Archive
09/29/2022 – Ephemeris – Previewing October skies
This is Ephemeris for Thursday, September 29th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 48 minutes, setting at 7:26, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:39. The Moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 9:20 this evening.
Let’s take an early look at the skies for the month of October. Tomorrow I’ll talk about local observing events for Saturday, both afternoon and evening. Back to October. The Sun will still be moving south rapidly. Daylight hours in the Interlochen/Traverse City area and will drop from 11 hours and 42 minutes on Saturday the 1st to 10 hours, 13 minutes at month’s end. The altitude of the Sun above the southern horizon at local noon will be 42 degrees Saturday in the Interlochen area, and will descend to 31 degrees on Halloween. For the Straits of Mackinac area, the Sun will be a degree lower, and the daytime hours will be a bit shorter. The Orionid meteor shower, bits of Halley’s Comet, won’t be bothered by the bright Moon until the early morning on the 21st.
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
October Evening Star Chart

Star Chart for October 2022 (9 p.m. EDT, October 15, 2022). Click on image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app.
The planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 9 p.m. EDT in the evening and 6 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.
October Morning Star Chart
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.
- DracR – Draconid Radiant – Peaks the 8th – Zenithal Hourly Rate < 10 with rare outbursts of a thousand an hour. It’s hindered this year by the full moon.
- OriR – Orionid Radiant – Peak 21st – Zenithal Hourly Rate = 20
Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical
| EDT | |||||||
| Morning | Twilight | Evening | Twilight | Dark | Night | Moon | |
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2022-10-01 | 6h09m | 6h43m | 20h29m | 21h04m | 22h45m | 6h09m | 0.41 |
| 2022-10-02 | 6h10m | 6h44m | 20h28m | 21h02m | 23h45m | 6h10m | 0.53 |
| 2022-10-03 | 6h11m | 6h46m | 20h26m | 21h00m | – | 6h11m | 0.64 |
| 2022-10-04 | 6h13m | 6h47m | 20h24m | 20h58m | 0h56m | 6h13m | 0.75 |
| 2022-10-05 | 6h14m | 6h48m | 20h22m | 20h56m | 2h14m | 6h14m | 0.84 |
| 2022-10-06 | 6h15m | 6h49m | 20h20m | 20h54m | 3h34m | 6h15m | 0.91 |
| 2022-10-07 | 6h16m | 6h50m | 20h18m | 20h52m | 4h52m | 6h16m | 0.97 |
| 2022-10-08 | 6h18m | 6h52m | 20h17m | 20h51m | 6h08m | 6h18m | 0.99 |
| 2022-10-09 | 6h19m | 6h53m | 20h15m | 20h49m | – | – | 1 |
| 2022-10-10 | 6h20m | 6h54m | 20h13m | 20h47m | – | – | 0.98 |
| 2022-10-11 | 6h22m | 6h55m | 20h11m | 20h45m | – | – | 0.94 |
| 2022-10-12 | 6h23m | 6h57m | 20h10m | 20h43m | – | – | 0.88 |
| 2022-10-13 | 6h24m | 6h58m | 20h08m | 20h42m | 20h42m | 21h00m | 0.81 |
| 2022-10-14 | 6h25m | 6h59m | 20h06m | 20h40m | 20h40m | 21h38m | 0.73 |
| 2022-10-15 | 6h26m | 7h00m | 20h05m | 20h38m | 20h38m | 22h24m | 0.64 |
| 2022-10-16 | 6h28m | 7h01m | 20h03m | 20h37m | 20h37m | 23h18m | 0.55 |
| 2022-10-17 | 6h29m | 7h03m | 20h01m | 20h35m | 20h35m | – | 0.45 |
| 2022-10-18 | 6h30m | 7h04m | 20h00m | 20h33m | 20h33m | 0h18m | 0.36 |
| 2022-10-19 | 6h31m | 7h05m | 19h58m | 20h32m | 20h32m | 1h23m | 0.27 |
| 2022-10-20 | 6h33m | 7h06m | 19h57m | 20h30m | 20h30m | 2h29m | 0.19 |
| 2022-10-21 | 6h34m | 7h08m | 19h55m | 20h29m | 20h29m | 3h37m | 0.12 |
| 2022-10-22 | 6h35m | 7h09m | 19h53m | 20h27m | 20h27m | 4h45m | 0.06 |
| 2022-10-23 | 6h36m | 7h10m | 19h52m | 20h26m | 20h26m | 5h54m | 0.02 |
| 2022-10-24 | 6h37m | 7h11m | 19h50m | 20h24m | 20h24m | 6h37m | 0 |
| 2022-10-25 | 6h39m | 7h12m | 19h49m | 20h23m | 20h23m | 6h39m | 0.01 |
| 2022-10-26 | 6h40m | 7h14m | 19h48m | 20h21m | 20h21m | 6h40m | 0.04 |
| 2022-10-27 | 6h41m | 7h15m | 19h46m | 20h20m | 20h20m | 6h41m | 0.1 |
| 2022-10-28 | 6h42m | 7h16m | 19h45m | 20h19m | 20h40m | 6h42m | 0.17 |
| 2022-10-29 | 6h44m | 7h17m | 19h43m | 20h17m | 21h37m | 6h44m | 0.27 |
| 2022-10-30 | 6h45m | 7h19m | 19h42m | 20h16m | 22h46m | 6h45m | 0.38 |
| 2022-10-31 | 6h46m | 7h20m | 19h41m | 20h15m | – | 6h46m | 0.49 |
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
Oct 1 Sa Venus: 5.8° W
2 Su 3:32 pm Moon South Dec.: 27.4° S
2 Su 8:14 pm First Quarter
4 Tu 1:01 pm Moon Perigee: 369,300 km
5 We 11:51 am Moon-Saturn: 4.1° N
8 Sa 2:06 pm Moon-Jupiter: 2.1° N
8 Sa 4:59 pm Mercury Elongation: 18° W (Morning elongation)
9 Su 4:55 pm Full Hunter's Moon
11 Tu 5:49 pm Moon Ascending Node
12 We 11:46 pm Moon-Pleiades: 2.9° N
15 Sa 12:28 am Moon-Mars: 4° S
16 Su 2:12 am Moon North Dec.: 27.5° N
17 Mo 6:21 am Moon Apogee: 404300 km
17 Mo 11:41 am Moon-Pollux: 2° N
17 Mo 1:15 pm Last Quarter
21 Fr 1:39 pm Orionid Shower: ZHR = 20
22 Sa 4:47 pm Venus Superior Conjunction. Enters evening sky
25 Tu 6:49 am New Moon
25 Tu 7:00 am Partial Solar Eclipse (Parts of Europe, Africa and Asia)
26 We 2:30 am Moon Descending Node
27 Th 10:48 pm Moon-Antares: 2.3° S
29 Sa 10:48 am Moon Perigee: 368300 km
29 Sa 9:04 pm Moon South Dec.: 27.5° S
Nov 1 Tu Venus: 2.6° 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 October 2022 Local time zone: EDT +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Sat 1| 07:40a 07:23p 11:42 | 08:26p 06:37a | Set 10:44p 39%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 2| 07:42a 07:21p 11:39 | 08:24p 06:39a |F Qtr Set 11:44p 50%| |Mon 3| 07:43a 07:19p 11:36 | 08:22p 06:40a | Set 12:55a 61%| |Tue 4| 07:44a 07:17p 11:33 | 08:20p 06:41a | Set 02:14a 72%| |Wed 5| 07:45a 07:15p 11:30 | 08:18p 06:42a | Set 03:33a 82%| |Thu 6| 07:46a 07:14p 11:27 | 08:16p 06:43a | Set 04:52a 90%| |Fri 7| 07:48a 07:12p 11:24 | 08:15p 06:45a | Set 06:08a 96%| |Sat 8| 07:49a 07:10p 11:20 | 08:13p 06:46a | Set 07:22a 99%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 9| 07:50a 07:08p 11:17 | 08:11p 06:47a |Full Rise 07:19p 100%| |Mon 10| 07:51a 07:06p 11:14 | 08:09p 06:48a | Rise 07:39p 99%| |Tue 11| 07:53a 07:05p 11:11 | 08:08p 06:50a | Rise 08:02p 95%| |Wed 12| 07:54a 07:03p 11:08 | 08:06p 06:51a | Rise 08:28p 90%| |Thu 13| 07:55a 07:01p 11:05 | 08:04p 06:52a | Rise 08:59p 83%| |Fri 14| 07:57a 06:59p 11:02 | 08:02p 06:53a | Rise 09:37p 75%| |Sat 15| 07:58a 06:58p 10:59 | 08:01p 06:54a | Rise 10:23p 66%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 16| 07:59a 06:56p 10:56 | 07:59p 06:56a | Rise 11:17p 57%| |Mon 17| 08:00a 06:54p 10:53 | 07:58p 06:57a |L Qtr Rise 12:18a 47%| |Tue 18| 08:02a 06:52p 10:50 | 07:56p 06:58a | Rise 01:22a 38%| |Wed 19| 08:03a 06:51p 10:47 | 07:54p 06:59a | Rise 02:29a 29%| |Thu 20| 08:04a 06:49p 10:44 | 07:53p 07:01a | Rise 03:36a 20%| |Fri 21| 08:06a 06:48p 10:41 | 07:51p 07:02a | Rise 04:44a 13%| |Sat 22| 08:07a 06:46p 10:38 | 07:50p 07:03a | Rise 05:53a 7%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 23| 08:08a 06:44p 10:36 | 07:48p 07:04a | Rise 07:04a 3%| |Mon 24| 08:10a 06:43p 10:33 | 07:47p 07:06a | Rise 08:18a 0%| |Tue 25| 08:11a 06:41p 10:30 | 07:45p 07:07a |New Set 06:53p 0%| |Wed 26| 08:12a 06:40p 10:27 | 07:44p 07:08a | Set 07:21p 3%| |Thu 27| 08:14a 06:38p 10:24 | 07:42p 07:09a | Set 07:55p 8%| |Fri 28| 08:15a 06:37p 10:21 | 07:41p 07:10a | Set 08:39p 16%| |Sat 29| 08:16a 06:35p 10:18 | 07:40p 07:12a | Set 09:36p 25%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 30| 08:18a 06:34p 10:16 | 07:38p 07:13a | Set 10:45p 36%| |Mon 31| 08:19a 06:32p 10:13 | 07:37p 07:14a | Set 12:02a 47%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Generated using my LookingUp for DOS program.
09/01/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s look at the skies for the month of September
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Thursday, September 1st. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 8:19, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:06. The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 10:48 this evening.
Let’s look at the skies for the month of September. The Sun will be moving at its greatest speed in its retreat to the south. Daylight hours in the Interlochen/Traverse City area and will drop from 13 hours and 14 minutes today to 11 hours 45 minutes on the 30th. The altitude of the Sun above the southern horizon at local noon will be 54 degrees today, and will descend to 42 degrees on the 30th. The season of summer is getting short, so enjoy it while you can. Summer ends and autumn begins at 9:04 p.m. on September 22nd. The full Harvest Moon shows on our calendars as being on the 10th. However, the Harvest Moon will occur on the night of the 9th, and morning of the 10th, because the precise time it will be full is 5:59 am, before it sets that morning.
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
September Evening Star Chart

Star Chart for September 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program.
The planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 10 p.m. EDT in the evening and 6 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 2022 (6 am EDT, September 15, 2022). Click on the image to enlarge it. 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 | |||||||
| Morning | Twilight | Evening | Twilight | Dark | Night | Moon | |
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2022-09-01 | 5h26m | 6h04m | 21h29m | 22h07m | 22h48m | 5h26m | 0.33 |
| 2022-09-02 | 5h28m | 6h06m | 21h27m | 22h05m | 23h19m | 5h28m | 0.44 |
| 2022-09-03 | 5h29m | 6h07m | 21h25m | 22h03m | 23h59m | 5h29m | 0.55 |
| 2022-09-04 | 5h31m | 6h08m | 21h23m | 22h00m | – | 5h31m | 0.67 |
| 2022-09-05 | 5h32m | 6h10m | 21h21m | 21h58m | 0h50m | 5h32m | 0.77 |
| 2022-09-06 | 5h34m | 6h11m | 21h19m | 21h56m | 1h56m | 5h34m | 0.86 |
| 2022-09-07 | 5h35m | 6h12m | 21h17m | 21h54m | 3h12m | 5h35m | 0.93 |
| 2022-09-08 | 5h37m | 6h14m | 21h15m | 21h52m | 4h33m | 5h37m | 0.98 |
| 2022-09-09 | 5h38m | 6h15m | 21h13m | 21h49m | – | – | 1 |
| 2022-09-10 | 5h40m | 6h16m | 21h11m | 21h47m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2022-09-11 | 5h41m | 6h18m | 21h09m | 21h45m | – | – | 0.96 |
| 2022-09-12 | 5h43m | 6h19m | 21h07m | 21h43m | – | – | 0.91 |
| 2022-09-13 | 5h44m | 6h20m | 21h05m | 21h41m | – | – | 0.84 |
| 2022-09-14 | 5h46m | 6h22m | 21h03m | 21h39m | 21h39m | 22h02m | 0.75 |
| 2022-09-15 | 5h47m | 6h23m | 21h01m | 21h36m | 21h36m | 22h30m | 0.66 |
| 2022-09-16 | 5h49m | 6h24m | 20h59m | 21h34m | 21h34m | 23h04m | 0.57 |
| 2022-09-17 | 5h50m | 6h26m | 20h57m | 21h32m | 21h32m | 23h45m | 0.47 |
| 2022-09-18 | 5h51m | 6h27m | 20h55m | 21h30m | 21h30m | – | 0.38 |
| 2022-09-19 | 5h53m | 6h28m | 20h53m | 21h28m | 21h28m | 0h34m | 0.29 |
| 2022-09-20 | 5h54m | 6h29m | 20h51m | 21h26m | 21h26m | 1h31m | 0.21 |
| 2022-09-21 | 5h56m | 6h31m | 20h49m | 21h24m | 21h24m | 2h33m | 0.13 |
| 2022-09-22 | 5h57m | 6h32m | 20h47m | 21h22m | 21h22m | 3h39m | 0.07 |
| 2022-09-23 | 5h58m | 6h33m | 20h45m | 21h20m | 21h20m | 4h46m | 0.03 |
| 2022-09-24 | 6h00m | 6h34m | 20h43m | 21h18m | 21h18m | 5h54m | 0.01 |
| 2022-09-25 | 6h01m | 6h36m | 20h41m | 21h16m | 21h16m | 6h01m | 0 |
| 2022-09-26 | 6h02m | 6h37m | 20h39m | 21h14m | 21h14m | 6h02m | 0.02 |
| 2022-09-27 | 6h04m | 6h38m | 20h37m | 21h12m | 21h12m | 6h04m | 0.06 |
| 2022-09-28 | 6h05m | 6h39m | 20h35m | 21h10m | 21h10m | 6h05m | 0.12 |
| 2022-09-29 | 6h06m | 6h41m | 20h33m | 21h08m | 21h21m | 6h06m | 0.2 |
| 2022-09-30 | 6h08m | 6h42m | 20h31m | 21h06m | 21h57m | 6h08m | 0.3 |
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
Sep 1 Th Venus: 13.6° W
1 Th 5:12 pm Moon Descending Node
3 Sa 10:56 am Moon-Antares: 2.6° S
3 Sa 2:08 pm First Quarter
5 Mo 9:56 am Moon South Dec.: 27.2° S
6 Tu 5:30 pm Mars-Aldebaran: 4.3° N
7 We 2:17 pm Moon Perigee: 364,500 km
8 Th 6:31 am Moon-Saturn: 3.9° N
10 Sa 5:59 am Full Harvest Moon
11 Su 11:11 am Moon-Jupiter: 1.9° N
14 We 10:49 am Moon Ascending Node
15 Th 2:50 pm Moon-Pleiades: 3.1° N
16 Fr 5:03 pm Neptune Opposition
16 Fr 9:41 pm Moon-Mars: 4° S
17 Sa 5:52 pm Last Quarter
18 Su 6:10 pm Moon North Dec.: 27.3° N
19 Mo 10:44 am Moon Apogee: 404,600 km
20 Tu 3:40 am Moon-Pollux: 2.1° N
22 Th 9:04 pm Autumnal Equinox
23 Fr 2:47 am Mercury Inferior Conjunction
25 Su 5:54 pm New Moon
26 Mo 2:03 pm Jupiter Opposition
28 We 7:43 pm Moon Descending Node
30 Fr 4:20 pm Moon-Antares: 2.4° S
Oct 1 Sa Venus: 5.8° W
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, 2022 Local time zone: EDT +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Thu 1| 07:05a 08:19p 13:14 | 09:25p 05:58a | Set 10:48p 31%| |Fri 2| 07:06a 08:17p 13:11 | 09:23p 06:00a | Set 11:18p 42%| |Sat 3| 07:07a 08:15p 13:08 | 09:21p 06:01a |F Qtr Set 11:58p 53%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 4| 07:08a 08:13p 13:05 | 09:19p 06:02a | Set 12:50a 64%| |Mon 5| 07:09a 08:12p 13:02 | 09:17p 06:04a | Set 01:55a 75%| |Tue 6| 07:11a 08:10p 12:59 | 09:15p 06:05a | Set 03:11a 84%| |Wed 7| 07:12a 08:08p 12:56 | 09:13p 06:07a | Set 04:33a 92%| |Thu 8| 07:13a 08:06p 12:53 | 09:11p 06:08a | Set 05:54a 97%| |Fri 9| 07:14a 08:04p 12:49 | 09:09p 06:09a | Set 07:14a 100%| |Sat 10| 07:15a 08:02p 12:46 | 09:07p 06:11a |Full Rise 08:35p 99%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 11| 07:17a 08:00p 12:43 | 09:05p 06:12a | Rise 08:56p 97%| |Mon 12| 07:18a 07:59p 12:40 | 09:03p 06:13a | Rise 09:16p 92%| |Tue 13| 07:19a 07:57p 12:37 | 09:01p 06:14a | Rise 09:38p 85%| |Wed 14| 07:20a 07:55p 12:34 | 08:59p 06:16a | Rise 10:02p 77%| |Thu 15| 07:21a 07:53p 12:31 | 08:57p 06:17a | Rise 10:30p 68%| |Fri 16| 07:22a 07:51p 12:28 | 08:55p 06:18a | Rise 11:03p 59%| |Sat 17| 07:24a 07:49p 12:25 | 08:53p 06:20a |L Qtr Rise 11:44p 49%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 18| 07:25a 07:47p 12:22 | 08:51p 06:21a | Rise 12:33a 40%| |Mon 19| 07:26a 07:45p 12:19 | 08:49p 06:22a | Rise 01:30a 31%| |Tue 20| 07:27a 07:43p 12:16 | 08:47p 06:24a | Rise 02:33a 22%| |Wed 21| 07:28a 07:41p 12:13 | 08:45p 06:25a | Rise 03:38a 15%| |Thu 22| 07:29a 07:40p 12:10 | 08:43p 06:26a | Rise 04:46a 9%| |Fri 23| 07:31a 07:38p 12:07 | 08:41p 06:27a | Rise 05:54a 4%| |Sat 24| 07:32a 07:36p 12:03 | 08:39p 06:29a | Rise 07:02a 1%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 25| 07:33a 07:34p 12:00 | 08:37p 06:30a |New Set 07:48p 0%| |Mon 26| 07:34a 07:32p 11:57 | 08:35p 06:31a | Set 08:07p 1%| |Tue 27| 07:35a 07:30p 11:54 | 08:33p 06:32a | Set 08:28p 5%| |Wed 28| 07:37a 07:28p 11:51 | 08:31p 06:34a | Set 08:51p 11%| |Thu 29| 07:38a 07:26p 11:48 | 08:29p 06:35a | Set 09:20p 18%| |Fri 30| 07:39a 07:25p 11:45 | 08:27p 06:36a | Set 09:57p 28%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Generated using my LookingUp for DOS program.
08/01/2022 – Ephemeris – Previewing August skies
This is Ephemeris for Monday, August 1st. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 39 minutes, setting at 9:08, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:30. The Moon, halfway from new to first quarter, will set at 11:18 this evening.
Let’s look ahead at the month of August in the skies. Daylight hours will decrease from 14 hours and 39 minutes today to 13 hours 17 minutes on the 31st. The altitude of the Sun at local noon, that is degrees of angle above the southern horizon, will decrease from 63 degrees today to just over 53 degrees on the 31st. Straits area listeners can subtract one more degree from those angles. Local noon, when the Sun is due south, is about 1:43 p.m. The Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak all on the 12th. Unfortunately, the Moon will be only one day past full, so only the brightest meteors will be seen. However, for the next few days or so, the meteors can compete with the weaker moonlight of the waxing crescent Moon, though their numbers won’t be as high as it would be on a dark night of the peak.
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
August Evening Star Chart

Star Chart for August 2022 (10 pm EDT, August 15, 2022). Click on image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program.
Star Chart for August 2022 (10 pm EDT, August 15, 2022). Click on image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program.
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.
Note the chart times are for the 15th. For each week before the 15th, add ½ hour (28 minutes if you’re picky). For each week after the 15th, subtract ½ hour. The planet positions are updated each Wednesday on this blog. For planet positions on dates other than the 15th.
August Morning Star Chart

Star Chart for August mornings, (5 a.m. EDT, August 15, 2022). Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
Star Chart for August mornings, (5 a.m. EDT, August 15, 2022). 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, and
- Extend like a spike to Spica.
- The Summer Triangle is in red.
- PerR is the radiant of the Perseid meteor shower (Peaks on the 12th)
Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical
| EDT | |||||||
| Morning | Twilight | Evening | Twilight | Dark | Night | Moon | |
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2022-08-01 | 4h31m | 5h19m | 22h27m | 23h15m | 23h18m | 4h31m | 0.18 |
| 2022-08-02 | 4h33m | 5h21m | 22h25m | 23h13m | 23h37m | 4h33m | 0.27 |
| 2022-08-03 | 4h35m | 5h22m | 22h24m | 23h11m | 23h57m | 4h35m | 0.37 |
| 2022-08-04 | 4h37m | 5h24m | 22h22m | 23h09m | – | 4h37m | 0.47 |
| 2022-08-05 | 4h38m | 5h25m | 22h20m | 23h07m | 0h19m | 4h38m | 0.58 |
| 2022-08-06 | 4h40m | 5h27m | 22h19m | 23h05m | 0h46m | 4h40m | 0.69 |
| 2022-08-07 | 4h42m | 5h28m | 22h17m | 23h03m | 1h20m | 4h42m | 0.8 |
| 2022-08-08 | 4h44m | 5h30m | 22h15m | 23h00m | 2h05m | 4h44m | 0.88 |
| 2022-08-09 | 4h46m | 5h31m | 22h13m | 22h58m | 3h04m | 4h46m | 0.95 |
| 2022-08-10 | 4h48m | 5h33m | 22h11m | 22h56m | 4h16m | 4h48m | 0.99 |
| 2022-08-11 | 4h50m | 5h34m | 22h10m | 22h54m | – | – | 1 |
| 2022-08-12 | 4h52m | 5h36m | 22h08m | 22h52m | – | – | 0.98 |
| 2022-08-13 | 4h53m | 5h37m | 22h06m | 22h49m | – | – | 0.94 |
| 2022-08-14 | 4h55m | 5h38m | 22h04m | 22h47m | – | – | 0.87 |
| 2022-08-15 | 4h57m | 5h40m | 22h02m | 22h45m | 22h45m | 22h55m | 0.79 |
| 2022-08-16 | 4h59m | 5h41m | 22h00m | 22h43m | 22h43m | 23h16m | 0.7 |
| 2022-08-17 | 5h01m | 5h43m | 21h58m | 22h41m | 22h41m | 23h38m | 0.6 |
| 2022-08-18 | 5h02m | 5h44m | 21h56m | 22h38m | 22h38m | – | 0.5 |
| 2022-08-19 | 5h04m | 5h46m | 21h55m | 22h36m | 22h36m | 0h03m | 0.4 |
| 2022-08-20 | 5h06m | 5h47m | 21h53m | 22h34m | 22h34m | 0h32m | 0.31 |
| 2022-08-21 | 5h08m | 5h49m | 21h51m | 22h32m | 22h32m | 1h08m | 0.23 |
| 2022-08-22 | 5h10m | 5h50m | 21h49m | 22h29m | 22h29m | 1h52m | 0.15 |
| 2022-08-23 | 5h11m | 5h52m | 21h47m | 22h27m | 22h27m | 2h44m | 0.09 |
| 2022-08-24 | 5h13m | 5h53m | 21h45m | 22h25m | 22h25m | 3h43m | 0.04 |
| 2022-08-25 | 5h15m | 5h55m | 21h43m | 22h23m | 22h23m | 4h47m | 0.01 |
| 2022-08-26 | 5h16m | 5h56m | 21h41m | 22h20m | 22h20m | 5h16m | 0 |
| 2022-08-27 | 5h18m | 5h57m | 21h39m | 22h18m | 22h18m | 5h18m | 0.01 |
| 2022-08-28 | 5h20m | 5h59m | 21h37m | 22h16m | 22h16m | 5h20m | 0.04 |
| 2022-08-29 | 5h21m | 6h00m | 21h35m | 22h14m | 22h14m | 5h21m | 0.08 |
| 2022-08-30 | 5h23m | 6h02m | 21h33m | 22h12m | 22h12m | 5h23m | 0.15 |
| 2022-08-31 | 5h25m | 6h03m | 21h31m | 22h09m | 22h24m | 5h25m | 0.23 |
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
Aug 1 Mo Venus: 21.7° W
4 Th 12:58 am Mercury-Regulus: 0.7° N
5 Fr 7:06 am First Quarter
5 Fr 4:30 pm Moon Descending Node
6 Sa 5:33 am Venus-Pollux: 6.5° S
7 Su 4:29 am Moon-Antares: 2.8° S
9 Tu 2:36 am Moon South Dec.: 27° S
10 We 1:14 pm Moon Perigee: 359,800 km
