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12/14/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and a second look at the Geminid meteor shower near its peak

December 14, 2022 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, December 14th. Today the Sun will be up for 8 hours and 50 minutes, setting at 5:02, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:13. The Moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 11:10 this evening.

Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. The Geminid meteor shower will be near peak again this evening, and the Moon will not interfere with it until just after 11 pm. The meteors will appear all over the sky, but will be seen to come from the constellation Gemini, high above Orion the hunter. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible from east to south-southwest this evening by 6 pm. Jupiter is the brightest of the three in the southeast, while dimmer Saturn is in the south-southwest at that hour. Mars will end up being above and to the right of Orion later on this evening. They will be shifting westward throughout the evening. Saturn, the westernmost of the bright planets, will set around 9:41 this evening. Venus and Mercury are also in the evening sky, but too close to the setting Sun to be easily spotted.

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

Evening planets at 8 pm.

Evening planets at 8 pm in this panorama from east to southwest with the zodiacal constellations. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.

The waning gibbous Moon in as it might look like in binoculars or a telescope at low power at 6 am, Thursday, December 15, 2022. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw and GIMP.

Telescopic views of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars

Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image of Mars doesn’t show it, but the white north polar cap will appear at the top or north limb of Mars. The planets are shown at 8 pm tonight, December 14, 2022. Apparent diameters: Saturn 16.09″, its rings 37.49″; Jupiter 41.58″. Mars 16.61″. Mars’ distance is 52.4 million miles (84.4 million kilometers). The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Planets and the Moon 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 14, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 15th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.

12/07/2022 – Ephemeris – An occultation of Mars and a look at the other naked eye planets.

December 7, 2022 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, December 7th. Today the Sun will be up for 8 hours and 55 minutes, setting at 5:02, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:07. The Moon, at full today, will rise at 4:31 this evening.

Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible this evening, in the southeastern sky by 6 pm. At that time, Mars will be below, left of the bright full Moon. Jupiter is the brightest of the three in the southeast, while dimmer Saturn is in the south-southeast at that hour. Mars will be hidden behind the Moon from about 10:15 to 11:15 pm tonight for the IPR area. Being a full moon, Mars might be difficult to spot. It may take binoculars to spot it below, left of the Moon by 9:30, and a small telescope when Mars is near the edge of the Moon. The disappearance of Mars will be at the Moon’s 7 o’clock position, and reappearance at the 4 o’clock position. Bobmoler.wordpress.com (you are already here) has more information.

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

Planets and Moon in the evening

Panoramic view of planets and Moon this evening at 7 pm tonight, December 7, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

Mars Occultation animation

Mars occultation animation in half hour steps for 9:15 pm, 9:45 pm, 10:15 pm (Ingress), 10:45 pm (mid-occultation), 11:15 pm (egress), 11:45 pm. The Moon and the apparent path of Mars rotates as they cross the sky from east to west. In actuality, the Moon is much brighter than Mars, so picking the planet out tonight will be a challenge. It will take the Moon almost a minute to completely cover Mars, and nearly another minute to uncover it. The plot is centered on the Moon here, but the Moon provides most of the motion here. On average, the Moon moves 12 degrees a day, while Mars moves less than a degree against the starry background. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.

Telescopic views of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars

Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image of Mars doesn’t show it, but the white north polar cap will appear at the top or north limb of Mars. The planets are shown at 8 pm tonight, December 7, 2022. Apparent diameters: Saturn 16.25″, its rings 37.86″; Jupiter 42.55″. Mars 17.05″. Mars’ distance is 51.0 million miles (82.1 million kilometers). This is the closest it comes to the Earth this orbit. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Planets and the Moon 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 7, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 8th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.

Occultation map Mars 2022-12-8 UT

World map showing the area that the occultation of Mars will be visible. Occultation visibility will move from west to east. Credit: Occult version 4. This evening in the EST zone is the 8th for Universal Time (UT), or GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) if you’re older.

 

11/30/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week

November 30, 2022 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, November 30th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 5 minutes, setting at 5:04, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:59. The Moon, at first quarter today, will set at 12:44 tomorrow morning.

Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Jupiter and Saturn will be visible this evening, in the southeastern sky, by 6 pm. Jupiter is the brighter of the two to the left, in the southeast, while dimmer Saturn is in the south at that hour. The Moon will be between them. The red planet Mars, though a morning planet for six more days, will be seen low on the east-northeast horizon at that hour. It’s located between the long horns of Taurus the bull. Mars is moving westward in its retrograde motion as the Earth will pass it a week from now. This evening, Mars will be as close as it can get to the Earth this close approach, 50.61 million miles (81.45 million kilometers). That same night, the full Moon will pass in front of it for an hour. So on the same night, in our area, we will have Mars opposition from the Sun and it being occulted by the Moon.

