Archive

Archive for the ‘Naked-eye planets’ Category

Ephemeris: 02/19/2025 – All the naked-eye planets are seen in the evening this week

February 19, 2025 Comments off

Ephemeris: 02/19/2025 – Where have the naked-eye planets wandered off to this week?

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, February 19th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 40 minutes, setting at 6:17, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:34. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 1:59 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 7 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all in the west southwest. Far below it, near the horizon, will be the much dimmer Saturn, which we are about to lose, or may already have, to the evening twilight. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the south. It has reversed course and is heading back eastward now. Farther below it is the spectacular constellation of Orion the hunter. The fourth planet out is Mars, the third-brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, west of the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini, and in the east-southeast.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

A 7 PM February 19, 2025 planet panorama
A 7 PM February 19, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the west-southwest, and Jupiter is in the south-southeast. Mars is in the east. This looks like the last time Saturn will be visible in the evening sky for a while. The in this projection the ecliptic (not shown) is a straight line, so the planets and Moon nearly line up, but the horizon is curved. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tomorrow morning
The Moon tomorrow morning, February 20, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope at 6 AM, in the south. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Venus, Jupiter and Mars
Telescopic Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM, February 19, 2025. Apparent diameters: Venus 42.4″ and rapidly growing as it approaches us, 22.9% illuminated, it now appears larger than Jupiter; Jupiter 40.8″; Mars, 11.8″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. 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 on February 19, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 20th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
A low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, February 19 and 20, 2025. Some of the columns are self-explanatory, others not. The transit column is the time that the body crosses the meridian and is due south. Elong, for elongation, is the angle between the Sun and that body. RA is right ascension, which is the object’s east-west position on the celestial sphere in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. R is the distance of that object from the Sun in astronomical units. An astronomical unit is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. And Delta is the distance of that object from the Earth, also in astronomical units. I omit the ‘m’ in am and pm for compactness. The data was generated using my LookingUp for DOS app and displayed as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 02/12/2025 – Taking our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets

February 12, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Darwin Day, Wednesday, February 12th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 20 minutes, setting at 6:07, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:45. The Moon, at full today, will rise at 6:21 this evening.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 7 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all in the west southwest. Far below it, near the horizon, will be the much dimmer Saturn, which we are about to lose to the evening twilight. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the south-southeast. It is reversing course and beginning to head back eastward now. Farther below it is the spectacular constellation of Orion the hunter. The 4th planet out is Mars, the third-brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, west of the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini, and just about due east. The full Moon will be rising in the east.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

A 7 PM February 12, 2025 planet panorama
A 7 PM February 12, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the west-southwest, and Jupiter is in the south-southeast. Mars is in the east. The in this projection the ecliptic (not shown) is a straight line, so the planets and Moon nearly line up, but the horizon is curved. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tonight, February 12, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope at 7 PM
The Moon tonight, February 12, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope at 7 PM, shortly after rising. Since this is about 10 hours after the Moon was full, shadows are beginning to be visible in craters at the upper right edge. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM,February 5, 2025. Apparent diameters: Saturn 15.8″, its rings 36.8″, 2.2 degrees from edge on and closing; Venus 38.0″ and rapidly growing as it approaches us, 28.9% illuminated; Jupiter 41.8″; Mars, 12.7″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. 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 on February 12, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 13th.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on February 12, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 13th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, February 12 and 13, 2025. Some of the columns are self-explanatory, others not. The transit column is the time that the body crosses the meridian and is due south. Elong, for elongation, is the angle between the Sun and that body. RA is right ascension, which is the object’s east-west position on the celestial sphere in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. R is the distance of that object from the Sun in astronomical units. An astronomical unit is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. And Delta is the distance of that object from the Earth, also in astronomical units. I omit the ‘m’ in am and pm for compactness. The data was generated using my LookingUp for DOS app and displayed as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.

