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Ephemeris: 06/05/2024 – Where have the naked-eye planets wandered off to this week?

June 5, 2024 Comments off

Wonder why I use the term wander? Planets, definitely don’t wander. They do not move aimlessly, but their motions behave by the action of gravitation discovered by Newton and Einstein. However, we do call these bodies planets, from the Greek “Planetes” which means wanderer. By the time of Aristotle circa 4th century BCE, they realized there was a method to their motions. Except for Aristarchus, they all got it wrong. But they did realize that the planet’s motions were predictable.

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 5th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 26 minutes, setting at 9:24, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:57. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 5:32 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Venus, Mercury and Jupiter are now too close to the direction of the Sun to be seen. Venus just entered the evening sky yesterday when it passed behind the Sun in conjunction. It will appear in the evening sky next month, while Jupiter may be visible in the morning later this month. By 5 tomorrow morning, or about an hour before sunrise, Saturn will be low in the southeast and Mars will be lower in the east. In telescopes, Saturn will look fairly different this year and next with its rings nearly edge on to us. They will open up a bit through October before closing again. They are only 2 degrees from being edge on to us.

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

Saturn and Mars as they might be seen low on the southeastern horizon at 5 AM, or about an hour before sunrise
Saturn and Mars as they might be seen low on the southeastern horizon at 5 AM, or about an hour before sunrise, tomorrow morning June 6, 2024. Saturn will rise at 2:29 AM, Mars at 3:48 AM. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Saturn
A much enlarged telescopic view of Saturn, much larger than is available in the small telescope . I did this to show satellite Titan about to be occulted by Saturn. It’s right on the edge of Saturn at about 1 o’clock from the disk. The apparent diameter of Saturn is 17.15″, and the rings extend to 39.95″. The tilt of the rings is only about 2.1° from being edge on . When the rings are tilted to their maximum extent, this was seven years ago, Saturn was much brighter because the rings can reflect more light from the sun than the planet does. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, June 5th 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 6th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.

Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , ,

Ephemeris: 05/29/2024 – Where have the naked-eye planets wandered off to this week?

May 29, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 29th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 17 minutes, setting at 9:19, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:01. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 2:31 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Venus, Mercury and Jupiter are now too close to the direction of the Sun to be seen. Venus will appear in the evening sky by July, while Jupiter may be visible in the morning in late June. By 5:15 tomorrow morning, or about 45 minutes before sunrise, Saturn will be low in the southeast and Mars will be lower still in the east. In telescopes, Saturn will look fairly different this year and next with its rings nearly edge on to us. They will open up a bit through October before closing again. We won’t see the rings go exactly edge on because Saturn will be too close to the Sun in the sky on March 23rd next year. After that, the rings will open up again.

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

Saturn, Mars and the Moon as they might be seen low in the southeastern horizon at 5 AM
Saturn, Mars and the Moon as they might be seen low in the southeastern horizon at 5 AM, or about an hour before sunrise, tomorrow morning May 30, 2024. Saturn will rise at 2:52 AM, Mars at 4:04 AM. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear in binoculars or a small telescope at 5 AM tomorrow morning
The Moon as it might appear in binoculars or a small telescope at 5 AM tomorrow morning, May 30th 2024. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
The planet Saturn and its satellite Titan as might be seen in the telescope at 5 am Tomorrow morning, although greatly enlarged from what would be seen in the small telescope since, Saturn is almost a billion miles away. It’s apparent diameter is 16.95″ (seconds of arc) and it’s rings span 39.48″. The rings, as can be seen, are very thin and present a 2° 12′ tilt to us. Mars is too small to be represented here, it’s 5.02″ in diameter . My usual policy is to show planets that are 10″ or greater because they will actually show a decent disc in a small telescope. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, May 29th 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 30th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 05/22/2024 – Where have the naked-eye planets wandered off to this week?

May 22, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 22nd. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 5 minutes, setting at 9:12, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:06. The Moon, 1 day before full, will set at 5:42 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Jupiter now is too close to the direction of the Sun to be seen. It is on the morning side of the Sun, and by late June may be visible in the morning sky in twilight. By 5 tomorrow morning, about 66 minutes before sunrise, Saturn will be low in the east-southeast and Mars will be lower still in the east. In telescopes, Saturn will look fairly different this year and next with its rings nearly edge on to us. They will open up a bit through October before closing again. We won’t see the rings go exactly edge on because Saturn will be too close to the Sun in the sky on March 23rd next year. After that the rings will open up again.

