12/01/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s preview December skies
This is Ephemeris for Thursday, December 1st. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 3 minutes, setting at 5:03, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:01. The Moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 1:57 tomorrow morning.
Let’s preview December’s skies. Winter will officially arrive on the 21st at 4:48 p.m., the winter solstice. The noontime Sun will dip from 23 ½ degrees to a bit less than 22 degrees above the southern horizon on that day. There will be little movement in the sunset times: In the Traverse City/Interlochen area this will be from 5:03 today, down to 5:02 and then advancing to 5:11 at the end of the month. The sunrise times will advance from 7:59 today to 8:20 on the 31st. The Moon will pass in front of Mars on the 7th, the night of the full moon and Mars opposition. The Geminid meteor shower whose maximum is on the morning of the 14th will have interference from the last quarter 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
December Evening Star Chart
Star Chart for December 2022 (9 p.m. EST December 15, 2022). Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on image to enlarge.
Credit my LookingUp program.
The planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 9 pm EST in the evening and 6 a.m. for the morning chart. These are the chart times. Note that Traverse City is located approximately 45 minutes behind our time meridian, West 75° longitude. (An hour 45 minutes behind our daylight saving time meridian during EDT).
December Morning Star Chart
Star Chart for December mornings, 2022 (6 a.m. EST December 15, 2022). Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
For a list of constellation names to go with the abbreviations, click here.
- Pointer stars at the front of the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris, the North Star.
- The leaky bowl of the Big Dipper drips on Leo.
- Follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper to the star Arcturus, then
- Follow the spike to Spica.
- The Summer Triangle is in red.
- GemR on the star charts is the radiant of the Geminid meteor shower, which peaks on the morning of the 14th.
Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical
| EST | |||||||
| Morning | Twilight | Evening | Twilight | Dark | Night | Moon | |
| Date | Astro. | Nautical | Nautical | Astro. | Start | End | Illum. |
| 2022-12-01 | 6h20m | 6h56m | 18h16m | 18h51m | 0h44m | 6h20m | 0.67 |
| 2022-12-02 | 6h21m | 6h57m | 18h16m | 18h51m | 1h57m | 6h21m | 0.77 |
| 2022-12-03 | 6h22m | 6h57m | 18h16m | 18h51m | 3h08m | 6h22m | 0.85 |
| 2022-12-04 | 6h23m | 6h58m | 18h15m | 18h51m | 4h18m | 6h23m | 0.92 |
| 2022-12-05 | 6h24m | 6h59m | 18h15m | 18h50m | 5h27m | 6h24m | 0.96 |
| 2022-12-06 | 6h25m | 7h00m | 18h15m | 18h50m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2022-12-07 | 6h26m | 7h01m | 18h15m | 18h50m | – | – | 1 |
| 2022-12-08 | 6h27m | 7h02m | 18h15m | 18h50m | – | – | 0.99 |
| 2022-12-09 | 6h28m | 7h03m | 18h15m | 18h51m | – | – | 0.96 |
| 2022-12-10 | 6h28m | 7h04m | 18h15m | 18h51m | 18h51m | 18h55m | 0.92 |
| 2022-12-11 | 6h29m | 7h05m | 18h15m | 18h51m | 18h51m | 19h56m | 0.86 |
| 2022-12-12 | 6h30m | 7h05m | 18h16m | 18h51m | 18h51m | 21h01m | 0.79 |
| 2022-12-13 | 6h31m | 7h06m | 18h16m | 18h51m | 18h51m | 22h06m | 0.71 |
| 2022-12-14 | 6h31m | 7h07m | 18h16m | 18h51m | 18h51m | 23h11m | 0.62 |
| 2022-12-15 | 6h32m | 7h07m | 18h16m | 18h52m | 18h52m | – | 0.52 |
| 2022-12-16 | 6h33m | 7h08m | 18h16m | 18h52m | 18h52m | 0h16m | 0.42 |
| 2022-12-17 | 6h33m | 7h09m | 18h17m | 18h52m | 18h52m | 1h22m | 0.32 |
| 2022-12-18 | 6h30m | 7h05m | 18h13m | 18h49m | 18h49m | 2h31m | 0.22 |
| 2022-12-19 | 6h31m | 7h06m | 18h14m | 18h49m | 18h49m | 3h43m | 0.14 |
| 2022-12-20 | 6h31m | 7h07m | 18h14m | 18h50m | 18h50m | 5h00m | 0.07 |
| 2022-12-21 | 6h32m | 7h07m | 18h15m | 18h50m | 18h50m | 6h20m | 0.02 |
| 2022-12-22 | 6h32m | 7h08m | 18h15m | 18h51m | 18h51m | 6h32m | 0 |
| 2022-12-23 | 6h33m | 7h08m | 18h16m | 18h51m | 18h51m | 6h33m | 0.01 |
| 2022-12-24 | 6h33m | 7h08m | 18h16m | 18h52m | 18h52m | 6h33m | 0.05 |
| 2022-12-25 | 6h33m | 7h09m | 18h17m | 18h52m | 19h48m | 6h33m | 0.11 |
| 2022-12-26 | 6h34m | 7h09m | 18h17m | 18h53m | 21h11m | 6h34m | 0.2 |
| 2022-12-27 | 6h34m | 7h10m | 18h18m | 18h54m | 22h31m | 6h34m | 0.3 |
| 2022-12-28 | 6h34m | 7h10m | 18h19m | 18h54m | 23h47m | 6h34m | 0.41 |
| 2022-12-29 | 6h35m | 7h10m | 18h20m | 18h55m | – | 6h35m | 0.52 |
| 2022-12-30 | 6h35m | 7h10m | 18h20m | 18h56m | 0h59m | 6h35m | 0.62 |
| 2022-12-31 | 6h35m | 7h10m | 18h21m | 18h56m | 2h10m | 6h35m | 0.72 |
Twilight calendar was generated using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
See my blog post: Twilight Zone for the definitions of the different periods of twilight here: https://bobmoler.wordpress.com/2018/09/27/.