11 Th 9:36 pm Full Sturgeon Moon
11 Th 11:55 pm Moon-Saturn: 3.9° N
12 Fr 9:20 pm Perseid Shower: ZHR = 90
14 Su 12:35 pm Saturn Opposition
15 Mo 5:37 am Moon-Jupiter: 1.9° N
17 We 12:02 pm Venus-Beehive: 0.9° S
18 Th 6:59 am Moon Ascending Node
19 Fr 12:36 am Last Quarter
19 Fr 6:32 am Moon-Pleiades: 3.4° N
19 Fr 8:16 am Moon-Mars: 2.9° S
20 Sa 4:36 am Mars-Pleiades: 5.6° S
22 Mo 11:08 am Moon North Dec.: 27.1° N
22 Mo 5:53 pm Moon Apogee: 405,400 km
23 Tu 8:17 pm Moon-Pollux: 2.3° N
24 We 9:46 pm Moon-Beehive: 3.8° S
25 Th 4:58 pm Moon-Venus: 4.7° S
27 Sa 4:17 am New Moon
27 Sa 11:59 am Mercury Elongation: 27.3° E
Sep 1 Th Venus: 13.6° W
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 August, 2022 Local time zone: EDT +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Mon 1| 06:29a 09:08p 14:39 | 10:23p 05:13a | Set 11:18p 17%| |Tue 2| 06:30a 09:07p 14:37 | 10:22p 05:14a | Set 11:37p 25%| |Wed 3| 06:31a 09:05p 14:34 | 10:20p 05:16a | Set 11:56p 34%| |Thu 4| 06:32a 09:04p 14:32 | 10:18p 05:17a | Set 12:19a 45%| |Fri 5| 06:33a 09:03p 14:29 | 10:17p 05:19a |F Qtr Set 12:45a 56%| |Sat 6| 06:34a 09:01p 14:27 | 10:15p 05:20a | Set 01:19a 67%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 7| 06:35a 09:00p 14:24 | 10:13p 05:22a | Set 02:04a 77%| |Mon 8| 06:37a 08:59p 14:21 | 10:11p 05:23a | Set 03:03a 86%| |Tue 9| 06:38a 08:57p 14:19 | 10:10p 05:25a | Set 04:15a 94%| |Wed 10| 06:39a 08:56p 14:16 | 10:08p 05:26a | Set 05:37a 98%| |Thu 11| 06:40a 08:54p 14:14 | 10:06p 05:28a |Full Rise 09:18p 100%| |Fri 12| 06:41a 08:53p 14:11 | 10:04p 05:29a | Rise 09:48p 99%| |Sat 13| 06:42a 08:51p 14:08 | 10:02p 05:31a | Rise 10:13p 95%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 14| 06:44a 08:50p 14:05 | 10:00p 05:32a | Rise 10:34p 88%| |Mon 15| 06:45a 08:48p 14:03 | 09:58p 05:34a | Rise 10:55p 80%| |Tue 16| 06:46a 08:46p 14:00 | 09:57p 05:35a | Rise 11:15p 71%| |Wed 17| 06:47a 08:45p 13:57 | 09:55p 05:37a | Rise 11:37p 62%| |Thu 18| 06:48a 08:43p 13:54 | 09:53p 05:38a | Rise 12:02a 52%| |Fri 19| 06:49a 08:41p 13:52 | 09:51p 05:40a |L Qtr Rise 12:32a 42%| |Sat 20| 06:51a 08:40p 13:49 | 09:49p 05:41a | Rise 01:08a 33%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 21| 06:52a 08:38p 13:46 | 09:47p 05:43a | Rise 01:51a 24%| |Mon 22| 06:53a 08:36p 13:43 | 09:45p 05:44a | Rise 02:43a 17%| |Tue 23| 06:54a 08:35p 13:40 | 09:43p 05:46a | Rise 03:42a 10%| |Wed 24| 06:55a 08:33p 13:37 | 09:41p 05:47a | Rise 04:46a 5%| |Thu 25| 06:57a 08:31p 13:34 | 09:39p 05:48a | Rise 05:52a 2%| |Fri 26| 06:58a 08:30p 13:31 | 09:37p 05:50a | Rise 07:00a 0%| |Sat 27| 06:59a 08:28p 13:28 | 09:35p 05:51a |New Set 09:04p 1%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 28| 07:00a 08:26p 13:25 | 09:33p 05:53a | Set 09:24p 3%| |Mon 29| 07:01a 08:24p 13:23 | 09:31p 05:54a | Set 09:43p 7%| |Tue 30| 07:02a 08:22p 13:20 | 09:29p 05:56a | Set 10:02p 13%| |Wed 31| 07:04a 08:21p 13:17 | 09:27p 05:57a | Set 10:23p 21%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Generated using my LookingUp for DOS program.
06/30/2022 – Ephemeris – Previewing the skies of July
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for International Asteroid Day, Thursday, June 30th. On this day in 1908, 114 years ago, a small asteroid exploded over the Tunguska region of Siberia. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 31 minutes, setting at 9:32, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:01. The Moon, 2 days past new, will set at 11:11 this evening.
Let’s preview July’s skies. The Sun, having reached its northern solstice, is beginning to slide southward again, at first imperceptibly, then with greater speed. The daylight hours will decrease from 15 hours and 30 minutes tomorrow to 14 hours 41 minutes at month’s end. The daylight hours will be slightly shorter south of Interlochen, and slightly longer to the north. The altitude of the Sun at local noon, when the Sun is due south, will decrease from 68 degrees today to 63 degrees at month’s end. The Sun will be a degree lower in the Straits area. Despite the warmth, the Earth will reach its greatest distance from the Sun this Sunday the 3rd.
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 planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 11 p.m. EDT in the evening and 4:30 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.
Note the chart times are for the 15th. For each week before the 15th, add ½ hour (28 minutes if you’re picky). For each week after the 15th, subtract ½ hour. The planet positions are updated each Wednesday on this blog. For planet positions on dates other than the 15th.
July Morning Star Chart

Star Chart for July mornings, 2022 (4:30 a.m. EDT July 15, 2022). Created using my LookingUp program. Click on image to enlarge.
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, and
- Extend like a spike to Spica.
- The Summer Triangle is in red.
- DAqR is the radiant of the South Delta Aquariid meteor shower (Peaks on the 27th)
Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical
| EDT | |||||||
| Morning | Twilight | Evening | Twilight | Dark | Night | Moon | |
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2022-07-01 | 3h39m | 4h41m | 23h00m | 0h03m | 0h03m | 3h39m | 0.09 |
| 2022-07-02 | 3h40m | 4h42m | 23h00m | 0h02m | 0h02m | 3h40m | 0.15 |
| 2022-07-03 | 3h41m | 4h43m | 22h59m | 0h01m | 0h11m | 3h41m | 0.22 |
| 2022-07-04 | 3h42m | 4h44m | 22h59m | 0h00m | 0h33m | 3h42m | 0.31 |
| 2022-07-05 | 3h43m | 4h45m | 22h58m | 23h59m | 0h54m | 3h43m | 0.41 |
| 2022-07-06 | 3h45m | 4h45m | 22h57m | 23h58m | 1h13m | 3h45m | 0.51 |
| 2022-07-07 | 3h46m | 4h46m | 22h57m | 23h57m | 1h32m | 3h46m | 0.62 |
| 2022-07-08 | 3h47m | 4h47m | 22h56m | 23h56m | 1h53m | 3h47m | 0.72 |
| 2022-07-09 | 3h49m | 4h48m | 22h55m | 23h55m | 2h18m | 3h49m | 0.82 |
| 2022-07-10 | 3h50m | 4h50m | 22h55m | 23h54m | 2h48m | 3h50m | 0.9 |
| 2022-07-11 | 3h52m | 4h51m | 22h54m | 23h52m | 3h27m | 3h52m | 0.96 |
| 2022-07-12 | 3h54m | 4h52m | 22h53m | 23h51m | – | – | 1 |
| 2022-07-13 | 3h55m | 4h53m | 22h52m | 23h50m | – | – | 1 |
| 2022-07-14 | 3h57m | 4h54m | 22h51m | 23h48m | – | – | 0.97 |
| 2022-07-15 | 3h59m | 4h55m | 22h50m | 23h47m | – | – | 0.91 |
| 2022-07-16 | 4h01m | 4h57m | 22h49m | 23h45m | 23h45m | 23h50m | 0.84 |
| 2022-07-17 | 4h02m | 4h58m | 22h48m | 23h43m | 23h43m | – | 0.74 |
| 2022-07-18 | 4h04m | 4h59m | 22h47m | 23h42m | 23h42m | 0h13m | 0.64 |
| 2022-07-19 | 4h06m | 5h01m | 22h45m | 23h40m | 23h40m | 0h33m | 0.54 |
| 2022-07-20 | 4h08m | 5h02m | 22h44m | 23h38m | 23h38m | 0h53m | 0.44 |
| 2022-07-21 | 4h10m | 5h03m | 22h43m | 23h36m | 23h36m | 1h13m | 0.34 |
| 2022-07-22 | 4h12m | 5h05m | 22h42m | 23h35m | 23h35m | 1h36m | 0.25 |
| 2022-07-23 | 4h13m | 5h06m | 22h40m | 23h33m | 23h33m | 2h02m | 0.18 |
| 2022-07-24 | 4h15m | 5h07m | 22h39m | 23h31m | 23h31m | 2h33m | 0.11 |
| 2022-07-25 | 4h17m | 5h09m | 22h38m | 23h29m | 23h29m | 3h11m | 0.06 |
| 2022-07-26 | 4h19m | 5h10m | 22h36m | 23h27m | 23h27m | 3h58m | 0.02 |
| 2022-07-27 | 4h21m | 5h12m | 22h35m | 23h25m | 23h25m | 4h21m | 0 |
| 2022-07-28 | 4h23m | 5h13m | 22h33m | 23h23m | 23h23m | 4h23m | 0 |
| 2022-07-29 | 4h25m | 5h15m | 22h32m | 23h21m | 23h21m | 4h25m | 0.02 |
| 2022-07-30 | 4h27m | 5h16m | 22h30m | 23h19m | 23h19m | 4h27m | 0.06 |
| 2022-07-31 | 4h29m | 5h18m | 22h28m | 23h17m | 23h17m | 4h29m | 0.11 |
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
Jul 1 Fr Venus: 29.6° W
1 Fr 9:21 am Moon-Beehive: 3.9° S
3 Su 10:59 pm Earth at Aphelion: 1.0167 AU
6 We 10:14 pm First Quarter
9 Sa 1:28 pm Moon Descending Node
10 Su 7:50 pm Moon-Antares: 3° S
12 Tu 10:30 am NASA will release 1st full color images from the
Webb Space Telescope
12 Tu 5:16 pm Moon South Dec.: 26.9° S
13 We 5:08 am Moon Perigee: 357,300 km
13 We 2:37 pm Full Buck Moon
15 Fr 4:16 pm Moon-Saturn: 4° N
16 Sa 3:30 pm Mercury Superior Conj.
18 Mo 8:55 pm Moon-Jupiter: 2.3° N
20 We 10:18 am Last Quarter
21 Th 12:46 pm Moon-Mars: 1.1° S
22 Fr 5:21 am Moon Ascending Node
22 Fr 11:29 pm Moon-Pleiades: 3.7° N
26 Tu 5:19 am Moon North Dec.: 26.9° N
26 Tu 6:22 am Moon Apogee: 406,300 km
26 Tu 10:12 am Moon-Venus: 4.6° S
28 Th 5:26 am Delta Aquariid Shower: ZHR = 20
28 Th 1:55 pm New Moon
Aug 1 Mo Venus: 21.7° W
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 July, 2022 Local time zone: EDT +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Fri 1| 06:01a 09:32p 15:30 | 10:57p 04:35a | Set 11:44p 8%| |Sat 2| 06:01a 09:31p 15:30 | 10:56p 04:36a | Set 12:10a 13%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 3| 06:02a 09:31p 15:29 | 10:56p 04:37a | Set 12:33a 21%| |Mon 4| 06:02a 09:31p 15:28 | 10:56p 04:38a | Set 12:53a 29%| |Tue 5| 06:03a 09:30p 15:27 | 10:55p 04:38a | Set 01:12a 39%| |Wed 6| 06:04a 09:30p 15:26 | 10:54p 04:39a |F Qtr Set 01:32a 49%| |Thu 7| 06:04a 09:30p 15:25 | 10:54p 04:40a | Set 01:53a 60%| |Fri 8| 06:05a 09:29p 15:24 | 10:53p 04:41a | Set 02:17a 70%| |Sat 9| 06:06a 09:29p 15:22 | 10:52p 04:42a | Set 02:47a 80%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 10| 06:07a 09:28p 15:21 | 10:51p 04:43a | Set 03:27a 89%| |Mon 11| 06:08a 09:28p 15:20 | 10:51p 04:44a | Set 04:19a 95%| |Tue 12| 06:08a 09:27p 15:18 | 10:50p 04:46a | Set 05:26a 99%| |Wed 13| 06:09a 09:26p 15:17 | 10:49p 04:47a |Full Rise 10:05p 100%| |Thu 14| 06:10a 09:26p 15:15 | 10:48p 04:48a | Rise 10:49p 98%| |Fri 15| 06:11a 09:25p 15:14 | 10:47p 04:49a | Rise 11:23p 92%| |Sat 16| 06:12a 09:24p 15:12 | 10:46p 04:50a | Rise 11:50p 85%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 17| 06:13a 09:24p 15:10 | 10:44p 04:52a | Rise 12:12a 76%| |Mon 18| 06:14a 09:23p 15:08 | 10:43p 04:53a | Rise 12:33a 66%| |Tue 19| 06:15a 09:22p 15:07 | 10:42p 04:54a | Rise 12:52a 56%| |Wed 20| 06:16a 09:21p 15:05 | 10:41p 04:56a |L Qtr Rise 01:13a 46%| |Thu 21| 06:17a 09:20p 15:03 | 10:40p 04:57a | Rise 01:35a 36%| |Fri 22| 06:18a 09:19p 15:01 | 10:38p 04:58a | Rise 02:01a 27%| |Sat 23| 06:19a 09:18p 14:59 | 10:37p 05:00a | Rise 02:32a 19%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 24| 06:20a 09:17p 14:57 | 10:35p 05:01a | Rise 03:11a 12%| |Mon 25| 06:21a 09:16p 14:55 | 10:34p 05:03a | Rise 03:57a 7%| |Tue 26| 06:22a 09:15p 14:53 | 10:33p 05:04a | Rise 04:51a 3%| |Wed 27| 06:23a 09:14p 14:50 | 10:31p 05:05a | Rise 05:52a 1%| |Thu 28| 06:24a 09:13p 14:48 | 10:30p 05:07a |New Set 09:46p 0%| |Fri 29| 06:25a 09:12p 14:46 | 10:28p 05:08a | Set 10:14p 2%| |Sat 30| 06:26a 09:10p 14:44 | 10:27p 05:10a | Set 10:38p 5%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 31| 06:27a 09:09p 14:41 | 10:25p 05:11a | Set 10:59p 10%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Created using my LookingUp for DOS output as text.