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 Moon as it may be seen in binoculars or a small telescope
The Moon as it may be seen in binoculars or a small telescope about 10:30 this evening, May 22nd 2024. Selected features are labeled. Shadows can be seen in some craters on the extreme east side of the Moon. The crater Tycho’s rays are especially prominent this time of the lunar month. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP. Information on the labels comes from Virtual Moon Atlas.
Saturn and Mars as they might be seen low in the southeastern horizon in 5 AM, or a bit more than an hour before sunrise, tomorrow morning May 23, 2024. Saturn will rise at 3:19 AM, Mars at 4:20 AM. Created using Stellarium.
The planet Saturn and its satellite Titan as might be seen in the telescope
The planet Saturn and its satellite Titan as might be seen in the telescope, although greatly enlarged from what would be seen in the small telescope since, Saturn is almost a billion miles away. It’s apparent diameter is 16.75″ (seconds of arc) and it’s rings span 39.3″. The rings, as can be seen, are very thin and present a 2° 22′ tilt to us. Mars is too small to be represented here, it’s 4.95″ in diameter . My usual policy is to show planets that are 10″ or greater because they will actually show a decent disc in a small telescope. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, May 22nd 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 23rd.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, May 22nd 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 23rd. The symbols of Jupiter and Venus overlap at this scale. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.

Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 05/08/2024 – Saturn comes tottering into the morning twilight

May 8, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 8th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 8:56, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:21. The Moon, 1 day past new, will set at 10:12 this evening.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Jupiter now is too close to the direction of the Sun to be seen. It will move to be in conjunction with the Sun on the 18th of this month and by late June may be visible in the morning sky in twilight. By 5:30 tomorrow morning, about 40 minutes before sunrise, Saturn will be low in the east-southeast and Mars will be lower yet in the east. In telescopes, Saturn will look fairly different this year and next with its rings nearly edge on to us. They will open up a bit through October before closing again. We won’t see the rings go exactly edge on because Saturn will be too close to the Sun in the sky on March 23rd next year. After that the rings will open up again.

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

You may wonder why I use the word tottering in title. The planet Saturn is named after the Roman god of old age, probably because it takes nearly 30 years to orbit the Sun. Even though it’s moving away from twilight faster than Mars is, it’s just the fact that the Sun and Mars are moving faster to the east than it is, leaving him in the dust, so to speak.

Looking to the east-southeast at 5:30 in the morning, less than an hour before sunrise, Saturn and Mars will be visible very low in the sky
Looking to the east-southeast at 5:30 in the morning, less than an hour before sunrise, Saturn and Mars will be visible very low in the sky. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
A telescopic view of Saturn
A telescopic view of Saturn. It’s a bit larger than I normally show it when we look at several planets, to show you the rings which are tilted a little less than 3° to our line of sight. Saturn appears 16.4″ diameter, while it’s rings are 38.2″ in extent. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, May 8th 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 9th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 05/01/2024 – Where are all naked eye planets?

May 1, 2024 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 1st. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 16 minutes, setting at 8:48, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:30. The Moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 4:03 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Jupiter now is too close to the direction of the Sun to be seen. It will set at 9:49 pm. It will move to be in conjunction with the Sun on the 18th of this month and by late July may be visible in the morning sky in twilight. By 5:30 tomorrow morning, about an hour before sunrise, the Moon, Saturn and Mars will be visible low and spread out from the southeast to east. The fat waning crescent Moon will be highest in the southeast and to the left of it, and a bit lower, will be Saturn. Farther to the east, and lower yet will be dimmer Mars. In telescopes, Saturn will look fairly different this year and next with its rings nearly edge on to us.

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 Moon, Saturn and Mars as they might be seen in the east to southeastern sky about 5:30 tomorrow morning
The Moon, Saturn and Mars as they might be seen in the east to southeastern sky about 5:30 tomorrow morning May 2nd 2024. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Annotated Moon
The waning crescent moon a day after last quarter seen tomorrow morning, May 2nd 2024. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Saturn as it might appear in telescopes
Saturn as it might appear in telescopes tomorrow morning, May 2nd 2024. It is enlarged more than usual to show detail in the rings, which is getting very hard to see as the rings close up. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, May 1st 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 2nd. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets

Ephemeris: 04/17/2024 – Where have all the planets gone?