NASA Calendar of Planetary Events
Date Time Event
Dec 1 Th Venus: 9.9° E
1 Th 7:52 pm Moon-Jupiter: 2.6° N
5 Mo 7:38 am Moon Ascending Node
6 Tu 2:26 pm Moon-Pleiades: 2.9° N
7 We 11:08 pm Full Cold Moon
7 We 11:21 pm Moon-Mars: 0.6° S, Occultation!
7 We 11:24 pm Mars Opposition
9 Fr 4:22 pm Moon North Dec.: 27.4° N
11 Su 2:06 am Moon-Pollux: 2° N
11 Su 7:30 pm Moon Apogee: 405900 km
14 We 7:53 am Geminid Shower: ZHR = 120
16 Fr 3:56 am Last Quarter
19 Mo 8:36 pm Moon Descending Node
21 We 9:59 am Mercury Elongation: 20.1° E
21 We 4:48 pm Winter Solstice
21 We 5:43 pm Moon-Antares: 2.3° S
22 Th 4:00 pm Ursid Shower: ZHR = 10
23 Fr 5:17 am New Moon
23 Fr 1:18 pm Moon South Dec.: 27.4° S
24 Sa 3:32 am Moon Perigee: 358300 km
24 Sa 6:29 am Moon-Venus: 3.4° N
26 Mo 11:11 am Moon-Saturn: 4° N
29 Th 2:13 am Mercury-Venus: 1.4° N
29 Th 5:29 am Moon-Jupiter: 2.4° N
29 Th 8:20 pm First Quarter
All event times are given for UTC-5 Eastern Standard Time.
Sky Events Calendar by Fred Espenak and Sumit Dutta (NASA’s GSFC),
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html.
If you go to the above site, you can print out a list like the above for the entire year or calendar pages for your time zone.
Sun and Moon Rising and Setting Events
LU Ephemeris of Sky Events for Interlochen/TC December, 2022 Local time zone: EST +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DATE | SUN SUN DAYLIGHT| TWILIGHT* |MOON RISE OR ILLUM | | | RISE SET HOURS | END START |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN| +=======================================================================+ |Thu 1| 07:59a 05:03p 09:03 | 06:12p 06:50a | Set 01:57a 65%| |Fri 2| 08:01a 05:03p 09:02 | 06:12p 06:51a | Set 03:07a 75%| |Sat 3| 08:02a 05:02p 09:00 | 06:12p 06:52a | Set 04:17a 83%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 4| 08:03a 05:02p 08:59 | 06:12p 06:53a | Set 05:27a 90%| |Mon 5| 08:04a 05:02p 08:58 | 06:12p 06:54a | Set 06:36a 95%| |Tue 6| 08:05a 05:02p 08:57 | 06:12p 06:55a | Set 07:45a 99%| |Wed 7| 08:06a 05:02p 08:55 | 06:12p 06:56a |Full Rise 04:31p 100%| |Thu 8| 08:07a 05:02p 08:54 | 06:12p 06:57a | Rise 05:10p 99%| |Fri 9| 08:08a 05:02p 08:53 | 06:12p 06:58a | Rise 05:59p 97%| |Sat 10| 08:09a 05:02p 08:52 | 06:12p 06:58a | Rise 06:54p 93%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 11| 08:10a 05:02p 08:52 | 06:12p 06:59a | Rise 07:56p 87%| |Mon 12| 08:10a 05:02p 08:51 | 06:12p 07:00a | Rise 09:00p 80%| |Tue 13| 08:11a 05:02p 08:50 | 06:12p 07:01a | Rise 10:05p 72%| |Wed 14| 08:12a 05:02p 08:50 | 06:13p 07:01a | Rise 11:10p 63%| |Thu 15| 08:13a 05:02p 08:49 | 06:13p 07:02a | Rise 12:16a 54%| |Fri 16| 08:13a 05:03p 08:49 | 06:13p 07:03a |L Qtr Rise 01:22a 44%| |Sat 17| 08:14a 05:03p 08:48 | 06:14p 07:03a | Rise 02:31a 34%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 18| 08:15a 05:03p 08:48 | 06:14p 07:04a | Rise 03:43a 24%| |Mon 19| 08:15a 05:04p 08:48 | 06:14p 07:05a | Rise 04:59a 16%| |Tue 20| 08:16a 05:04p 08:48 | 06:15p 07:05a | Rise 06:20a 8%| |Wed 21| 08:16a 05:05p 08:48 | 06:15p 07:06a | Rise 07:41a 3%| |Thu 22| 08:17a 05:05p 08:48 | 06:16p 07:06a | Rise 08:56a 0%| |Fri 23| 08:17a 05:06p 08:48 | 06:16p 07:07a |New Set 05:08p 1%| |Sat 24| 08:18a 05:06p 08:48 | 06:17p 07:07a | Set 06:24p 4%| +------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Sun 25| 08:18a 05:07p 08:48 | 06:18p 07:08a | Set 07:47p 10%| |Mon 26| 08:19a 05:08p 08:49 | 06:18p 07:08a | Set 09:10p 18%| |Tue 27| 08:19a 05:08p 08:49 | 06:19p 07:08a | Set 10:30p 28%| |Wed 28| 08:19a 05:09p 08:49 | 06:20p 07:09a | Set 11:46p 39%| |Thu 29| 08:19a 05:10p 08:50 | 06:20p 07:09a |F Qtr Set 12:59a 49%| |Fri 30| 08:19a 05:11p 08:51 | 06:21p 07:09a | Set 02:09a 60%| |Sat 31| 08:20a 05:11p 08:51 | 06:22p 07:09a | Set 03:19a 70%| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ * Nautical Twilight ** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset
Generated using my LookingUp for DOS program.
Mars occultation by the Moon, the night of December 7/8, 2022
Occultation of Mars map. The occultation of Mars by the Moon will be visible from within the bounded area. For Traverse City, MI Mars will disappear around 10:15 pm, December 7, 2022 and reappear around 11:15 pm. I’ll have more on it next week. Credit: Occult v4 app.
11/30/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week
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
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.
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 (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).
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.
11/29/2022 – Ephemeris – Observing the Moon tonight
This is Ephemeris for Tuesday, November 29th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 6 minutes, setting at 5:04, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:58. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 11:28 this evening.
The illuminated part of tonight’s Moon will be a fat crescent shape, 12 hours, give or take from first quarter. Besides the lunar seas visible there are some large craters on its terminator, or sunrise line On the upper right are two distinctive craters near each other. The larger is Aristoteles named after the Greek philosopher Aristotle which is 53 miles wide. The smaller is Eudoxus, named after an older Greek philosopher, 41 miles in diameter. Both of these should be visible in small telescopes or even binoculars. They stand out because there are only a few small craters around them in pretty much flat terrain. Meanwhile Artemis 1’s Orion capsule is continuing to make a large lazy loop around the Moon before heading back to the Earth in 12 days.
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
Annotated Moon animation as it might appear tonight at 8 pm, November 29, 2022. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
Earthset from Artemis I’s Orion spacecraft, as it moves around to the far side of the Moon. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credit: NASA
11/28/2022 – Ephemeris – The Artemis Program
This is Ephemeris for Monday, November 28th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 8 minutes, setting at 5:04, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:57. The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 10:09 this evening.
Now that the Artemis I mission is ongoing, and the spacecraft is in a large orbit of the Moon, it’s time to look at the rest of the program. In 2024 the SLS or Space Launch System, which is the name for the whole rocket, will send a four-person crew in their Orion Capsule around the Moon and back. From what I’m seeing right now, it will be a simple mission. It doesn’t appear that they will actually orbit the Moon other than a free return trajectory back to the Earth. The mission a year or so after that will be one to attempt to land on one of the few flat sites near the south pole of the Moon. Speaking of the Moon, the planet Saturn will be about eight of the Moon’s diameter’s north or above the Moon tonight.
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
Earthset from Artemis I’s Orion spacecraft, as it moves around to the far side of the Moon. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credit: NASA
11/25/2022 – Ephemeris – The Anishinaabe constellations of Mooz and Ajijaak
This is Ephemeris for Native American Heritage Day, Friday, November 25th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 13 minutes, setting at 5:06, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:54. The Moon, 2 days past new, will set at 6:24 this evening.