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

Planets and Moon in the evening

Panoramic view of planets and Moon this evening at 7 pm tonight, November 30, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

Binocular First Quarter Moon with labels tonight

First Quarter Moon as it might be seen tonight in binoculars or low power telescope with labels for tonight, November 30, 2022. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw and GIMP.

Telescopic views of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars

Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image of Mars doesn’t show it, but the white north polar cap will appear at the top or north limb of Mars. The planets are shown at 8 pm tonight, November 30, 2022. Apparent diameters: Saturn 16.43″, its rings 38.26″; Jupiter 43.56″. Mars 17.20″. Mars’ distance is 50.5 million miles (81.4 million kilometers). This is the closest it comes to the Earth this orbit. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Planets and the Moon 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 November 30, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on December 1st. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.

11/23/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week

November 23, 2022 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, November 23rd. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 17 minutes, setting at 5:07, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:51. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.

Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Jupiter and Saturn will be visible this evening, in the southeastern sky, as soon after sunset as it will be dark enough to see them, which would be by 6 pm. Jupiter is the brighter of the two to the left, in the southeast, while dimmer Saturn is in the south at that hour. The red planet Mars, though a morning planet, will rise tonight at 6:05 pm in the northeast. It’s located nearly between the tips of the long horns of Taurus the bull, but toward the letter V of stars that is the face of Taurus. Mars is moving westward in its retrograde motion as the Earth will pass it in a couple of weeks. Venus and Mercury, though in the evening sky, are too close to the Sun to be seen.

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

Planets at 7 in the evening

A panorama from northeast to southwest of the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn at 7 pm tonight, November 23, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.

Telescopic views of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars

Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image of Mars doesn’t show it, but the white north polar cap will appear at the top or north limb of Mars. The planets are shown at 7 pm on the 23rd. Apparent diameters: Saturn 16.61″, its rings 38.69″; Jupiter 44.57″. Mars 17.05″. Mars’ distance is 51.0 million miles (82.1 million kilometers). The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Planets and the Moon 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 November 23, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 24th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.

11/22/2022 – Ephemeris – Finding Taurus the bull

November 22, 2022 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Tuesday, November 22nd. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 5:08, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:50. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 7:30 tomorrow morning.

Low in the east at 8 this evening and below the beautiful Pleiades star cluster is Taurus the bull. His face is a letter V shape of stars lying on its side, the star cluster Hyades, with the bright orange-red star Aldebaran at one tip of the V as its angry blood-shot eye, but actually about halfway between us and the cluster. The Pleiades star cluster is in his shoulder. Taurus is seen charging downward at that hour, the soon to rise constellation of Orion, with bright Mars near the horn tips. Taurus in Greek mythology was the form the god Zeus assumed when he carried off the maiden Europa. Europa’s still with him as the intriguing satellite completely covered by an ocean below its icy exterior, and orbiting Zeus’ Roman equivalent, the planet Jupiter.

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

Pleiades finder animation

Taurus, Pleiades and Mars finder animation for 8:30 pm tonight, November 22, 2022. Mars is the interloper this year, seen between the horns of Taurus the Bull. The V of stars that make up the face of Taurus the bull is a star cluster of stars called the Hyades. In Greek mythology, they are the half-sisters of the Pleiades. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.

Mars retrograde path 2022-2023

Mars retrograde path from October 29, 2022, to January 11, 2023, against the stars of Taurus the bull. It will be at opposition on December 7, and actually closest to the Earth on November 30 at 50.61 million miles or 81.45 million kilometers. In the upper right is the beautiful Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters. Below and right is the V shaped star cluster that represents the face of Taurus the bull, with the bright red star Aldebaran as the bull’s angry red eye. That V of stars is called the Hyades, who in mythology were the half sisters to the Pleiades. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts) and GIMP.

Rape of Europa

The Rape of Europa by Titian. According to the story, Zeus as a bull abducted Europa and swam to Crete, where she became the first queen of that island, and bore him three sons. Other paintings of this subject are by Rembrandt and de Troy. This painting belongs to the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum in Boston, MA.

11/16/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week

November 16, 2022 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, November 16th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 5:13, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:42. The Moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 12:19 tomorrow morning.

Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Jupiter and Saturn will be visible this evening, in the southeastern sky, as soon after sunset as it will be dark enough to see them, which would be by 6 pm. Jupiter is the brighter of the two to the left, in the southeast, while dimmer Saturn is in the south. The red planet Mars, though a morning planet, will rise tonight at 6:43 pm in the east-northeast. It’s located between the tips of the long horns of Taurus the bull. Mars is beginning to move westward in its retrograde motion as the Earth is starting to pass it. Which it will do in three weeks time. Venus and Mercury, though in the evening sky, are too close to the Sun to be seen.