April 17, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, April 17th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 36 minutes, setting at 8:31, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:52. The Moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 5:04 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Bright Jupiter is very low and in the west. It will set at 10:23 pm. We are getting close to losing Jupiter in the evening sky. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is just below-left of it. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere might now get a chance to spot it, but I believe it’s too far gone for us. In the morning, Mars and Saturn will be very close together in the east southeastern sky at 6:30. They will be fighting the bright morning twilight and low altitude then. Saturn will be difficult to see right now in the twilight . It will look fairly different this year and next with its rings nearly edge on to us. They will look more like a line through the planet.
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 five naked eye planets and Comet Pons-Brooks are located near the Sun
The five naked eye planets and Comet Pons-Brooks are located near the Sun . This image you see the Sun if the Earth had no atmosphere, at solar noon which is about 1:41 PM. Saturn is the farthest planet from the Sun at about 42°. Anything to the right of the Sun is a morning planet, anything to the left is an evening planet. And since Jupiter is above the Sun it can be seen more easily in the evening than can Saturn in he morning, which is below the Sun. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and Venus found in a photograph of the total solar eclipse
Jupiter and Venus found in a photograph of the total solar eclipse of April 8th 2024 with a smartphone camera by one in our party. Credit Jeff Busch.
The planet Jupiter shown here much brighter than it will actually appear tonight
The planet Jupiter shown here much brighter than it will actually appear tonight at 9:30 PM, or about an hour after sunset. It’s altitude will be about 9° above the horizon. Observers south of us will see Jupiter a little bit higher in the sky at the same time period after sunset. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon is a might be seen in binoculars
The Moon is a might be seen in binoculars or a small telescope this evening, April 17th 2024. Select features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Saturn and Mars as they might be glimpsed early in the morning
Saturn and Mars as they might be glimpsed early in the morning at 6:00 AM, about an hour before sunrise. Saturn is brighter than Mars, however Saturn is dimmer than it normally is mainly because it’s rings are closing and nearly edge on. When the rings are at their most open they contribute more to the brightness of Saturn than the planet does. Created using Stellarium.

None of the planets are good telescopic objects now, due to their low position in the sky, and twilight.

The naked-eye planets, Comet Pons-Brooks, and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night
The naked-eye planets, Comet Pons-Brooks, and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, April 17th 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 18th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.

Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 04/10/2024 – Where have the naked-eye planets wandered off to?

April 10, 2024 Comments off

This post was updated due to it being uploaded late, and without illustrations. This was due to my recovery from the mad dash eclipse trip Sunday through Tuesday. By the way it was glorious! I shall recount it soon in an Ephemeris Extra post.

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, April 10th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 16 minutes, setting at 8:22, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:04. The Moon, 2 days past new, will set at 11:21 this evening.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Bright Jupiter is low and in the west, and tonight only can be seen below the crescent Moon. It will set at 10:25 pm. We are getting close to losing Jupiter in the evening sky. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is just below-right of it. Though officially naked-eye brightness, one has to have very good eyes, binoculars or telescope to spot it. In my Wednesday blog posts at bobmoler.wordpress.com I have finder charts. In the morning Mars, and Saturn will be very close together in the east southeastern sky at 6:30. They will be fighting the bright morning twilight and low altitude then.

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 Moon, Jupiter and Comet Pons-Brooks for 9:30 PM Thursday April 11th 2024. Due to the late post I’m showing this for tomorrow night. Created using Stellarium .
Here is a finder chart for Comet Pons-Brooks for the next week at 9:30 PM. Jupiter is also in the field. The first position is marked with the name, month and day, and the approximate magnitude. The chart shows a comet tail. The tail will probably not be visible visually, however if it is visible, that is the direction it will be pointing. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The three day old Moon as it might appear Thursday at 9:30 PM April 11th 2024 through binoculars or a small telescope. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Mars and Saturn as they may appear side by side tomorrow morning April 12th 2024 at about 6:15 AM. They are probably shown somewhat brighter than they would normally appear in the sky. Created using Stellarium , LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Jupiter as it might appear in a telescope at 9:30 April 11, 2024 in this erect image, showing the position of its Galilean moons. Jupiter’s apparent diameter is 33.54″. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The naked-eye planets, Comet Pons-Brooks, and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, April 11th 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 12th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , ,

Ephemeris: 04/03/2024 – Where have the naked-eye planets wandered off to this week?

April 3, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, April 3rd. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 54 minutes, setting at 8:13, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:17. The Moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 5:33 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Mercury is now too close to the Sun to be spotted. Bright Jupiter is due west at 8:45 pm or a half hour after sunset. It will set at 11:05 pm. We are getting close to losing Jupiter in the evening sky. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is right of and a bit below Jupiter in the evening. Though officially naked-eye brightness, one has to have very good eyes, binoculars or telescope to spot it. In my Wednesday blog posts at bobmoler.wordpress.com I have finder charts. In the morning Mars, and especially Venus and Saturn may be impossible to spot, in the east-southeast in the bright twilight. Mars will rise at 6:10, and will be very low in the east-southeast at 6:45 am.

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

Jupiter and Mercury as might be seen at 9:00 PM, or nearly three quarters of an hour after sunset, tonight April 3rd 2024 . Also Comet Pons-Brooks is in the same general area of the sky. It is 5th magnitude, and probably not visible without binoculars or a small telescope. Mercury is definiotely not visible wothout a telescope. Created using Stellarium.
A finder chart for Comet Pons-Brooks for the next week
Here is a finder chart for Comet Pons-Brooks for the next week at 9:30 PM. Jupiter is also in the field. The first position is marked with the name, month and day, and the approximate magnitude. The chart shows a comet tail. The tail will probably not be visible visually, however if it is visible, that is the direction it will be pointing. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

During the solar eclipse on the 8th, during totality, the comet will be located around the 2nd to the last position of its track. However, unless it is obviously noticeable, totality time is too short to use trying to find it. Enjoy the glory of the sun’s corona for the brief time you have.