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

Ephemeris: 02/05/2025 – Let’s take our weekly look at the naked-eye planets

February 5, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, February 5th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 1 minute, setting at 5:57, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:55. The Moon, at first quarter today, will set at 3:14 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 7:30 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all in the west southwest. Far below it, near the horizon, will be the much dimmer Saturn. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the south-southeast. It is reversing course and beginning to head back eastward now. Farther below it is the spectacular constellation of Orion the hunter. The 4th planet out is Mars, the third-brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, near the star Pollux in Gemini, and just about due east. The fifth naked eye planet, Mercury, is too close to the Sun to be visible.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

A 7 PM February 5, 2025 planet panorama
A 7 PM February 5, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the west-southwest, and Jupiter is in the south-southeast. Mars is in the east. The in this projection the ecliptic (not shown) is a straight line, so the planets and Moon nearly line up, but the horizon is curved. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tonight, February 5, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM,February 5, 2025. Apparent diameters: Saturn 15.9″, its rings 37.0″, 2.6 degrees from edge on and closing; Venus 34.3″, 34.5% illuminated; Jupiter 42.7″; Mars, 13.3″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. 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 on February 5, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 6th.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on February 5, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 6th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
A low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, February 5 and 6, 2025
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, February 5 and 6, 2025. Some of the columns are self-explanatory, others not. The transit column is the time that the body crosses the meridian and is due south. Elong, for elongation, is the angle between the Sun and that body. RA is right ascension, which is the object’s east-west position on the celestial sphere in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. R is the distance of that object from the Sun in astronomical units. An astronomical unit is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. And Delta is the distance of that object from the Earth, also in astronomical units. I omit the ‘m’ in am and pm for compactness. The data was generated using my LookingUp for DOS app and displayed as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 01/29/2025 – Our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets

January 29, 2025 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, January 29th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 42 minutes, setting at 5:47, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:03. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 8 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all low in the west southwest. Almost directly below it will be the much dimmer Saturn. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the south-southeast. Below it is the letter V shape of stars that is the head of Taurus the bull. Farther below is the spectacular constellation of Orion the hunter. The 4th planet out is Mars, the third-brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, near the star Pollux in Gemini, and just about due east. The fifth naked eye planet, Mercury, is too close to the Sun in the morning to be visible.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

An 8 PM January 29, 2025 planet panorama
An 8 PM January 29, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the west-southwest, and Jupiter is in the south-southeast. Mars is in the east. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM, January 29, 2025. Apparent diameters: Saturn 16.0″, its rings 37.3″, 3.0 degrees from edge on andclosing; Venus 30.7″, 40.0% illuminated; Jupiter 43.8″; Mars, 13.9″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. Europa will disappear behind Jupiter at 9:44 PM EST (UT-5), and reappear from the planet’s shadow at 2:39 AM. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. 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 on January 29, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 30th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, January 29 and 30, 2025. Some of the columns are self-explanatory, others not. The transit column is the time that the body crosses the meridian and is due south. Elong, for elongation, is the angle between the Sun and that body. RA is right ascension, which is the object’s east-west position on the celestial sphere in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. R is the distance of that object from the Sun in astronomical units. An astronomical unit is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. And Delta is the distance of that object from the Earth, also in astronomical units. I omit the ‘m’ in am and pm for compactness. The data was generated using my LookingUp for DOS app and displayed as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 01/22/2025 – Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets

January 22, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, January 22nd. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 26 minutes, setting at 5:38, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:10. The Moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 3:07 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 8 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all low in the west southwest. Directly below it will be the much dimmer Saturn. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the southeast. Below and right of it is the letter V shape of stars that is the head of Taurus the bull. Farther below is the spectacular constellation of Orion the hunter. The 4th planet out is Mars, the third brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, near the star Pollux in Gemini. The fifth naked eye planet, Mercury, is too close to the Sun in the morning to be visible.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