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

Planets and Zodiac in the evening

A panorama from northeast to southwest of planets and Zodiac constellations in the evening. Showing between just the sky and constellation lines and labels alternately. For tonight at 8 pm, November 16, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.

Fat waning crescent Moon with labels.

Fat waning crescent Moon with labels showing alternately for 6 am tomorrow, November 17, 2022. Labels are centered on their features, unless a pointer is used in congested areas. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.

Telescopic views of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars

Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image of Mars doesn’t show it, but the white north polar cap will appear at the top or north limb of Mars. Saturn and Jupiter are shown at 9 pm on the 16th, Mars at 6 am on the 17th. Apparent diameters: Saturn 16.80″, its rings 39.14″; Jupiter 45.55″. Mars 16.67″. Mars’ distance is 52.0 million miles (83.8 million kilometers). The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

At 9 pm, only two of Jupiter’s moons will be visible next to the planet. They are Ganymede and Callisto. Io is behind the planet, while Europa is transiting the planet. In actuality, a transiting moon is very difficult to spot. However, its shadow crossing the planet is easier to spot. Europa’s shadow will start to cross the face of Jupiter at 11:42 pm EST, with Io popping out from Jupiter’s shadow 5 minutes later. The phenomena of Jupiter’s moons are printed each month in Sky and Telescope Magazine.

Planets and the Moon 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 November 16, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 17th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.

11/09/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week

November 9, 2022 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, November 9th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 5:21, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:33. The Moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 5:57 this evening.

Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Jupiter and Saturn will be visible this evening, in the southeastern sky, as soon after sunset as it will be dark enough to see them, which would be by 6:30 pm, now that we’re back on standard time. Jupiter is the brighter of the two to the left, in the southeast, while dimmer Saturn is in the south. The red planet Mars, though a morning planet, will rise tonight at 7:13 pm in the east-northeast. It’s located between the tips of the long horns of Taurus the bull. Those stars may be hard to spot with the bright Moon nearby. Mars is beginning to move westward in its retrograde motion as the Earth is beginning to pass it. Which it will do in a month’s time.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 5 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Planets and the Moon at 8 pm this evening

Planets and the Moon visible at 8 pm this evening. Jupiter and Saturn in the south with Mars, rising in the east-northeast. Mars is not yet an evening planet. It’s a month away from rising before sunset and becoming one. Created using Stellarium.

Annotated waning Gibbous Moon Animation for tonight

Annotated waning Gibbous Moon Animation for tonight, November 9, 2022, as it might look like in binoculars or a small telescope. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw and GIMP.

Translations of some lunar feature names according to Virtual Moon Atlas

Mare Crisium – Sea of Crises
Mare Frigoris – Sea of Cold
Mare Humorum – Sea of Moisture
Mare Imbrium – Sea of Showers
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 Asperitatis – Golfe des Asperites
Sinus Iridium – Bay of Rainbows
Sinus Medii – Central Bay

Craters are generally named after astronomers, people of science, or explorers

Note that Mare is pronounced Mar-é

Telescopic views of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars

Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image of Mars doesn’t show it, but the white north polar cap will appear at the top or north limb of Mars. The planets are shown at 10 pm. Apparent diameters: Saturn 17.00″, its rings 39.60″; Jupiter 46.50″; Mars 16.04″. Mars’ distance is 54.3 million miles (87.4 million kilometers). The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

A note on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede: It will end its transit of the face of Jupiter at 10:04 pm.

Planets and the Moon 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 November 9, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 10th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.

11/02/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week

November 2, 2022 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, November 2nd. The Sun will rise at 8:22. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 7 minutes, setting at 6:29. The Moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 2:38 tomorrow morning.

Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Jupiter and Saturn will be visible this evening, in the southeastern sky with the bright moon between them, as soon after sunset as it will be dark enough to see them, which would be by 7:45 pm. Jupiter is the brighter of the two to the left of the Moon, while dimmer Saturn is closer to the Moon on the right. The red planet Mars, though a morning planet, will rise tonight at 8:46 pm in the northeast. It’s located between the tips of the long horns of Taurus the bull, slowly moving northward between those horn tip stars in its big torn to the west among the stars. By seven tomorrow morning, the red planet Mars will be fairly high in the southwestern sky, above and right of the winter constellation of Orion.

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

Planets in the evening

Planets and the Moon visible in the evening. Jupiter and Saturn in the south with Mars, rising in the northeast. Mars is not yet an evening planet. It’s still more than a month away from rising before sunset and becoming one. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.

The Moon in binoculars

The Moon as it might be seen in binoculars or small telescope tonight, November 2, 2022 with labels of prominent features. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw and GIMP.