The Moon, Mars, and Saturn as they might appear about 6:45 in the morning about 1/2 an hour before sunrise low in the east-southeast to southeast. Mars and Saturn are shown brighter than they might appear, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t see them. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as seen in a pair binoculars or telescope around 6:45 tomorrow morning April 4th 2024
The moon as seen in a pair binoculars or telescope around 6:45 tomorrow morning April 4th 2024. Selected features are labeled. Montes Jura or the Jura Mountains on the terminator surround 3 sides of the Bay of Rainbows (Sinus Iridium). The crater J. Herschel is named after John Herschel, son of William Herschel, a more famous astronomer, who has a small crater near the center of the disk of the moon just north of crater named for Ptolemy and near another crater named for the Greek astronomer Hipparchus. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Jupiter as it might appear in a telescope
Jupiter as it might appear in a telescope at 9:30 this evening in this erect image, showing the position of its Galilean moons. Jupiter’s apparent diameter is 33.93″. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The naked-eye planets, Comet Pons-Brooks, and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night
The naked-eye planets, Comet Pons-Brooks, and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, April 3rd 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 4th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 03/20/2024 – Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week

March 20, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, March 20th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 11 minutes, setting at 7:56, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:43. The Moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 6:38 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Mercury is visible in the evening sky shortly after sunset appearing very low in the west. It will be visible for the next week or so, moving away from the Sun, but getting dimmer, and starting back toward the Sun after Sunday. Higher up in the sky is bright Jupiter in the west southwest. It will set at 11:45 pm. Jupiter will be visible in the evening for only about another month or so. In the morning Mars, Venus and Saturn may be impossible to spot, in the east-southeast in the bright twilight. Mars will rise at 6:43 am, followed by Venus at 7:13, with Saturn right below it.

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

Jupiter and Mercury as they might appear in the West at around 45 minutes after sunset.
Jupiter and Mercury as they might appear in the West at around 45 minutes after sunset or about 8:40 PM. Created using Stellarium.
The gibbous Moon as it might be visible this evening in binoculars or a small telescope
The gibbous Moon as it might be visible this evening in binoculars or a small telescope around 9 PM tonight, March 20th, 2024. Selected features are annotated. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Jupiter and its moons tonight
We are down to one naked eye planet worth looking at in a telescope, and that is Jupiter. This is Jupiter and its moons as they would appear at 9 pm tonight, March 20th 2024. Jupiter and its moons are tilted at an angle as they would appear in the sky due to the angle of the ecliptic to the western horizon. In previous views, where I’ve looked at more than multiple planets at a time, I’ve shown them in relationship to the ecliptic or plane of the Earth’s orbit. Jupiter’s apparent diameter is 34.86 seconds of arc. Created using Stellarium, and LibreOffice Draw for labels.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, March 20th 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 21st. The symbols and labels for Saturn and Venus in the morning overlay each other. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 03/13/2024 – Where have the naked-eye planets wandered off to this week?

March 13, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, March 13th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 7:47, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:55. The Moon, 3 days past new, will set at 12:28 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Mercury is beginning to become visible in the evening sky shortly after sunset appearing very low in the west. It will be visible for the next week or so, moving away from the Sun, but getting dimmer. Higher up in the sky Jupiter and the moon are close together this evening With Jupiter to the left and below the crescent Moon in the west southwest. It will set at 12:08 am. Jupiter will be visible in the evening for only about another month or so. In the morning Mars and Venus may be impossible to spot, in the east-southeast in the bright twilight. Mars will rise at 6:57 am, followed by Venus at 7:21.

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

Looking westward at 8:30 pm or about 45 minutes after sunset tonight, March 13, 2024, Mercury is low in the west. Jupiter and the Moon are much higher in the west-southwest. The Moon has been enlarged to better show its phase. Created using Stellarium.
The moon tonight as it may appear tonight, March 13th 2024, in binoculars or a small telescope with selected features labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
We are down to one naked eye planet worth looking at in a telescope, and that is Jupiter. This is Jupiter and its moons as they would appear at 8:30 pm tonight, March 13th 2024. Jupiter and its moons are tilted at an angle as they would appear in the sky due to the angle of the ecliptic to the western horizon. In previous views, where I’ve looked at more than multiple planets at a time, I’ve shown them in relationship to the ecliptic or plane of the Earth’s orbit. Jupiter’s apparent diameter is 35.31 seconds of arc. Created using Stellarium, and LibreOffice Draw for labels.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on March 13, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 14th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , ,