Archive
09/07/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets visible this week
Wednesday, September 7th. The sun will rise at 7:11. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 56 minutes, setting at 8:08. The moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 3:23 tomorrow morning.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The ringed planet Saturn will be barely visible in the west southwest in evening twilight. It’s near the bright star Spica to its left. Spica has a blue tinge, while Saturn is yellowish. It will set at 9:25 p.m. Because we are seeing Saturn in evening twilight now its image is being deteriorated by the earth’s atmosphere being low in the sky. Jupiter will rise at 10:10 p.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries now. Mars will rise at 2:36 a.m also in the east northeast and is now passing through the constellation Gemini the twins. Mercury is briefly visible now from about half an hour after its rising in the east at 5:43 until about 20 minutes before sunrise.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
08/31/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets for this week
Wednesday, August 31st. The sun will rise at 7:03. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 17 minutes, setting at 8:21. The moon, 3 days past new, will set at 9:19 this evening.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The ringed planet Saturn will be visible in the west southwest in evening twilight. It’s near the bright star Spica to its left. Spica has a blue tinge, while Saturn is yellowish. It will set at 9:50 p.m. Saturn is a wonderful sight is a telescope with its rings. We are seeing Saturn in evening twilight now. Its image is being deteriorated by the earth’s atmosphere being low in the sky. Jupiter will rise at 10:37 p.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries now. Mars will rise at 2:42 a.m also in the east northeast and is now passing through the constellation Gemini the twins. Venus, now in the evening sky, is too close to the sun to be seen.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
08/24/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets visible this week
Wednesday, August 24th. The sun rises at 6:55. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 38 minutes, setting at 8:33. The moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:47 tomorrow morning.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The ringed planet Saturn will be visible in the west southwest in evening twilight. It’s near the bright star Spica to its left. Spica has a blue tinge, while Saturn is yellowish. It will set at 10:17 p.m. Saturn is a wonderful sight is a telescope with its rings. We are seeing Saturn in evening twilight now. Its image is being deteriorated by the earth’s atmosphere being low in the sky. Jupiter will rise at 11:04 p.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries now. Mars will rise at 2:48 a.m also in the east northeast and is now passing through the constellation Gemini the twins. Venus, now in the evening sky, is too close to the sun to be seen.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
08/17/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets this week
Aug 17. This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, August 17th. The sun rises at 6:47. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 58 minutes, setting at 8:45. The moon, half way from full to last quarter, will rise at 10:00 this evening.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The ringed planet Saturn will be visible in the west southwest as it gets dark. It’s near the bright star Spica to its left. Spica has a blue tinge, while Saturn is yellowish. It will set at 10:43 p.m. Saturn is a wonderful sight is a telescope with its rings. We are now slowly seeing Saturn slip into evening twilight. We have very little time of good viewing of Saturn before its image deteriorates by being too low in the sky. Jupiter will rise at 11:31 p.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries now. Mars will rise at 2:54 a.m also in the east northeast and is now passing through the constellation Gemini the twins.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
08/03/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets for this week
Wednesday, August 3rd. The sun rises at 6:30. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 9:05. The moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 10:47 this evening.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The ringed planet Saturn will be visible in the west southwest as it gets dark. It’s near the bright star Spica to its left. Spica has a blue tinge, while Saturn is yellowish. It will set at 11:35 p.m. Saturn is a wonderful sight is a telescope with its rings. We are now slowly seeing Saturn slip into evening twilight. We have a couple of more weeks of good viewing of Saturn before its image deteriorates by being too low in the sky. Jupiter will rise at 12:24 a.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries now. Mars will rise at 3:08 also in the east northeast and is now entering the constellation Gemini the twins at Castor’s foot.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/27/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets this week
Wednesday, July 27th. The sun rises at 6:23. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 50 minutes, setting at 9:14. The moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 4:00 tomorrow morning.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The ringed planet Saturn will be visible in the west southwest as it gets dark. It’s near the bright star Spica to its left. Spica has a blue tinge, while Saturn is yellowish. It will set at 11:58 p.m. Saturn is a wonderful sight is a telescope with its rings. We are now slowly seeing Saturn slip into evening twilight. We have a few more weeks of good viewing of Saturn before its image deteriorates by being too low in the sky. Jupiter will rise at 12:50 a.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries now. Mars will rise at 3:15 also in the east northeast and is located near the lower tip of the horn of Taurus the bull.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Wednesday, July 27th. The sun rises at 6:23. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 50 minutes, setting at 9:14. The moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 4:00 tomorrow morning. | It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The ringed planet Saturn will be visible in the west southwest as it gets dark. It’s near the bright star Spica to its left. Spica has a blue tinge, while Saturn is yellowish. It will set at 11:58 p.m. Saturn is a wonderful sight is a telescope with its rings. We are now slowly seeing Saturn slip into evening twilight. We have a few more weeks of good viewing of Saturn before its image deteriorates by being too low in the sky. Jupiter will rise at 12:50 a.m. in the east northeast and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries now. Mars will rise at 3:15 also in the east northeast and is located near the lower tip of the horn of Taurus the bull.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/20/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets visible this week
Wednesday, July 20th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 5 minutes, setting at 9:21. The moon, 3 days before last quarter, will rise at 11:33 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:16.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The ringed planet Saturn will be visible in the west southwest as it gets dark. It’s near the bright star Spica to its left. Spica has a blue tinge, while Saturn is yellowish. It will set at 12:29 a.m. Saturn is a wonderful sight is a telescope with its rings. We are now slowly seeing Saturn slip into evening twilight. We have about another month of good viewing of Saturn before its image deteriorates by being too low in the sky. Jupiter will rise at 1:15 a.m. in the east and is seen against the stars of Aries now. Mars will rise at 3:24 in the east northeast and is located against the horns of Taurus the bull.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/13/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets visible this week
Wednesday, July 13th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 16 minutes, setting at 9:26. The moon, 2 days before full, will set at 5:29 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:10.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The ringed planet Saturn will be visible in the west southwest as it gets dark. It’s near the bright star Spica to its left. Spica has a blue tinge, while Saturn is yellowish. It will set at 12:55 a.m. Saturn is a wonderful sight is a telescope with its rings. The shadows of the rings on the planet and planet on the rings are now near their maximum extent. We are now slowly seeing Saturn slip into evening twilight. We have about another month of good viewing of Saturn before its image deteriorates by being too low in the sky. Jupiter will rise at 1:40 a.m. in the east. Mars will rise at 3:33 in the east northeast.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
04/12/11 – Ephemeris – Saturn and its moon Titan
Tuesday, April 12th. The sun will rise at 7:04. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 8:23. The moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 4:16 tomorrow morning.
The planet Saturn, now rising up in the southeastern sky is always the most wonderful sight in a small telescope. The rings are slowly opening to the sun, however for us on the earth, whose orbit is tilted by about 2 and a half degrees to the Saturn’s orbit of the sun, the rings appear to be closing just a bit right now. After June they will open up again. Tonight a small telescope will also reveal Saturn’s largest satellite or moon which will be off the edge of the longest extent of the rings to the east of Saturn. Titan is the second largest moon in the solar system, after Jupiter’s Ganymede. It is larger than the planet Mercury and the only moon with a substantial atmosphere. Titan’s surface atmospheric pressure is slightly greater than the earth’s.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and some of its bright moons for April 12, 2011. Created using Cartes du Ciel
Titan is the easiest moon to see. Rhea is more difficult. The others being close to Saturn tonight may be impossible to spot. The free programs Cartes du Ciel and Stellarium will show the positions of Saturn’s satellites. See the Free Astronomical Software links in the right. Stellarium does have a problem getting the satellite brightness right, they’re too bright.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 