will become visible. Mars will rise at 2:20 a.m also in the east northeast and is now entering the constellation of Cancer.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
09/21/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets this week
Wednesday, September 21st. The sun will rise at 7:28. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 7:42. The moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 1:37 tomorrow morning.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The planet Venus is rather close to the sun in the evening setting 26 minutes after the sun and not really visible. The ringed planet Saturn also hidden in the bright twilight is setting 51 minutes after the sun. Jupiter is now the prominent planet of the evening sky after it rises at 9:13 p.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries now. In a telescope it will be accompanied by its 4 brightest moons, and as the planet rises higher Jupiter’s image becomes sharper, and its cloud bands will become visible. Mars will rise at 2:25 a.m also in the east northeast and is now between the constellations of Gemini and Cancer.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 