05/31/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s preview the sunny month of June
This is Ephemeris for Tuesday, May 31st. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 9:20, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:00. The Moon, 1 day past new, will set at 10:56 this evening.
Let’s preview June skies. There will be a lot of sun in June and very little night. The daylight hours will increase a bit from 15 hours and 21 minutes Tomorrow to 15 hours and 34 minutes on the 21st, retreating back to 15 hours 31 minutes at month’s end. The altitude of the Sun above the southern horizon at local noon will hover around 68 to 69 degrees. Local noon, when the Sun is actually due south, will occur at about 1:43 p.m. Summer begins on the 21st at 5:14 am, when the Sun reaches its farthest north. The actual amount of nighttime will be quite short, mostly due to the length of daylight, but also because twilight lasts much longer than average because the Sun sets at a shallow angle. On the 21st, there’s theoretically only 3 ½ hours of total darkness if the Moon wasn’t up.
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
June Evening Star Chart
The planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 11 p.m. EDT in the evening and 4 a.m. for the morning chart. These are the chart times. Note that Interlochen/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.
Note the chart times of 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. are for the 15th. For each week before the 15th, add ½ hour (28 minutes if you’re picky). For each week after the 15th, subtract ½ hour, or 28 minutes. The planet positions are updated each Wednesday on this blog. For planet positions on dates other than the 15th, check the Wednesday planet posts on this blog for weekly positions.
June Morning Star Chart
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, and
- Extend like a spike to Spica,
Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical
| EDT | |||||||
| Morning | Twilight | Evening | Twilight | Dark | Night | Moon | |
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2022-06-01 | 3h44m | 4h42m | 22h47m | 23h46m | 23h49m | 3h44m | 0.07 |
| 2022-06-02 | 3h42m | 4h42m | 22h48m | 23h47m | – | 3h42m | 0.12 |
| 2022-06-03 | 3h41m | 4h41m | 22h49m | 23h49m | 0h34m | 3h41m | 0.19 |
| 2022-06-04 | 3h40m | 4h40m | 22h50m | 23h50m | 1h11m | 3h40m | 0.27 |
| 2022-06-05 | 3h39m | 4h39m | 22h51m | 23h52m | 1h41m | 3h39m | 0.36 |
| 2022-06-06 | 3h38m | 4h39m | 22h52m | 23h53m | 2h07m | 3h38m | 0.46 |
| 2022-06-07 | 3h37m | 4h38m | 22h53m | 23h54m | 2h29m | 3h37m | 0.56 |
| 2022-06-08 | 3h36m | 4h38m | 22h54m | 23h56m | 2h49m | 3h36m | 0.66 |
| 2022-06-09 | 3h35m | 4h37m | 22h55m | 23h57m | 3h09m | 3h35m | 0.76 |
| 2022-06-10 | 3h34m | 4h37m | 22h55m | 23h58m | 3h29m | 3h34m | 0.85 |
| 2022-06-11 | 3h34m | 4h37m | 22h56m | 23h59m | – | – | 0.92 |
| 2022-06-12 | 3h33m | 4h36m | 22h57m | 0h00m | – | – | 0.98 |
| 2022-06-13 | 3h33m | 4h36m | 22h57m | 0h01m | – | – | 1 |
| 2022-06-14 | 3h32m | 4h36m | 22h58m | 0h02m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2022-06-15 | 3h32m | 4h36m | 22h59m | 0h02m | – | – | 0.95 |
| 2022-06-16 | 3h32m | 4h36m | 22h59m | 0h03m | – | – | 0.89 |
| 2022-06-17 | 3h32m | 4h36m | 22h59m | 0h04m | 0h04m | 0h18m | 0.81 |
| 2022-06-18 | 3h32m | 4h36m | 23h00m | 0h04m | 0h04m | 0h56m | 0.71 |
| 2022-06-19 | 3h32m | 4h36m | 23h00m | 0h05m | 0h05m | 1h25m | 0.6 |
| 2022-06-20 | 3h32m | 4h36m | 23h00m | 0h05m | 0h05m | 1h49m | 0.49 |
| 2022-06-21 | 3h32m | 4h36m | 23h01m | 0h05m | 0h05m | 2h10m | 0.39 |
| 2022-06-22 | 3h32m | 4h37m | 23h01m | 0h05m | 0h05m | 2h29m | 0.29 |
| 2022-06-23 | 3h33m | 4h37m | 23h01m | 0h05m | 0h05m | 2h48m | 0.21 |
| 2022-06-24 | 3h33m | 4h37m | 23h01m | 0h05m | 0h05m | 3h09m | 0.13 |
| 2022-06-25 | 3h34m | 4h38m | 23h01m | 0h05m | 0h05m | 3h32m | 0.08 |
| 2022-06-26 | 3h34m | 4h38m | 23h01m | 0h05m | 0h05m | 3h34m | 0.03 |
| 2022-06-27 | 3h35m | 4h39m | 23h01m | 0h05m | 0h05m | 3h35m | 0.01 |
| 2022-06-28 | 3h36m | 4h39m | 23h01m | 0h04m | 0h04m | 3h36m | 0 |
| 2022-06-29 | 3h37m | 4h40m | 23h00m | 0h04m | 0h04m | 3h37m | 0.01 |
| 2022-06-30 | 3h38m | 4h41m | 23h00m | 0h03m | 0h03m | 3h38m | 0.04 |
The twilight calendar was generated using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts), with some corrections.
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
Jun 1 We Venus: 36.5° W
1 We 6:32 pm Moon North Dec.: 26.9° N
1 We 9:14 pm Moon Apogee: 406,200 km
3 Fr 1:42 am Moon-Pollux: 2.4° N
4 Sa 3:17 am Moon-Beehive: 4° S
7 Tu 10:48 am First Quarter
12 Su 6:02 am Moon Descending Node
14 Tu 7:52 am Full Strawberry Moon (Super Moon)
14 Tu 7:21 pm Moon Perigee: 357,400 km
15 We 6:59 am Moon South Dec.: 26.9° S
16 Th 10:59 am Mercury Elongation: 23.2° W
18 Sa 8:22 am Moon-Saturn: 4.3° N
20 Mo 11:11 pm Last Quarter
21 Tu 5:14 am Summer Solstice
21 Tu 9:31 am Moon-Jupiter: 2.9° N
22 We 2:05 pm Mercury-Aldebaran: 2.9° N
22 We 2:16 pm Moon-Mars: 1° N
22 We 8:53 pm Venus-Pleiades: 5.7° S
25 Sa 3:10 am Moon Ascending Node
25 Sa 5:27 pm Moon-Pleiades: 3.9° N
26 Su 4:11 am Moon-Venus: 3° S
28 Tu 10:52 pm New Moon
29 We 12:06 am Moon North Dec.: 26.9° N
29 We 2:08 am Moon Apogee: 406,600 km
30 Th 10:45 pm Venus-Aldebaran: 4.1° N
Jul 1 Fr Venus: 29.6° W
Sky Events Calendar by Fred Espenak and Sumit Dutta (NASA’s GSFC),
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html.
Sun and Moon Rising and Setting Events
LU Ephemeris of Sky Events for Interlochen/TC June, 2022 Local time zone: EDT +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Wed 1| 06:00a 09:21p 15:21 | 10:44p 04:37a | Set 11:49p 6%| |Thu 2| 05:59a 09:22p 15:22 | 10:45p 04:36a | Set 12:34a 11%| |Fri 3| 05:59a 09:23p 15:23 | 10:46p 04:35a | Set 01:11a 17%| |Sat 4| 05:58a 09:23p 15:24 | 10:47p 04:35a | Set 01:41a 25%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 5| 05:58a 09:24p 15:26 | 10:48p 04:34a | Set 02:06a 34%| |Mon 6| 05:58a 09:25p 15:27 | 10:49p 04:33a | Set 02:28a 44%| |Tue 7| 05:57a 09:25p 15:28 | 10:50p 04:33a |F Qtr Set 02:49a 54%| |Wed 8| 05:57a 09:26p 15:29 | 10:51p 04:32a | Set 03:08a 64%| |Thu 9| 05:57a 09:27p 15:29 | 10:52p 04:32a | Set 03:29a 74%| |Fri 10| 05:57a 09:27p 15:30 | 10:53p 04:31a | Set 03:52a 83%| |Sat 11| 05:56a 09:28p 15:31 | 10:53p 04:31a | Set 04:19a 91%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 12| 05:56a 09:28p 15:32 | 10:54p 04:31a | Set 04:54a 97%| |Mon 13| 05:56a 09:29p 15:32 | 10:55p 04:30a | Set 05:41a 100%| |Tue 14| 05:56a 09:29p 15:33 | 10:55p 04:30a |Full Rise 10:22p 100%| |Wed 15| 05:56a 09:30p 15:33 | 10:56p 04:30a | Rise 11:27p 96%| |Thu 16| 05:56a 09:30p 15:34 | 10:56p 04:30a | Rise 12:17a 91%| |Fri 17| 05:56a 09:30p 15:34 | 10:57p 04:30a | Rise 12:55a 82%| |Sat 18| 05:56a 09:31p 15:34 | 10:57p 04:30a | Rise 01:25a 73%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 19| 05:56a 09:31p 15:34 | 10:57p 04:30a | Rise 01:49a 62%| |Mon 20| 05:57a 09:31p 15:34 | 10:58p 04:30a |L Qtr Rise 02:09a 51%| |Tue 21| 05:57a 09:32p 15:34 | 10:58p 04:30a | Rise 02:28a 41%| |Wed 22| 05:57a 09:32p 15:34 | 10:58p 04:31a | Rise 02:48a 31%| |Thu 23| 05:57a 09:32p 15:34 | 10:58p 04:31a | Rise 03:08a 22%| |Fri 24| 05:58a 09:32p 15:34 | 10:58p 04:31a | Rise 03:31a 15%| |Sat 25| 05:58a 09:32p 15:34 | 10:58p 04:32a | Rise 03:59a 9%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 26| 05:58a 09:32p 15:33 | 10:58p 04:32a | Rise 04:32a 4%| |Mon 27| 05:59a 09:32p 15:33 | 10:58p 04:33a | Rise 05:13a 1%| |Tue 28| 05:59a 09:32p 15:32 | 10:58p 04:33a |New Set 09:44p 0%| |Wed 29| 06:00a 09:32p 15:32 | 10:58p 04:34a | Set 10:32p 1%| |Thu 30| 06:00a 09:32p 15:31 | 10:57p 04:34a | Set 11:11p 3%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Generated using my LookingUp for DOS program.
04/29/2022 – Ephemeris – Previewing the skies of May 2022
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Arbor Day, Friday, April 29th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 9 minutes, setting at 8:45, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:34. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 6:36 tomorrow morning.
Let’s look at the month of May’s skies. Daylight hours in the Interlochen/Traverse City area will increase from 14 hours and 15 minutes this Sunday the 1st to 15 hours 19 minutes on May 31st. The altitude, or angle, of the Sun above the southern horizon at local noon will ascend from 60 degrees Sunday to 67 degrees at month’s end. The altitude of the Sun in the Straits area will be a degree lower than that but your length of daylight will be a few minutes longer. Local apparent noon this month, when the Sun passes due south, will be about 1:38 p.m. The Eta Aquariid meteor shower will reach its peak about 3 a.m. on the 5th. The big event this month will be a total eclipse of the Moon starting late Sunday evening the 15th.