The evening sky hosts two more of the constellations of the Anishinaabe native peoples of our area. High in the west, where the official constellation Cygnus the Swan is, or the Northern Cross is: Ajijaak, the Sand Hill Crane is flying upwards to the northeast through the Milky Way, wings outstretched, with its long legs trailing behind. Very high in the southern sky, above Jupiter this year, is the official constellation of Pegasus the flying horse is soaring upside down. His body is the Great Square, is an informal constellation. To the Anishinaabe, it is the Mooz (Moose), who is upright. His magnificent antlers take up the dim official constellation of Lacerta the lizard between Pegasus and Cygnus. Also in the sky is Ojiig the Fisher, our Big Dipper, whose bloody tail swooped down last month to paint the trees with their fall colors.
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
Mooz and Ajijaak finder animation for 8 pm tonight, November 25, 2022. This is looking almost to the zenith, facing southwest. First is the star field only, followed by the IAU (Western) constellation lines for Pegasus, Cygnus and Lacerta, along with their labels, and Jupiter, this year. This is followed by the constellation art. Then the Anishinaabe or Ojibwa constellation lines for Mooz and Ajijaak, Finally the constellation art for these are displayed.
Created using Stellarium and GIMP. Western constellation art by Johan Meuris. Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) art by A. Lee and W. Wilson from Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan – Ojibwe Sky Star Map, and is provided as part of Stellarium.
An animation of Fisher brushing his tail along the horizon on autumn nights. Created using Stellarium and GIMP. Constellation art from Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan – Ojibwe Sky Star Map.
11/24/2022 – Ephemeris – Finding Auriga the charioteer
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 15 minutes, setting at 5:07, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:52. The Moon, 1 day past new, will set at 5:31 this evening.
The constellation Auriga the charioteer is halfway up the sky in the east northeast at 9 p.m. It is a pentagon of stars, with the brilliant star Capella at the upper left of its corners. Capella represents a mama goat he’s carrying. A narrow triangle of stars just right of Capella are her kids, that is her baby goats. The Kids is an informal constellation or asterism. The Milky Way runs through Auriga, but it’s not very bright here. We are looking away from the center of the Milky Way to the more sparse outer parts of our galaxy. Within and near that pentagon, one can sweep with binoculars and low power telescopes to find several star clusters, groups of hundreds of stars born in the clump we still see them in. These star clusters will appear as fuzzy spots in binoculars.
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
Auriga the charioteer finder animation. Mars is nearby between the horns of Taurus for the next week and a half as it works its way to the upper right. The Kids asterism is best seen in the frame without markings because the Capella label covers one of its stars. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
11/23/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week
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
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 (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).
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
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
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 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.
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.
11/21/2022 – Ephemeris – The Pleiades or the Seven Sisters
This is Ephemeris for Monday, November 21st. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 5:09, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:49. The Moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 6:10 tomorrow morning.
A marvelous member of the autumn skies can be found low in the east after 8 in the evening. It is the famous star cluster called the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. I might also add the ‘Tiny Dipper’. Many people can spot a tiny dipper shape in its six or seven stars, and mistake it for the Little Dipper. With binoculars, one can see over a hundred stars appear, along with the dipper shape of the brightest. In photographs, the Pleiades actually contain wisps of the dust they are currently passing through. In Greek mythology, the sisters were daughters of the god Atlas. I’ll be revisiting the Pleiades several times this autumn, winter, and before they disappear in the west in evening twilight next spring.
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 for 8:30 pm tonight, November 21, 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.
The Pleiades, about what you’d see in binoculars. To the naked eye, six or seven stars might be glimpsed. As star clusters go, it might seem small and unremarkable, but the Pleiades is nearby, and the brightest star cluster visible. Its stars are regarded by cultures around the world as female stars, generally sisters. Credit: Mine.
11/18/2022 – Ephemeris – Fomalhaut’s disappearing “planet”
This is Ephemeris for Friday, November 18th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 5:11, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:45. The Moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:32 tomorrow morning.
The lonely bright star low in the south at 8 p.m. these evenings is Fomalhaut, the harbinger of autumn in my book, and about to leave as winter approaches. Fomalhaut is a young white star only about 400 million years old with a disk of dust surrounding it. Near an outer dust ring, in 2008 the Hubble Space Telescope discovered a spot. Four years later, astronomers discovered that the spot had moved along the dust lane and announced the first direct discovery of an exoplanet. In 2010 and 2012 the planet now dubbed Fomalhaut b or Dagon was observed again. However, it appears to be dissipating. It might be an expanding cloud of debris that’s the result of two asteroids colliding. We’ll keep watching.
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
Hubble Space Telescope image of Fomalhaut’s ring and model of the disappearing dust cloud that was first thought to be a planet. Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute.