An 8 PM January 22, 2025, planet panorama.
An 8 PM January 22, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the west-southwest, and Jupiter is in the southeast. Mars is in the east. The orange line is the ecliptic, the path of the Sun in the sky, and near which all the planets are seen. Also shown are the zodiacal constellations. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tomorrow morning, January 23, 2025
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tomorrow morning, January 23, 2025. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM, January 22, 2025. Apparent diameters: Saturn 16.1″, its rings 37.5″, 3.3 degrees from edge on (closing); Venus 28.4″, 43.8% illuminated; Jupiter 44.6″; Mars, 14.3″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. Jupiter’s moon Europa is behind the planet and will reappear on the east or trailing side of the planet around midnight EST (5:00 UT). The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. 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 on January 22, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 23rd. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, January 22 and 23, 2025
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, January 22 and 23, 2025. Some of the columns are self-explanatory, others not. The transit column is the time that the body crosses the meridian and is due south. Elong, for elongation, is the angle between the Sun and that body. RA is right ascension, which is the object’s east-west position on the celestial sphere in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. R is the distance of that object from the Sun in astronomical units. An astronomical unit is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. And Delta is the distance of that object from the Earth, also in astronomical units. I omit the ‘m’ in am and pm for compactness. The data was generated using my LookingUp for DOS app and displayed as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 01/17/2025 – Venus passes Saturn in conjunction tomorrow

January 17, 2025 Comments off

We end this week of planetary events with this post:

This is Ephemeris for Friday, January 17th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 16 minutes, setting at 5:31, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:14. The Moon, halfway from full to last quarter, will rise at 9:44 this evening.

Venus will pass the slower moving Saturn at about 11:00 tomorrow morning, so tonight and Saturday night are your best times to see these two planets at their closest. They will probably be slightly closer tomorrow night than tonight. This apparent meeting of two planets is called a conjunction. The two planets are not anywhere close to each other, in fact Venus is closer than the Sun right now, and Saturn is 10 times farther away than the Sun. They just happen to be near the same line of sight. From there both will lose their battle with evening twilight. Saturn will make it back to conjunction with the Sun first, ten days before Venus. Before that Mercury will pass in conjunction with Venus.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

Saturn and Venus are seen on three evenings around 6:30 PM: January 17th, 18th, and 19th
Saturn and Venus are seen on three evenings around 6:30 PM: January 17th, 18th, and 19th. The step is the sidereal day, not the solar day, so the stars would not move, and the motion shown is actually the planets motion against the stars. The sidereal day is 3 minutes 56 seconds shorter than the 24 hour day we call a solar day. Which means the stars set earlier by that amount each night. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
An oblique perspective view of the solar system showing the line of sight from Earth to Venus and Saturn for the conjunction of January 18th 2025
An oblique perspective view of the solar system showing the line of sight from Earth to Venus and Saturn for the conjunction of January 18th 2025. Created using my LookingUp app , LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.

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

Ephemeris: 01/15/2025 – Our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets

January 15, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, January 15th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 12 minutes, setting at 5:28, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:15. The Moon, 2 days past full, will rise at 7:27 this evening.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 8 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all low in the west southwest. Left and a bit above it is Saturn. They will appear at their closest Friday and Saturday nights. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the southeast. The 4th planet out is Mars, which is at opposition from the Sun tonight. Mars will not get this close to the Earth again until 2031. It shines with its reddish hue a third as bright as Jupiter in the eastern sky. On unusually close approaches, Mars can actually outshine Jupiter. The fifth naked eye planet, Mercury, is too close to the Sun on the morning side to be visible.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

A 8 PM January 15, 2025 planet panorama
A 8 PM January 15, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the west-southwest, and Jupiter is in the southeast. Mars is in the east-northeast. The waning gibbous Moon is rising in the east-northeast. The first magnitude stars are also named. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tonight at 9 PM, January 15, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope
The Moon tonight at 9 PM, January 15, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.