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
May Evening Star Chart

Star Chart for May 2022 (11 p.m. EDT May 15, 2022). Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
The planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 11 p.m. EDT in the evening and 4 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.
Note the chart times of 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. are for the 15th. For each week before the 15th add ½ hour (28 minutes if you’re picky). For each week after the 15th subtract ½ hour, or 28 minutes. The planet positions are updated each Wednesday on this blog. For planet positions on dates other than the 15th, check the Wednesday planet posts on this blog for weekly positions.
May Morning Star Chart

Star Chart for May mornings, 2022 (4 a.m. EDT, May 15, 2022). 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, and
- Extend like a spike to Spica,
- EaqR is the radiant of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower that peaks on the 6th.
Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical
| EDT | |||||||
| Morning | Twilight | Evening | Twilight | Dark | Night | Moon | |
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2021-05-01 | 4h40m | 5h24m | 22h02m | 22h47m | 22h47m | 1h35m | 0.67 |
| 2021-05-02 | 4h38m | 5h23m | 22h04m | 22h49m | 22h49m | 2h32m | 0.57 |
| 2021-05-03 | 4h36m | 5h21m | 22h05m | 22h51m | 22h51m | 3h17m | 0.46 |
| 2021-05-04 | 4h33m | 5h19m | 22h07m | 22h53m | 22h53m | 3h52m | 0.36 |
| 2021-05-05 | 4h31m | 5h17m | 22h09m | 22h55m | 22h55m | 4h20m | 0.27 |
| 2021-05-06 | 4h29m | 5h16m | 22h10m | 22h57m | 22h57m | 4h29m | 0.18 |
| 2021-05-07 | 4h27m | 5h14m | 22h12m | 22h59m | 22h59m | 4h27m | 0.11 |
| 2021-05-08 | 4h25m | 5h12m | 22h13m | 23h01m | 23h01m | 4h25m | 0.06 |
| 2021-05-09 | 4h23m | 5h11m | 22h15m | 23h03m | 23h03m | 4h23m | 0.02 |
| 2021-05-10 | 4h21m | 5h09m | 22h16m | 23h05m | 23h05m | 4h21m | 0 |
| 2021-05-11 | 4h19m | 5h07m | 22h18m | 23h07m | 23h07m | 4h19m | 0 |
| 2021-05-12 | 4h17m | 5h06m | 22h19m | 23h09m | 23h09m | 4h17m | 0.02 |
| 2021-05-13 | 4h15m | 5h04m | 22h21m | 23h11m | 23h11m | 4h15m | 0.05 |
| 2021-05-14 | 4h13m | 5h03m | 22h23m | 23h13m | – | 4h13m | 0.1 |
| 2021-05-15 | 4h11m | 5h01m | 22h24m | 23h15m | 0h07m | 4h11m | 0.17 |
| 2021-05-16 | 4h09m | 5h00m | 22h26m | 23h17m | 1h00m | 4h09m | 0.25 |
| 2021-05-17 | 4h07m | 4h58m | 22h27m | 23h19m | 1h46m | 4h07m | 0.34 |
| 2021-05-18 | 4h05m | 4h57m | 22h28m | 23h21m | 2h25m | 4h05m | 0.44 |
| 2021-05-19 | 4h03m | 4h56m | 22h30m | 23h23m | 2h58m | 4h03m | 0.54 |
| 2021-05-20 | 4h01m | 4h54m | 22h31m | 23h24m | 3h26m | 4h01m | 0.65 |
| 2021-05-21 | 4h00m | 4h53m | 22h33m | 23h26m | 3h51m | 4h00m | 0.76 |
| 2021-05-22 | 3h58m | 4h52m | 22h34m | 23h28m | – | – | 0.85 |
| 2021-05-23 | 3h56m | 4h51m | 22h36m | 23h30m | – | – | 0.92 |
| 2021-05-24 | 3h54m | 4h49m | 22h37m | 23h32m | – | – | 0.98 |
| 2021-05-25 | 3h53m | 4h48m | 22h38m | 23h34m | – | – | 1 |
| 2021-05-26 | 3h51m | 4h47m | 22h40m | 23h36m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2021-05-27 | 3h49m | 4h46m | 22h41m | 23h38m | – | – | 0.95 |
| 2021-05-28 | 3h48m | 4h45m | 22h42m | 23h39m | 23h39m | – | 0.89 |
| 2021-05-29 | 3h46m | 4h44m | 22h43m | 23h41m | 23h41m | 0h19m | 0.81 |
| 2021-05-30 | 3h45m | 4h43m | 22h45m | 23h43m | 23h43m | 1h11m | 0.72 |
| 2021-05-31 | 3h44m | 4h42m | 22h46m | 23h44m | 23h44m | 1h52m | 0.61 |
The twilight calendar was generated using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts), with some corrections.
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
May 1 Su Venus: 42.4° W
1 Su 3:52 pm Moon Ascending Node
2 Mo 10:17 am Moon-Mercury: 2° N
5 Th 4:57 am Uranus Conjunction
5 Th 8:46 am Moon Apogee: 405300 km
5 Th 11:55 am Moon North Dec.: 27° N
6 Fr 4:00 am Eta Aquarid Shower: ZHR = 60
6 Fr 6:56 pm Moon-Pollux: 2.3° N
7 Sa 8:23 pm Moon-Beehive: 4° S
8 Su 8:21 pm First Quarter
15 Su 7:44 pm Moon Descending Node
16 Mo 12:11 am Total Lunar Eclipse
16 Mo 12:14 am Full Flower Moon
17 Tu 11:23 am Moon Perigee: 360300 km
18 We 9:21 pm Moon South Dec.: 27° S
21 Sa 3:14 pm Mercury Inferior Conj.
22 Su 12:43 am Moon-Saturn: 4.6° N
22 Su 2:43 pm Last Quarter
24 Tu 3:24 pm Moon-Mars: 2.9° N
24 Tu 7:59 pm Moon-Jupiter: 3.4° N
26 Th 10:52 pm Moon-Venus: 0.2° N
28 Sa 10:33 pm Moon Ascending Node
29 Su 4:57 am Mars-Jupiter: 0.6° N
30 Mo 7:30 am New Moon
Jun 1 We Venus: 36.5° W
Sky Events Calendar by Fred Espenak and Sumit Dutta (NASA’s GSFC),
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html.
Sun and Moon Rising and Setting Events
LU Ephemeris of Sky Events for Interlochen/TC May, 2022 Local time zone: EDT +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Sun 1| 06:32a 08:47p 14:15 | 10:00p 05:20a | Set 09:56p 1%| |Mon 2| 06:31a 08:49p 14:17 | 10:01p 05:18a | Set 11:02p 4%| |Tue 3| 06:29a 08:50p 14:20 | 10:03p 05:17a | Set 12:05a 9%| |Wed 4| 06:28a 08:51p 14:23 | 10:04p 05:15a | Set 01:03a 15%| |Thu 5| 06:27a 08:52p 14:25 | 10:06p 05:13a | Set 01:53a 23%| |Fri 6| 06:25a 08:53p 14:28 | 10:08p 05:11a | Set 02:35a 31%| |Sat 7| 06:24a 08:55p 14:30 | 10:09p 05:10a | Set 03:10a 40%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 8| 06:23a 08:56p 14:33 | 10:11p 05:08a |F Qtr Set 03:39a 50%| |Mon 9| 06:21a 08:57p 14:35 | 10:12p 05:06a | Set 04:03a 60%| |Tue 10| 06:20a 08:58p 14:38 | 10:14p 05:05a | Set 04:25a 69%| |Wed 11| 06:19a 08:59p 14:40 | 10:15p 05:03a | Set 04:45a 79%| |Thu 12| 06:18a 09:01p 14:43 | 10:17p 05:02a | Set 05:06a 87%| |Fri 13| 06:16a 09:02p 14:45 | 10:18p 05:00a | Set 05:28a 93%| |Sat 14| 06:15a 09:03p 14:47 | 10:20p 04:59a | Set 05:53a 98%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 15| 06:14a 09:04p 14:49 | 10:21p 04:57a | Set 06:25a 100%| |Mon 16| 06:13a 09:05p 14:52 | 10:23p 04:56a |Full Rise 10:13p 99%| |Tue 17| 06:12a 09:06p 14:54 | 10:24p 04:54a | Rise 11:33p 95%| |Wed 18| 06:11a 09:07p 14:56 | 10:26p 04:53a | Rise 12:43a 89%| |Thu 19| 06:10a 09:08p 14:58 | 10:27p 04:51a | Rise 01:40a 80%| |Fri 20| 06:09a 09:09p 15:00 | 10:29p 04:50a | Rise 02:23a 70%| |Sat 21| 06:08a 09:11p 15:02 | 10:30p 04:49a | Rise 02:56a 59%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 22| 06:07a 09:12p 15:04 | 10:32p 04:47a |L Qtr Rise 03:22a 48%| |Mon 23| 06:06a 09:13p 15:06 | 10:33p 04:46a | Rise 03:44a 37%| |Tue 24| 06:05a 09:14p 15:08 | 10:34p 04:45a | Rise 04:03a 27%| |Wed 25| 06:05a 09:15p 15:10 | 10:36p 04:44a | Rise 04:22a 18%| |Thu 26| 06:04a 09:16p 15:11 | 10:37p 04:43a | Rise 04:42a 11%| |Fri 27| 06:03a 09:16p 15:13 | 10:38p 04:42a | Rise 05:03a 6%| |Sat 28| 06:02a 09:17p 15:15 | 10:39p 04:41a | Rise 05:27a 2%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 29| 06:02a 09:18p 15:16 | 10:41p 04:40a | Rise 05:56a 0%| |Mon 30| 06:01a 09:19p 15:18 | 10:42p 04:39a |New Set 09:56p 0%| |Tue 31| 06:00a 09:20p 15:19 | 10:43p 04:38a | Set 10:56p 2%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Generated using my LookingUp for DOS program.
03/31/2022 – Ephemeris – Previewing April Skies
This is Ephemeris for Thursday, March 31st. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 43 minutes, setting at 8:09, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:23. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 7:51 tomorrow morning.
The 4th month of the year begins tomorrow. Daylight hours in the Interlochen/Traverse City area will increase from 12 hours and 46 minutes tomorrow to 14 hours and 12 minutes on April 30th. The altitude, or angle, of the Sun above the southern horizon at local noon will be 50 degrees tomorrow and will ascend to 60 degrees on April 30th. The altitude of the Sun in the Straits area will be a degree lower, but their daylight hours will be a bit longer. The actual time of local apparent noon, when the Sun passes due south, will be about 1:43 p.m. The Lyrid meteor shower will reach its peak on the afternoon of the 22nd. So the hours from 10 pm and 3am on the 21st and 22nd will be the best time to see them in dark skies.
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
April Evening Star Chart

Star Chart for April 2022 (10 p.m. EDT, April 15, 2022). Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
April Morning Star Chart

Star Chart for April mornings, 2022 (5 a.m. EDT, April 15, 2022). 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.
- The leaky bowl of the Big Dipper drips on Leo.
- Follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper to the star Arcturus, then
- Follow the spike to Spica.
- The Summer Triangle appears in red.
- LyrR is the radiant of the Lyrid meteor shower, which will reach peak on the afternoon of the 22nd.
Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical
| EDT | |||||||
| Morning | Twilight | Evening | Twilight | Dark | Night | Moon | |
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2021-04-01 | 5h46m | 6h23m | 21h18m | 21h54m | 21h54m | 0h11m | 0.74 |
| 2021-04-02 | 5h44m | 6h21m | 21h19m | 21h56m | 21h56m | 1h29m | 0.64 |
| 2021-04-03 | 5h42m | 6h19m | 21h20m | 21h57m | 21h57m | 2h42m | 0.52 |
| 2021-04-04 | 5h39m | 6h17m | 21h22m | 21h59m | 21h59m | 3h44m | 0.42 |
| 2021-04-05 | 5h37m | 6h15m | 21h23m | 22h01m | 22h01m | 4h35m | 0.31 |
| 2021-04-06 | 5h35m | 6h13m | 21h25m | 22h02m | 22h02m | 5h16m | 0.22 |
| 2021-04-07 | 5h33m | 6h11m | 21h26m | 22h04m | 22h04m | 5h33m | 0.14 |
| 2021-04-08 | 5h31m | 6h09m | 21h27m | 22h05m | 22h05m | 5h31m | 0.08 |
| 2021-04-09 | 5h28m | 6h07m | 21h29m | 22h07m | 22h07m | 5h28m | 0.03 |
| 2021-04-10 | 5h26m | 6h05m | 21h30m | 22h09m | 22h09m | 5h26m | 0.01 |
| 2021-04-11 | 5h24m | 6h03m | 21h32m | 22h10m | 22h10m | 5h24m | 0 |
| 2021-04-12 | 5h22m | 6h01m | 21h33m | 22h12m | 22h12m | 5h22m | 0.01 |
| 2021-04-13 | 5h20m | 5h59m | 21h35m | 22h14m | 22h14m | 5h20m | 0.04 |
| 2021-04-14 | 5h17m | 5h57m | 21h36m | 22h16m | 23h12m | 5h17m | 0.08 |
| 2021-04-15 | 5h15m | 5h55m | 21h38m | 22h17m | – | 5h15m | 0.14 |
| 2021-04-16 | 5h13m | 5h53m | 21h39m | 22h19m | 0h14m | 5h13m | 0.22 |
| 2021-04-17 | 5h11m | 5h51m | 21h41m | 22h21m | 1h15m | 5h11m | 0.3 |
| 2021-04-18 | 5h09m | 5h49m | 21h42m | 22h23m | 2h12m | 5h09m | 0.39 |
| 2021-04-19 | 5h06m | 5h47m | 21h44m | 22h24m | 3h03m | 5h06m | 0.49 |
| 2021-04-20 | 5h04m | 5h45m | 21h45m | 22h26m | 3h47m | 5h04m | 0.59 |
| 2021-04-21 | 5h02m | 5h43m | 21h47m | 22h28m | 4h25m | 5h02m | 0.7 |
| 2021-04-22 | 5h00m | 5h41m | 21h48m | 22h30m | 4h56m | 5h00m | 0.79 |
| 2021-04-23 | 4h57m | 5h39m | 21h50m | 22h32m | – | – | 0.88 |
| 2021-04-24 | 4h55m | 5h37m | 21h51m | 22h34m | – | – | 0.94 |
| 2021-04-25 | 4h53m | 5h35m | 21h53m | 22h35m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2021-04-26 | 4h51m | 5h34m | 21h55m | 22h37m | – | – | 1 |
| 2021-04-27 | 4h49m | 5h32m | 21h56m | 22h39m | – | – | 0.98 |
| 2021-04-28 | 4h46m | 5h30m | 21h58m | 22h41m | 22h41m | 23h06m | 0.94 |
| 2021-04-29 | 4h44m | 5h28m | 21h59m | 22h43m | 22h43m | – | 0.87 |
| 2021-04-30 | 4h42m | 5h26m | 22h01m | 22h45m | 22h45m | 0h25m | 0.78 |
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
Apr 1 Fr Venus: 46.1° W
1 Fr 2:24 am New Moon
2 Sa 7:05 pm Mercury Superior Conj.
4 Mo 9:05 am Moon Ascending Node
4 Mo 9:16 pm Moon-Pleiades: 4° N
4 Mo 9:45 pm Mars-Saturn: 0.3° N
7 Th 3:11 pm Moon Apogee: 404400 km
8 Fr 4:15 am Moon North Dec.: 26.9° N
9 Sa 2:48 am First Quarter
9 Sa 11:14 am Moon-Pollux: 2.4° N
10 Su 12:27 pm Moon-Beehive: 3.9° S
16 Sa 2:55 pm Full Pink Moon
18 Mo 10:01 am Moon Descending Node
19 Tu 11:16 am Moon Perigee: 365100 km
21 Th 1:41 pm Moon South Dec.: 26.9° S
22 Fr 2:25 pm Lyrid Shower: ZHR = 20
23 Sa 7:56 am Last Quarter
24 Su 4:56 pm Moon-Saturn: 4.6° N
25 Mo 6:06 pm Moon-Mars: 4.1° N
26 Tu 9:51 pm Moon-Venus: 4° N
27 We 4:23 am Moon-Jupiter: 3.8° N
29 Fr 3:59 am Mercury Elongation: 20.6° E
29 Fr 3:29 pm Mercury-Pleiades: 1.4° S
30 Sa 3:56 pm Venus-Jupiter: 0.2° N
30 Sa 4:28 pm New Moon
30 Sa 4:42 pm Partial Solar Eclipse (South Pacific and
Southern South America)
May 1 Su Venus: 42.4° W
Sky Events Calendar by Fred Espenak and Sumit Dutta (NASA’s GSFC),
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html.
Sun and Moon Rising and Setting Events
LU Ephemeris of Sky Events for Interlochen/TC April, 2022 Local time zone: EDT +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Fri 1| 07:23a 08:10p 12:46 | 09:15p 06:18a |New Set 08:47p 1%| |Sat 2| 07:21a 08:11p 12:50 | 09:16p 06:16a | Set 09:55p 3%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 3| 07:19a 08:12p 12:53 | 09:18p 06:14a | Set 11:03p 8%| |Mon 4| 07:18a 08:14p 12:56 | 09:19p 06:13a | Set 12:10a 14%| |Tue 5| 07:16a 08:15p 12:59 | 09:20p 06:11a | Set 01:15a 21%| |Wed 6| 07:14a 08:16p 13:02 | 09:22p 06:09a | Set 02:16a 29%| |Thu 7| 07:12a 08:17p 13:05 | 09:23p 06:07a | Set 03:11a 38%| |Fri 8| 07:10a 08:19p 13:08 | 09:25p 06:05a | Set 03:58a 47%| |Sat 9| 07:09a 08:20p 13:11 | 09:26p 06:03a |F Qtr Set 04:37a 57%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 10| 07:07a 08:21p 13:14 | 09:28p 06:01a | Set 05:10a 66%| |Mon 11| 07:05a 08:22p 13:17 | 09:29p 05:59a | Set 05:37a 75%| |Tue 12| 07:03a 08:24p 13:20 | 09:31p 05:57a | Set 06:01a 83%| |Wed 13| 07:01a 08:25p 13:23 | 09:32p 05:55a | Set 06:22a 90%| |Thu 14| 07:00a 08:26p 13:26 | 09:34p 05:53a | Set 06:43a 96%| |Fri 15| 06:58a 08:27p 13:29 | 09:35p 05:51a | Set 07:04a 99%| |Sat 16| 06:56a 08:29p 13:32 | 09:37p 05:49a |Full Rise 08:36p 100%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 17| 06:55a 08:30p 13:35 | 09:38p 05:47a | Rise 09:56p 98%| |Mon 18| 06:53a 08:31p 13:38 | 09:40p 05:45a | Rise 11:17p 93%| |Tue 19| 06:51a 08:32p 13:41 | 09:41p 05:43a | Rise 12:37a 86%| |Wed 20| 06:49a 08:34p 13:44 | 09:43p 05:41a | Rise 01:51a 77%| |Thu 21| 06:48a 08:35p 13:47 | 09:44p 05:39a | Rise 02:54a 67%| |Fri 22| 06:46a 08:36p 13:50 | 09:46p 05:37a | Rise 03:43a 56%| |Sat 23| 06:45a 08:37p 13:52 | 09:47p 05:35a |L Qtr Rise 04:22a 44%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 24| 06:43a 08:39p 13:55 | 09:49p 05:33a | Rise 04:52a 33%| |Mon 25| 06:41a 08:40p 13:58 | 09:50p 05:31a | Rise 05:16a 24%| |Tue 26| 06:40a 08:41p 14:01 | 09:52p 05:29a | Rise 05:37a 15%| |Wed 27| 06:38a 08:42p 14:04 | 09:53p 05:28a | Rise 05:56a 8%| |Thu 28| 06:37a 08:44p 14:06 | 09:55p 05:26a | Rise 06:16a 4%| |Fri 29| 06:35a 08:45p 14:09 | 09:57p 05:24a | Rise 06:36a 1%| |Sat 30| 06:34a 08:46p 14:12 | 09:58p 05:22a |New Set 08:49p 0%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Generated using my LookingUp for DOS program.
03/01/2022 – Ephemeris – Previewing March skies
This is Ephemeris for Fat Tuesday, March 1st. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 10 minutes, setting at 6:30, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:18. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 7:44 tomorrow morning.
Let’s look at the skies for the month of March. The Sun will cross the celestial equator in March as the promising season of spring will begin. Daylight hours in the Interlochen/Traverse City area and will increase from 11 hours and 10 minutes today to 12 hours 43 minutes on the 31st. The altitude, or angle, of the Sun above the southern horizon at local noon will be just under 38 degrees today and will ascend to nearly 50 degrees on the 31st. The altitude of the Sun in the Straits area will be a degree lower. Local apparent noon this month, when the Sun passes due south, will be about 12:51 p.m. and an hour later when Daylight Saving Time starts on the 13th. Spring will begin on the 20th at 11:33 am.
Addendum
March Evening Star Chart

Star Chart for March 2022 (10 pm EDT, March 15, 2022). Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program.
The planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 10 p.m. EDT in the evening and 6 a.m. for the morning chart. These are the chart times. Note that Traverse City is located approximately 45 minutes behind our time meridian. (An hour and 45 minutes behind our Daylight Saving Time meridian during EDT). To duplicate the star positions on a planisphere (rotating star finder) you may have to set it to 45 minutes or 1 hour 45 minutes earlier than your current time.
Note the chart times of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. are for the 15th. For each week before the 15th, add ½ hour (28 minutes if you’re picky). For each week after the 15th, subtract ½ hour. For planet positions on dates other than the 15th, check the Wednesday planet posts on this blog.
March Morning Star Chart

Star Chart for March mornings, 2022 (6 a.m. EDT March 15, 2022). Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
Only Venus of all the morning planets has yet to rise at chart time on the 15th.
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.
- The leaky bowl of the Big Dipper drips on Leo.
- Follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper to the star Arcturus, and
- Extend it as a spike to Spica.
- The Summer Triangle appears in red.
Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical
| EST/EDT | |||||||
| Morning | Twilight | Evening | Twilight | Dark | Night | Moon | |
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2022-03-01 | 5h44m | 6h18m | 19h32m | 20h06m | 20h06m | 5h44m | 0 |
| 2022-03-02 | 5h42m | 6h16m | 19h33m | 20h07m | 20h07m | 5h42m | 0 |
| 2022-03-03 | 5h40m | 6h14m | 19h35m | 20h09m | 20h09m | 5h40m | 0.03 |
| 2022-03-04 | 5h39m | 6h13m | 19h36m | 20h10m | 20h57m | 5h39m | 0.07 |
| 2022-03-05 | 5h37m | 6h11m | 19h37m | 20h11m | 22h06m | 5h37m | 0.13 |
| 2022-03-06 | 5h35m | 6h09m | 19h39m | 20h13m | 23h13m | 5h35m | 0.21 |
| 2022-03-07 | 5h33m | 6h07m | 19h40m | 20h14m | – | 5h33m | 0.29 |
| 2022-03-08 | 5h31m | 6h05m | 19h41m | 20h15m | 0h20m | 5h31m | 0.38 |
| 2022-03-09 | 5h30m | 6h04m | 19h43m | 20h17m | 1h25m | 5h30m | 0.48 |
| 2022-03-10 | 5h28m | 6h02m | 19h44m | 20h18m | 2h28m | 5h28m | 0.57 |
| 2022-03-11 | 5h26m | 6h00m | 19h45m | 20h19m | 3h26m | 5h26m | 0.66 |
| 2022-03-12 | 5h24m | 5h58m | 19h46m | 20h21m | 4h18m | 5h24m | 0.75 |
| 2022-03-13 | 6h22m | 6h56m | 20h48m | 21h22m | 6h03m | 6h22m | 0.83 |
| 2022-03-14 | 6h20m | 6h54m | 20h49m | 21h24m | – | – | 0.9 |
| 2022-03-15 | 6h18m | 6h53m | 20h50m | 21h25m | – | – | 0.95 |
| 2022-03-16 | 6h16m | 6h51m | 20h52m | 21h26m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2022-03-17 | 6h14m | 6h49m | 20h53m | 21h28m | – | – | 1 |
| 2022-03-18 | 6h12m | 6h47m | 20h54m | 21h29m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2022-03-19 | 6h10m | 6h45m | 20h56m | 21h31m | 21h31m | 21h42m | 0.96 |
| 2022-03-20 | 6h12m | 6h47m | 21h01m | 21h36m | 21h36m | 22h58m | 0.9 |
| 2022-03-21 | 6h10m | 6h45m | 21h02m | 21h37m | 21h37m | – | 0.82 |
| 2022-03-22 | 6h08m | 6h43m | 21h04m | 21h39m | 21h39m | 0h15m | 0.73 |
| 2022-03-23 | 6h06m | 6h41m | 21h05m | 21h40m | 21h40m | 1h34m | 0.62 |
| 2022-03-24 | 6h04m | 6h39m | 21h06m | 21h42m | 21h42m | 2h50m | 0.5 |
| 2022-03-25 | 6h02m | 6h37m | 21h08m | 21h43m | 21h43m | 3h59m | 0.39 |
| 2022-03-26 | 6h00m | 6h35m | 21h09m | 21h45m | 21h45m | 4h57m | 0.28 |
| 2022-03-27 | 5h58m | 6h33m | 21h10m | 21h46m | 21h46m | 5h43m | 0.19 |
| 2022-03-28 | 5h55m | 6h31m | 21h12m | 21h48m | 21h48m | 5h55m | 0.11 |
| 2022-03-29 | 5h53m | 6h29m | 21h13m | 21h49m | 21h49m | 5h53m | 0.05 |
| 2022-03-30 | 5h51m | 6h27m | 21h15m | 21h51m | 21h51m | 5h51m | 0.01 |
| 2022-03-31 | 5h49m | 6h25m | 21h16m | 21h52m | 21h52m | 5h49m | 0 |
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/2019/09/27/
NASA Calendar of Planetary Events
Date Time Event
Mar 1 Tu Venus: 45° W
2 We 10:48 am Mercury-Saturn: 0.7° N
2 We 12:35 pm New Moon
5 Sa 7:51 am Jupiter Solar Conjunction
8 Tu 3:22 am Moon Ascending Node
10 Th 5:45 am First Quarter
10 Th 6:05 pm Moon Apogee: 404,300 km
11 Fr 7:14 pm Moon Northernmost Declination: 26.7° N
13 Su 1:58 am Moon-Pollux: 2.6° N
13 Su 6:08 am Neptune Solar Conjunction
14 Mo 3:55 am Moon-Beehive: 3.7° S
15 Tu 11:12 pm Venus-Mars: 3.9° N
18 Fr 3:17 am Full Worm Moon
20 Su 5:59 am Venus Elongation: 46.6° West
20 Su 11:33 am Vernal Equinox
22 Tu 4:12 am Moon Descending Node
23 We 7:28 pm Moon Perigee: 369,800 km
25 Fr 1:37 am Last Quarter
25 Fr 7:58 am Moon Southernmost Declination: 26.8° S
27 Su 10:54 pm Moon-Mars: 4.2° N
28 Mo 5:50 am Moon-Venus: 6.9° N
28 Mo 7:43 am Moon-Saturn: 4.5° N
28 Mo 8:53 pm Venus-Saturn: 2.1° N
Apr 1 Fr Venus: 46.1° W
All event times are given for UTC-5:00: Eastern Standard Time before the 14th or UTC-4:00 Daylight Saving Time thereafter.