Translations of some lunar feature names according to Virtual Moon Atlas

Mare Crisium – Sea of Crises
Mare Fecunditatis – Sea of Fertility
Mare Imbrium – Sea of Showers
Mare Nubium – Sea of Clouds
Mare Serenitatis – Sea of Serenity
Mare Tranquillitatis – Sea of Tranquility
Mare Vaporum – Sea of Vapors
Montes Apenninus – Apennines Mountains
Sinus Asperitatis – Golfe des Asperites
Sinus Medii – Bay of the Center

Craters are generally named after astronomers, people of science, or explorers

Note that Mare is pronounced Mar-é

Mars in the morning

Mars in the at 7 am tomorrow morning, November 3, 2022. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic views of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars

Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image of Mars doesn’t show it, but the white north polar cap will appear at the top or north limb of Mars. Saturn and Jupiter are shown at 9 pm, Mars at 11 pm. Apparent diameters: Saturn 17.20″, its rings 40.07″; Jupiter 47.37″. Mars 15.34″. Mars’ distance is 56.7 million miles (91.4 million kilometers). The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

A note on Jupiter and its moons: Before 7:56 pm, Io will be in Jupiter’s shadow. At 8:22 pm, Ganymede’s shadow will begin to cross the face of Jupiter. In the image above, the shadow, a small dot, is seen on the lower left of the disk. Europa’s shadow was on the disk prior to 9 pm. Ganymede’s shadow will leave the disk at 11:08 pm. Shadows cross Jupiter’s disk from east to west (right to left) in this view.

Planets and the Moon 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 November 2, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 3rd. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.

10/26/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week

October 26, 2022 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 26th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 6:40, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:14. The Moon, 1 day past new, will set at 7:21 this evening.

Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Jupiter and Saturn will be visible this evening, in the east-southeast and south-southeast respectively, as soon after sunset as it will be dark enough to see them, which would be by 7:45 pm. Jupiter is seen against the stars of Pisces the fish, while Saturn is spotted in the eastern end of Capricornus the sea goat. The red planet Mars, though a morning planet, will rise tonight at 9:15 pm in the northeast. It’s located between the tips of the long horns of Taurus the bull. By seven tomorrow morning, the red planet Mars will be high in the southwestern sky, above the winter constellation of Orion. Mars has traveled about as far east as it will get for a while. It will head back westward after Sunday.

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

Evening planets label animation

Jupiter and Saturn with label animation for 8 pm tonight, October 26, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.

Mars at 11 pm

Though Mars is a morning planet, since it is in the sky at sunrise, perhaps the best time to vies it is in the evening after it rises in the east-northeast at 9:15 pm. By 11 pm, as seen here, Mars should be high enough to present a decent image in a telescope. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic views of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars

Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image of Mars doesn’t show it, but the white north polar cap will appear at the top or north limb of Mars. Saturn and Jupiter are shown at 8 pm, Mars at 11 pm. Apparent diameters: Saturn 17.41″, its rings 40.55″; Jupiter 48.16″. Mars 14.58″. Mars’ distance is 59.7 million miles (96.2 million kilometers). The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Planets and the Moon 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 October 26, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 27th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program and GIMP.

10/19/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week

October 19, 2022 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 19th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 47 minutes, setting at 6:51, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:04. The Moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:29 tomorrow morning.

Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. Jupiter and Saturn will be visible this evening, in the east-southeast and south-southeast respectively, as soon after sunset as it will be dark enough to see them, which would be by 7:45 pm. Jupiter is seen against the stars of Pisces the fish, while Saturn is spotted in the eastern end of Capricornus the sea goat. The red planet Mars, though a morning planet, will rise tonight at 9:41 pm in the northeast. It’s located between the tips of the long horns of Taurus the bull. By seven tomorrow morning, the red planet Mars will be high in the southwestern sky, above the winter constellation of Orion. Tiny Mercury might be spotted very low in the east around 7:30 am for the next few days.

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 Saturn in the evening finder animation

Jupiter and Saturn in the evening finder animation for 9 pm tonight, October 19, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.

Mars among the morning stars

Mars among the winter stars at 7 tomorrow morning, October 20, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

Waning crescent Moon labeled/unlabeled animation

Waning crescent Moon labeled/unlabeled animation for 7 tomorrow morning, October 20, 2022. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.

Telescopic views of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars

Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image of Mars doesn’t show it, but the white north polar cap will appear at the top or north limb of Mars. Saturn and Jupiter are shown at 9 pm, Mars at 7 am. I do not show planets less than 10 seconds of arc in diameter, so Mercury is not shown. Apparent diameters: Saturn 17.61″, its rings 41.02″; Jupiter 48.82″. Mars 13.86″. Mars’ distance is 63.0 million miles (101.4 million kilometers). The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Planets and the Moon 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 October 19, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 20th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program and GIMP.