Translations of some lunar feature names according to Virtual Moon Atlas

Mare Cognitum – Sea of Knowledge
Mare Crisium – Sea of Crises
Mare Fecunditatis – Sea of Fruitfulness
Mare Frigoris – Sea of Cold
Mare Humorum – Sea of Moisture
Mare Imbrium – Sea of Showers
Mare Nectaris – Sea of Nectar
Mare Nubium – Sea of Clouds
Mare Serenitatis – Sea of Serenity
Mare Tranquillitatis – Sea of Tranquility
Mare Vaporum – Sea of Vapors
Montes Alpes – Alps Mountains
Montes Apenninus – Apennines Mountains
Oceanus Procellarum – Ocean of Storms
Sinus Iridium – Bay of Rainbows
Sinus Medii – Central Bay

Mare is pronounced Mar-e. Craters are named for persons, real or otherwise.

Telescopic Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars
Telescopic Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM, January 15, 2025. Apparent diameters: Venus 26.1″, 47.8% illuminated; Saturn 16.2″, its rings 37.8″, 3.7 degrees from edge on (closing); Jupiter 45.5″; Mars, 14.6″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. Jupiter’s moon Europa is behind the planet and will reappear on Callisto’s side of the planet at 9:22 PM (2:22 UT). The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. 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 on January 15, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 16th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, January 15 and 16, 2025. Some of the columns are self-explanatory, others not. The transit column is the time that the body crosses the meridian and is due south. Elong, for elongation, is the angle between the Sun and that body. RA is right ascension, which is the object’s east-west position on the celestial sphere in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. R is the distance of that object from the Sun in astronomical units. An astronomical unit is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. And Delta is the distance of that object from the Earth, also in astronomical units. I omit the ‘m’ in am and pm for compactness. The data was generated using my LookingUp for DOS app and displayed as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.

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

Ephemeris: 01/08/2025 – A weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets

January 8, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, January 8th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 1 minute, setting at 5:20, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:18. The Moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 4:05 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 8:00 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all low in the west southwest. Above and left of that is Saturn. The waxing gibbous moon is high in the South at that time. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the southeast. The 4th planet out is Mars which is low in the east northeast with its reddish hue giving it away. Next Monday the Moon will pass directly over the planet Mars in our evening sky. The fifth naked eye planet, Mercury, is too close to the Sun on it morning side to be visible.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

A 7 PM January 8, 2025, planet panorama
A 7 PM January 8, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the southwest, and Jupiter is in the east. Mars is just rising in the east-northeast. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tonight, January 8, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope
The Moon tonight, January 8, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars
Telescopic Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 7 PM, January 8, 2025. Apparent diameters: Venus 24.1″, 51.6% illuminated; Saturn 16.4″, its rings 38.2″, 4.0 degrees from edge on (closing); Jupiter 46.3″; Mars, 14.5″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. Jupiter’s moon Io will disappear behind the planet later in the evening and reappear on the other side after midnight. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. 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 on January 8, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 9th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
A low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, January 8 and 9, 2025. Some of the columns are self-explanatory, others not. The transit column is the time that the body crosses the meridian and is due south. Elong, for elongation, is the angle between the Sun and that body. RA is right ascension, which is the object’s east-west position on the celestial sphere in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. R is the distance of that object from the Sun in astronomical units. An astronomical unit is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. And Delta is the distance of that object from the Earth, also in astronomical units. I omit the ‘m’ in am and pm for compactness. The data was generated using my LookingUp for DOS app and displayed as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.