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.
Note that the site is now kept up for archival purposes. Fred Espenak retired from NASA several years ago and has his own site, AstroPixels, which contain the same information: http://astropixels.com/almanac/almanac.html.
Sun and Moon Rising and Setting Events
LU Ephemeris of Sky Events for Interlochen/TC March, 2022 Local time zone: EST +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Tue 1| 07:20a 06:30p 11:10 | 07:33p 06:17a | Rise 07:44a 1%| |Wed 2| 07:18a 06:31p 11:13 | 07:35p 06:15a |New Set 06:32p 0%| |Thu 3| 07:16a 06:33p 11:16 | 07:36p 06:13a | Set 07:46p 2%| |Fri 4| 07:15a 06:34p 11:19 | 07:37p 06:12a | Set 08:56p 6%| |Sat 5| 07:13a 06:35p 11:22 | 07:39p 06:10a | Set 10:05p 12%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 6| 07:11a 06:37p 11:25 | 07:40p 06:08a | Set 11:13p 19%| |Mon 7| 07:09a 06:38p 11:28 | 07:41p 06:06a | Set 12:19a 27%| |Tue 8| 07:07a 06:39p 11:32 | 07:42p 06:04a | Set 01:25a 36%| |Wed 9| 07:06a 06:41p 11:35 | 07:44p 06:03a | Set 02:28a 46%| |Thu 10| 07:04a 06:42p 11:38 | 07:45p 06:01a |F Qtr Set 03:26a 55%| |Fri 11| 07:02a 06:43p 11:41 | 07:46p 05:59a | Set 04:18a 64%| |Sat 12| 07:00a 06:45p 11:44 | 07:48p 05:57a | Set 05:02a 73%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ | EDT | Time Change | | | |Sun 13| 07:58a 07:46p 11:47 | 08:49p 06:55a | Set 06:39a 81%| |Mon 14| 07:56a 07:47p 11:50 | 08:50p 06:53a | Set 07:10a 88%| |Tue 15| 07:55a 07:49p 11:53 | 08:52p 06:52a | Set 07:36a 94%| |Wed 16| 07:53a 07:50p 11:57 | 08:53p 06:50a | Set 07:59a 98%| |Thu 17| 07:51a 07:51p 12:00 | 08:54p 06:48a | Set 08:20a 100%| |Fri 18| 07:49a 07:52p 12:03 | 08:56p 06:46a |Full Rise 08:28p 99%| |Sat 19| 07:47a 07:54p 12:06 | 08:57p 06:44a | Rise 09:42p 96%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 20| 07:45a 07:55p 12:09 | 08:58p 06:42a | Rise 10:57p 91%| |Mon 21| 07:43a 07:56p 12:12 | 09:00p 06:40a | Rise 12:15a 84%| |Tue 22| 07:42a 07:57p 12:15 | 09:01p 06:38a | Rise 01:34a 75%| |Wed 23| 07:40a 07:59p 12:18 | 09:02p 06:36a | Rise 02:50a 64%| |Thu 24| 07:38a 08:00p 12:22 | 09:04p 06:34a | Rise 03:59a 53%| |Fri 25| 07:36a 08:01p 12:25 | 09:05p 06:32a |L Qtr Rise 04:56a 41%| |Sat 26| 07:34a 08:02p 12:28 | 09:06p 06:30a | Rise 05:42a 30%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 27| 07:32a 08:04p 12:31 | 09:08p 06:28a | Rise 06:18a 21%| |Mon 28| 07:30a 08:05p 12:34 | 09:09p 06:26a | Rise 06:47a 12%| |Tue 29| 07:29a 08:06p 12:37 | 09:11p 06:24a | Rise 07:10a 6%| |Wed 30| 07:27a 08:07p 12:40 | 09:12p 06:22a | Rise 07:31a 2%| |Thu 31| 07:25a 08:09p 12:43 | 09:13p 06:20a | Rise 07:51a 0%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Created using my LookingUp for DOS output as text.
02/01/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s look ahead at our short month of February
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Tuesday, February 1st. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 5:51, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:00. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
Let’s look ahead at our short month of February. We’re in the depths of winter, but the Sun is continuing its return to northern climes. This is reflected in the increase in daylight hours, from 9 hours 49 minutes today to 11 hours 7 minutes on the 28th. These times are for the Interlochen/Traverse City area. The duration of daylight is slightly shorter in the northern part of our listening area and slightly longer to the south. As the month goes on, the weather should generally warm and clear up. We will be slowly losing Jupiter from the evening sky this month. Venus is moving away from the Sun and will pass Mars in the morning sky on the 12th. Neither Mercury nor Saturn will be visible this month because they will be lost in the Sun’s glare.
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
February Evening Star Chart
The planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 9 p.m. EST in the evening and 6 a.m. for the morning chart. These are the chart times. Note that Traverse City is located approximately 45 minutes behind our time meridian. (An hour 45 minutes behind our daylight saving time meridian during EDT). To duplicate the star positions on a planisphere (rotating star finder) you may have to set it to 1 hour 45 minutes earlier than the current time.
Note the chart times of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. are for the 15th. For each week before the 15th, add ½ hour (28 minutes if you’re picky). For each week after the 15th, subtract ½ hour. The planet positions are updated each Wednesday on this blog. For planet positions on dates other than the 15th, check the Wednesday planet posts on this blog.
February Morning Star Chart
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.
- Follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper to the star Arcturus, and
- Extend like a spike to Spica,
- The Summer Triangle is in red.
Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical
| EST | |||||||
| Morning | Twilight | Evening | Twilight | Dark | Night | Moon | |
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2022-02-01 | 6h22m | 6h56m | 18h56m | 19h30m | 19h30m | 6h22m | 0.01 |
| 2022-02-02 | 6h21m | 6h55m | 18h57m | 19h31m | 19h43m | 6h21m | 0.05 |
| 2022-02-03 | 6h20m | 6h54m | 18h59m | 19h33m | 20h57m | 6h20m | 0.11 |
| 2022-02-04 | 6h19m | 6h53m | 19h00m | 19h34m | 22h08m | 6h19m | 0.19 |
| 2022-02-05 | 6h18m | 6h52m | 19h01m | 19h35m | 23h17m | 6h18m | 0.28 |
| 2022-02-06 | 6h17m | 6h51m | 19h02m | 19h36m | – | 6h17m | 0.37 |
| 2022-02-07 | 6h16m | 6h50m | 19h04m | 19h38m | 0h23m | 6h16m | 0.47 |
| 2022-02-08 | 6h15m | 6h49m | 19h05m | 19h39m | 1h29m | 6h15m | 0.56 |
| 2022-02-09 | 6h13m | 6h47m | 19h06m | 19h40m | 2h34m | 6h13m | 0.65 |
| 2022-02-10 | 6h12m | 6h46m | 19h08m | 19h41m | 3h38m | 6h12m | 0.74 |
| 2022-02-11 | 6h11m | 6h45m | 19h09m | 19h43m | 4h39m | 6h11m | 0.82 |
| 2022-02-12 | 6h10m | 6h43m | 19h10m | 19h44m | 5h35m | 6h10m | 0.89 |
| 2022-02-13 | 6h08m | 6h42m | 19h11m | 19h45m | – | – | 0.94 |
| 2022-02-14 | 6h07m | 6h41m | 19h13m | 19h47m | – | – | 0.98 |
| 2022-02-15 | 6h06m | 6h39m | 19h14m | 19h48m | – | – | 1 |
| 2022-02-16 | 6h04m | 6h38m | 19h15m | 19h49m | – | – | 1 |
| 2022-02-17 | 6h03m | 6h37m | 19h17m | 19h50m | – | – | 0.98 |
| 2022-02-18 | 6h01m | 6h35m | 19h18m | 19h52m | 19h52m | 20h32m | 0.93 |
| 2022-02-19 | 6h00m | 6h34m | 19h19m | 19h53m | 19h53m | 21h43m | 0.87 |
| 2022-02-20 | 5h58m | 6h32m | 19h20m | 19h54m | 19h54m | 22h55m | 0.79 |
| 2022-02-21 | 5h57m | 6h31m | 19h22m | 19h55m | 19h55m | – | 0.69 |
| 2022-02-22 | 5h55m | 6h29m | 19h23m | 19h57m | 19h57m | 0h10m | 0.58 |
| 2022-02-23 | 5h54m | 6h28m | 19h24m | 19h58m | 19h58m | 1h26m | 0.47 |
| 2022-02-24 | 5h52m | 6h26m | 19h26m | 19h59m | 19h59m | 2h43m | 0.36 |
| 2022-02-25 | 5h51m | 6h24m | 19h27m | 20h01m | 20h01m | 3h58m | 0.25 |
| 2022-02-26 | 5h49m | 6h23m | 19h28m | 20h02m | 20h02m | 5h04m | 0.16 |
| 2022-02-27 | 5h47m | 6h21m | 19h30m | 20h03m | 20h03m | 5h47m | 0.08 |
| 2022-02-28 | 5h46m | 6h19m | 19h31m | 20h05m | 20h05m | 5h46m | 0.03 |
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/2019/09/27/
NASA Calendar of Planetary Events
Date Time Event
Feb 1 Tu Venus: 32° W
1 Tu 12:46 am New Moon
2 We 4:08 pm Moon-Jupiter: 4.4° N
4 Fr 1:34 pm Saturn Solar Conjunction
8 Tu 8:50 am First Quarter
9 We 1:12 am Moon Ascending Node
10 Th 9:39 pm Moon Apogee: 404,900 km
12 Sa 11:45 am Moon North Dec.: 26.4° N
12 Sa 8:00 pm Venus-Mars: 6.6° N
13 Su 5:52 pm Moon-Pollux: 2.8° N
13 Su Venus greatest brilliancy
14 Mo 6:42 pm Moon-Beehive: 3.5° S
16 We 11:57 am Full Snow Moon
16 We 3:59 pm Mercury Elongation: 26.3° West
23 We 1:54 am Moon Descending Node
23 We 5:32 pm Last Quarter
26 Sa 1:37 am Moon South Dec.: 26.6° S
26 Sa 5:18 pm Moon Perigee: 367,800 km
27 Su 4:00 am Moon-Mars: 3.5° N
28 Mo 3:07 pm Moon-Mercury: 3.8° N
28 Mo 6:47 pm Moon-Saturn: 4.3° N
Mar 1 Tu Venus: 45° W
All event times are given for UTC-5:00: Eastern Standard or Daylight 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 February, 2022 Local time zone: EST +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Tue 1| 08:01a 05:51p 09:49 | 06:57p 06:55a |New Set 06:23p 1%| |Wed 2| 08:00a 05:52p 09:52 | 06:58p 06:54a | Set 07:42p 4%| |Thu 3| 07:59a 05:54p 09:54 | 07:00p 06:53a | Set 08:57p 10%| |Fri 4| 07:58a 05:55p 09:57 | 07:01p 06:52a | Set 10:08p 17%| |Sat 5| 07:56a 05:57p 10:00 | 07:02p 06:51a | Set 11:16p 26%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 6| 07:55a 05:58p 10:03 | 07:04p 06:50a | Set 12:23a 35%| |Mon 7| 07:54a 06:00p 10:05 | 07:05p 06:49a | Set 01:29a 44%| |Tue 8| 07:53a 06:01p 10:08 | 07:06p 06:48a |F Qtr Set 02:34a 54%| |Wed 9| 07:51a 06:02p 10:11 | 07:07p 06:46a | Set 03:37a 63%| |Thu 10| 07:50a 06:04p 10:14 | 07:09p 06:45a | Set 04:38a 72%| |Fri 11| 07:48a 06:05p 10:16 | 07:10p 06:44a | Set 05:34a 80%| |Sat 12| 07:47a 06:07p 10:19 | 07:11p 06:42a | Set 06:24a 87%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 13| 07:46a 06:08p 10:22 | 07:13p 06:41a | Set 07:05a 93%| |Mon 14| 07:44a 06:10p 10:25 | 07:14p 06:40a | Set 07:40a 97%| |Tue 15| 07:43a 06:11p 10:28 | 07:15p 06:38a | Set 08:09a 99%| |Wed 16| 07:41a 06:12p 10:31 | 07:16p 06:37a |Full Rise 06:11p 100%| |Thu 17| 07:39a 06:14p 10:34 | 07:18p 06:36a | Rise 07:21p 98%| |Fri 18| 07:38a 06:15p 10:37 | 07:19p 06:34a | Rise 08:32p 94%| |Sat 19| 07:36a 06:17p 10:40 | 07:20p 06:33a | Rise 09:42p 88%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 20| 07:35a 06:18p 10:43 | 07:22p 06:31a | Rise 10:55p 81%| |Mon 21| 07:33a 06:19p 10:46 | 07:23p 06:30a | Rise 12:09a 71%| |Tue 22| 07:32a 06:21p 10:49 | 07:24p 06:28a | Rise 01:26a 61%| |Wed 23| 07:30a 06:22p 10:52 | 07:26p 06:26a |L Qtr Rise 02:43a 49%| |Thu 24| 07:28a 06:23p 10:55 | 07:27p 06:25a | Rise 03:57a 38%| |Fri 25| 07:27a 06:25p 10:58 | 07:28p 06:23a | Rise 05:04a 27%| |Sat 26| 07:25a 06:26p 11:01 | 07:29p 06:22a | Rise 05:59a 18%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 27| 07:23a 06:27p 11:04 | 07:31p 06:20a | Rise 06:43a 10%| |Mon 28| 07:21a 06:29p 11:07 | 07:32p 06:18a | Rise 07:17a 4%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Created using my LookingUp for DOS output as HTML.