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

Ephemeris: 01/01/2025 – A New Year’s Day look at the naked-eye planets

January 1, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1st, 2025. The Sun will rise at 8:20. It’ll be up for 8 hours and 53 minutes, setting at 5:13. The Moon, 2 days past new, will set at 7:02 this evening.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus can be spotted in the south-southwestern sky by 5:45 PM, about 30 minutes after sunset, and will also be above and left of the thin crescent Moon. Venus will set at 9:10 PM. Saturn will be in the south-southwestern sky at 6 PM, above and left of Venus, which will be seen to cross paths with it on the 18th of this month. Jupiter is low in the east, about the same time Venus is first spotted. It will be a good object for the small telescope. Mars, rises tonight at 6:31. Mars is still considered a morning planet since it is still up at sunrise. But that will end on the 15th of this month, when Mars reaches opposition from the Sun.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Happy New Year! I do really hope it will be happy…

Addendum

This is a 7 PM planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the southwest, and Jupiter is in the east. Mars is just rising in the east-northeast
This is a 7 PM planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the southwest, and Jupiter is in the east. Mars is just rising in the east-northeast. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The waxing two day old Moon with earthshine on its night side
The waxing two day old Moon with earthshine on its night side. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification
Telescopic Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, Jupiter specifically for 7 PM, January 1, 2025. Apparent diameters: Venus 22.4″, 55% illuminated; Saturn 16.6″, its rings 38.6″, 4.3 degrees from edge on (closing); Jupiter 47.0″; Mars, 14.3″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. 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 on January 1, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 2nd
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on January 1, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 2nd. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, January 1 and 2, 2025. Some of the columns are self-explanatory, others not. The transit column is the time that the body crosses the meridian and is due south. Elong, for elongation, is the angle between the Sun and that body. RA is right ascension, which is the object’s east-west position on the celestial sphere in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. R is the distance of that object from the Sun in astronomical units. An astronomical unit is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. And Delta is the distance of that object from the Earth, also in astronomical units. I omit the ‘m’ in am and pm for compactness. The data was generated using my LookingUp for DOS app and displayed as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.

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

Ephemeris: 12/25/2024 – A Christmas week look at the naked-eye planets

December 25, 2024 1 comment

This is Ephemeris for Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25th. Today the Sun will be up for 8 hours and 48 minutes, setting at 5:07, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:19. The Moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 4:16 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus can be spotted in the south-southwestern sky by 5:30 PM, about 30 minutes after sunset. It will set at 8:41 PM. Saturn will be in the south at 6 PM, way above the bright star Fomalhaut. Jupiter is low in the east-northeast, about the same time Venus is first spotted. It will be a good object for the small telescope about an hour later. Mars, rises tonight at 7:44, It will appear above the Moon in the evening. Mars is still considered a morning planet since it is still up at sunrise. By 6:00 AM tomorrow Jupiter will be low in the west-northwest, to the right of the setting Orion, while reddish Mars will be high in the west-southwest.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

This is a 6 PM planet panorama
This is a 6 PM planet panorama. Venus is in the southwest, Saturn is in the south, and Jupiter is rising in the east. Mars will rise shortly. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Looking eastward at 9:00 PM at Jupiter and Mars among the rising winter constellations
Looking eastward at 9:00 PM at Jupiter and Mars among the rising winter constellations. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tomorrow morning
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tomorrow morning, December 26, 2024. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification
Telescopic Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, Jupiter specifically for 8 PM, December 25, 2024. Apparent diameters: Venus 21.0″, 58.1% illuminated; Saturn 16.7″, its rings 39.0″, 4.5 degrees from edge on (closing); Jupiter 47.5″; Mars, 13.9″. Saturn’s rings are actually much brighter than depicted here. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. 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 on December 25, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 26th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, December 25 and 26, 2024. Some of the columns are self-explanatory, others not. The transit column is the time that the body crosses the meridian and is due south. Elong, for elongation, is the angle between the Sun and that body. RA is right ascension, which is the object’s east-west position on the celestial sphere in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. R is the distance of that object from the Sun in astronomical units. An astronomical unit is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. And Delta is the distance of that object from the Earth, also in astronomical units. I omit the ‘m’ in am and pm for compactness. The data was generated using my LookingUp for DOS app and displayed as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.

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