12/31/2021 – Ephemeris – January 2022 preview
This is Ephemeris for New Year’s Eve, Friday, December 31st. The Sun will rise at 8:20. It’ll be up for 8 hours and 52 minutes, setting at 5:12. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 7:20 tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow starts the new year of 2022. The daylight hours are slowly getting longer and will accelerate during the month. Daylight hours will increase from 8 hours and 52 minutes tomorrow to 9 hours and 47 minutes on the 31st. The sunrise time will decrease from 8:20 tomorrow to 8:02 at month’s end. The sunset times will increase from 5:13 tomorrow to 5:50 on the 31st. Along with that, the altitude of the sun at noon will increase from 22 degrees tomorrow to nearly 28 degrees at month’s end. It will be a degree lower for folks in the Straits area because they are a degree of latitude farther north. Local noon, by the way, for Interlochen and Traverse City is about 12:51 p.m. in January. Here’s wishing you a Happy New Year.
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
Updated to replace twilight table at 5:07 pm.
January Evening Star Chart

Star Chart for January 2022 evenings, based on 9 p.m. EST, January 15, 2022. Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
January Morning Star Chart

Star Chart for January 2022 mornings, based on 6 a.m. EST, January 15, 2022. Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
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). For a list of constellation names to go with the abbreviations, click here.
The planets are also plotted for the 15th. For a check on the current whereabouts of the five naked eye planets, see the Wednesday post most weeks.
- Pointer stars at the front of the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris, the North Star.
- The leaky bowl of the Big Dipper drips on Leo.
- Follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper to the star Arcturus, then
- Follow the spike to Spica.
- QuadR on the star charts is the radiant of the Quadrantid meteor shower, which peaks on the 3rd, but is best seen in the early morning hours of the 3rd or 4th.
Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical
| EST | |||||||
| Morning | Twilight | Evening | Twilight | Dark | Night | Moon | |
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2022-01-01 | 6h35m | 7h11m | 18h22m | 18h57m | 18h57m | 6h35m | 0 |
| 2022-01-02 | 6h35m | 7h11m | 18h23m | 18h58m | 18h58m | 6h35m | 0 |
| 2022-01-03 | 6h35m | 7h11m | 18h24m | 18h59m | 18h59m | 6h35m | 0.03 |
| 2022-01-04 | 6h35m | 7h11m | 18h25m | 19h00m | 19h35m | 6h35m | 0.08 |
| 2022-01-05 | 6h35m | 7h11m | 18h26m | 19h01m | 20h53m | 6h35m | 0.16 |
| 2022-01-06 | 6h35m | 7h11m | 18h26m | 19h02m | 22h08m | 6h35m | 0.25 |
| 2022-01-07 | 6h35m | 7h11m | 18h27m | 19h03m | 23h19m | 6h35m | 0.35 |
| 2022-01-08 | 6h35m | 7h10m | 18h28m | 19h04m | – | 6h35m | 0.45 |
| 2022-01-09 | 6h35m | 7h10m | 18h29m | 19h05m | 0h27m | 6h35m | 0.55 |
| 2022-01-10 | 6h35m | 7h10m | 18h30m | 19h06m | 1h32m | 6h35m | 0.64 |
| 2022-01-11 | 6h35m | 7h10m | 18h31m | 19h07m | 2h37m | 6h35m | 0.73 |
| 2022-01-12 | 6h35m | 7h10m | 18h33m | 19h08m | 3h41m | 6h35m | 0.81 |
| 2022-01-13 | 6h34m | 7h09m | 18h34m | 19h09m | 4h45m | 6h34m | 0.88 |
| 2022-01-14 | 6h34m | 7h09m | 18h35m | 19h10m | 5h48m | 6h34m | 0.93 |
| 2022-01-15 | 6h34m | 7h08m | 18h36m | 19h11m | – | – | 0.97 |
| 2022-01-16 | 6h33m | 7h08m | 18h37m | 19h12m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2022-01-17 | 6h33m | 7h08m | 18h38m | 19h13m | – | – | 1 |
| 2022-01-18 | 6h32m | 7h07m | 18h39m | 19h14m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2022-01-19 | 6h32m | 7h07m | 18h40m | 19h15m | 19h15m | 19h15m | 0.95 |
| 2022-01-20 | 6h31m | 7h06m | 18h41m | 19h16m | 19h16m | 20h23m | 0.9 |
| 2022-01-21 | 6h31m | 7h05m | 18h43m | 19h17m | 19h17m | 21h32m | 0.83 |
| 2022-01-22 | 6h30m | 7h05m | 18h44m | 19h18m | 19h18m | 22h41m | 0.75 |
| 2022-01-23 | 6h29m | 7h04m | 18h45m | 19h20m | 19h20m | 23h51m | 0.65 |
| 2022-01-24 | 6h29m | 7h03m | 18h46m | 19h21m | 19h21m | – | 0.54 |
| 2022-01-25 | 6h28m | 7h03m | 18h47m | 19h22m | 19h22m | 1h04m | 0.43 |
| 2022-01-26 | 6h27m | 7h02m | 18h49m | 19h23m | 19h23m | 2h19m | 0.32 |
| 2022-01-27 | 6h27m | 7h01m | 18h50m | 19h24m | 19h24m | 3h37m | 0.21 |
| 2022-01-28 | 6h26m | 7h00m | 18h51m | 19h25m | 19h25m | 4h56m | 0.13 |
| 2022-01-29 | 6h25m | 6h59m | 18h52m | 19h27m | 19h27m | 6h11m | 0.06 |
| 2022-01-30 | 6h24m | 6h58m | 18h54m | 19h28m | 19h28m | 6h24m | 0.01 |
| 2022-01-31 | 6h23m | 6h57m | 18h55m | 19h29m | 19h29m | 6h23m | 0 |
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
Jan 1 Sa Venus: 12.4° E
1 Sa 6:00 pm Moon Perigee: 358000 km
2 Su 8:35 am Moon South Dec.: 26.3° S
2 Su 1:33 pm New Moon
3 Mo 3:56 pm Quadrantid Shower: ZHR = 120
3 Mo 7:59 pm Perihelion: 0.9833 AU
4 Tu 11:50 am Moon-Saturn: 4.2° N
5 We 7:09 pm Moon-Jupiter: 4.5° N
7 Fr 5:59 am Mercury Elongation: 19.2° E
8 Sa 7:50 pm Venus Inferior Conj.
9 Su 1:11 pm First Quarter
12 We 11:17 pm Mercury-Saturn: 3.4° N
12 We 11:19 pm Moon Ascending Node
14 Fr 4:27 am Moon Apogee: 405800 km
16 Su 5:16 am Moon North Dec.: 26.3° N
17 Mo 10:37 am Moon-Pollux: 2.9° N
17 Mo 6:48 pm Full Moon
18 Tu 11:33 am Moon-Beehive: 3.5° S
23 Su 5:25 am Mercury Inferior Conj.
25 Tu 8:41 am Last Quarter
27 Th 1:14 am Moon Descending Node
29 Sa 10:05 am Moon-Mars: 2.4° N
29 Sa 6:26 pm Moon South Dec.: 26.4° S
30 Su 2:09 am Moon Perigee: 362300 km
Feb 1 Tu Venus: 32° W
All event times are given for UTC-5 Eastern Standard 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 January, 2022 Local time zone: EST +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Sat 1| 08:20a 05:13p 08:52 | 06:23p 07:09a | Rise 08:33a 1%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 2| 08:20a 05:13p 08:53 | 06:24p 07:09a |New Set 04:59p 0%| |Mon 3| 08:20a 05:14p 08:54 | 06:25p 07:09a | Set 06:14p 2%| |Tue 4| 08:20a 05:15p 08:55 | 06:25p 07:10a | Set 07:34p 7%| |Wed 5| 08:19a 05:16p 08:57 | 06:26p 07:10a | Set 08:53p 14%| |Thu 6| 08:19a 05:18p 08:58 | 06:27p 07:09a | Set 10:07p 23%| |Fri 7| 08:19a 05:19p 08:59 | 06:28p 07:09a | Set 11:18p 32%| |Sat 8| 08:19a 05:20p 09:00 | 06:29p 07:09a | Set 12:26a 42%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 9| 08:19a 05:21p 09:02 | 06:30p 07:09a |F Qtr Set 01:32a 52%| |Mon 10| 08:18a 05:22p 09:03 | 06:31p 07:09a | Set 02:36a 62%| |Tue 11| 08:18a 05:23p 09:05 | 06:32p 07:09a | Set 03:41a 71%| |Wed 12| 08:17a 05:24p 09:06 | 06:33p 07:08a | Set 04:45a 79%| |Thu 13| 08:17a 05:26p 09:08 | 06:34p 07:08a | Set 05:47a 86%| |Fri 14| 08:17a 05:27p 09:10 | 06:36p 07:08a | Set 06:47a 92%| |Sat 15| 08:16a 05:28p 09:11 | 06:37p 07:07a | Set 07:41a 96%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 16| 08:15a 05:29p 09:13 | 06:38p 07:07a | Set 08:27a 99%| |Mon 17| 08:15a 05:31p 09:15 | 06:39p 07:06a |Full Rise 05:04p 100%| |Tue 18| 08:14a 05:32p 09:17 | 06:40p 07:06a | Rise 06:07p 99%| |Wed 19| 08:13a 05:33p 09:19 | 06:41p 07:05a | Rise 07:15p 96%| |Thu 20| 08:13a 05:34p 09:21 | 06:42p 07:05a | Rise 08:23p 91%| |Fri 21| 08:12a 05:36p 09:23 | 06:44p 07:04a | Rise 09:31p 85%| |Sat 22| 08:11a 05:37p 09:25 | 06:45p 07:04a | Rise 10:41p 76%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 23| 08:10a 05:39p 09:28 | 06:46p 07:03a | Rise 11:51p 67%| |Mon 24| 08:09a 05:40p 09:30 | 06:47p 07:02a | Rise 01:03a 56%| |Tue 25| 08:09a 05:41p 09:32 | 06:48p 07:01a |L Qtr Rise 02:19a 45%| |Wed 26| 08:08a 05:43p 09:35 | 06:50p 07:01a | Rise 03:37a 34%| |Thu 27| 08:07a 05:44p 09:37 | 06:51p 07:00a | Rise 04:56a 24%| |Fri 28| 08:06a 05:45p 09:39 | 06:52p 06:59a | Rise 06:10a 14%| |Sat 29| 08:05a 05:47p 09:42 | 06:53p 06:58a | Rise 07:15a 7%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 30| 08:04a 05:48p 09:44 | 06:55p 06:57a | Rise 08:07a 2%| |Mon 31| 08:02a 05:50p 09:47 | 06:56p 06:56a | Rise 08:48a 0%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Generated using my LookingUp for DOS program.





