Archive

Posts Tagged ‘Jupiter’

Ephemeris: 07/24/2024 – Where are the naked-eye planets this week?

July 24, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 24th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 56 minutes, setting at 9:17, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:21. The Moon, halfway from full to last quarter, will rise at 11:23 this evening.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus may still be too close to the direction of the Sun to be easily seen, it will set at 10:02 pm in the west-northwest. The best time to spot it will start about 9:40 pm or so. Mercury has been fading as its phase has become a crescent, as it’s heading back to the direction of the Sun. By 5:30 tomorrow morning, or about 50 minutes before sunrise, Saturn will be in the south below and right of the waning gibbous Moon, Mars and Jupiter will make a right triangle with the bright star Aldebaran in the east with Mars on top and Jupiter on the left. Saturn may look disappointing in telescopes this year since rings are nearly edge on and appear almost as a line through the planet. Saturn will rise at 11:14 pm, Mars will rise at 2:04 am, and finally Jupiter at 2:39 am.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Venus and Mercury in evening twilight
In this view from Stellarium looking toward the west-northwest at 9:45 PM or about 1/2 an hour after sunset, Venus appears about 2 1/2 degrees above the Lake Michigan horizon. Mercury doesn’t appear to be visible through the bright twilight even though Stellarium points it out with the with the tag. It might be spotted with binoculars.
Moon and Saturn
The waning gibbous Moon and Saturn rising at midnight tonight in the east . Created using Stellarium.
Annotated Moon
The Moon as it might appear in binoculars or a small telescope at 12 AM tomorrow morning, July 25th 2024. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Morning planets and the moon
Saturn, the Moon, Mars and Jupiter as they might be seen low in the east and southern sky at 5:30 AM, or about 50 minutes before sunrise, tomorrow morning July 25, 2024. Saturn will rise at 11:13 PM, Mars at 2:04 AM, and Jupiter at 2:39 AM. Note the near right triangle of Mars, Jupiter and Aldebaran. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic planets
Telescopic Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope at 5 AM July 25th 2024 with the same magnification. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.6″, its rings 43.3″, 2 degrees from edge on; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 5.8″; Jupiter 35.0″. Note the ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. 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 July 24, 2023. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 25th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
This is an ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, July 24th and 25th 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. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere. 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 by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 07/17/2024 – Where are the naked-eye planets this week?

July 17, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 17th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 9 minutes, setting at 9:23, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:14. The Moon, halfway from first quarter to full, will set at 2:49 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus is still too close to the direction of the Sun to be easily seen, it will set at 10:04 pm in the west-northwest. It is below and right of Mercury. That elusive planet just might be seen very low in the west-northwest by 10 pm or so. By 5:30 tomorrow morning, or about 45 minutes before sunrise, Saturn will be in the south, Mars will be lower in the east, and Jupiter will below it in the east-northeast. Mars is closing in on Jupiter and will pass it on August 14th. Saturn may look disappointing in telescopes this year since the rings are nearly edge on and appear almost as a line through the planet. It will rise before midnight tonight, at 11:45 pm.

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

Venus and Mercury as they might appear about 30 minutes after sunset
Venus and Mercury as they might appear about 9:53 PM or about 30 minutes after sunset over a Lake Michigan horizon. Spotting Venus may be impossible. Mercury might be glimpsed in binoculars even though this is not a favorable elongation. Evening appearances of Mercury in summer are difficult to observe. Created using Stellarium.
The bright star by the Moon tonight is Antares, the red giant star in the heart of Scorpius the scorpion.
The bright star by the Moon tonight is Antares, the red giant star in the heart of Scorpius the scorpion.
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tonight
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tonight, July 17th 2024. Selected features are labeled. Created using stellarium, LibreOffice draw, and GIMP.
A panorama of the morning planets about 45 minutes before sunrise.
A panorama of the morning planets at 5:30 AM seen from the Grand Traverse Area or about 45 minutes before sunrise. Along with the planets the bright stars of autumn and winter are rising: Fomalhaut below Saturn and Aldebaran below and right of Jupiter Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Saturn and Jupiter
Telescopic Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope at 5:30 AM July 18th 2024 with the same magnification. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.4″, its rings 42.9″ tilted only 2 degrees from being edge on to us; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 5.6″; Jupiter 34.5″. Note the ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it to show some of Saturn’s faint moons in line with the rings. 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 July 17, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 18th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
An ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is an ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, July 17th and 18th 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. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere. The time of the positions is 8 pm EDT, (0 hr UT the next date). 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 by my Ephemeris Helper app.

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

Ephemeris: 07/10/2024 – Where are the naked-eye planets this week?

July 10, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 10th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 20 minutes, setting at 9:28, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:08. The Moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 12:10 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Venus is too close to the direction of the Sun to be easily seen, it will set at 10:07 pm in the west-northwest below and right of Mercury. That elusive planet just might be seen very low in the west-northwest by 10 pm or so. By 5:15 tomorrow morning, or about 50 minutes before sunrise, Saturn will be in the south, Mars will be lower in the east, and Jupiter will below it in the east-northeast. Mars is closing in on Jupiter and will pass it on August 14th. Saturn may look disappointing in telescopes this year since rings are nearly edge on and appear almost as a line through the planet. It will rise at 12:09 am, Mars at 2:34 am, and Jupiter at 3:28 am.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

This is an ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, July 3rd and 4th 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. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere. The time of the positions is 8 pm EDT, (0 hr UT the next date). 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 by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Venus, Mercury and the Moon as it might appear about 10 PM or about 50 minutes after sunset over a Lake Michigan horizon. Spotting Venus may be impossible. Mercury might be glimpsed even though this is not a favorable elongation. Evening appearances of Mercury in summer are difficult to observe. The Moon is shown twice its normal size to show its phase. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tonight
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tonight, July 10th 2024. Selected features are labeled. Created using stellarium, LibreOffice draw, and GIMP.
A panorama of the morning planets at 5:15 AM
A panorama of the morning planets at 5:15 AM seen from the Grand Traverse Area or about 53 minutes before sunrise. Along with the planets the bright stars of autumn and winter are rising. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Saturn and Jupiter
Telescopic Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope at 5 AM July 11th 2024 with the same magnification. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.2″, its rings 42.4″ tilted only 2 degrees from being edge on to us; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 5.5″; Jupiter 34.1″. Note the ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it to show some of Saturn’s faint moons in line with the rings. 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 July 10, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 11th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is an ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, July 10th and 11th 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. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere. The time of the positions is 8 pm EDT, (0 hr UT the next date). 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 by my Ephemeris Helper app.

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

Ephemeris: 07/03/2024 – Where have the naked-eye planets wandered off to this week?

July 3, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 3rd. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 28 minutes, setting at 9:31, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:03. The Moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 4:13 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week,. Venus is too close to the direction of the Sun to be seen. Mercury just might be seen very low in the west-northwest by 10 pm or so. Venus will appear in the evening sky next month. By 5:15 tomorrow morning, or about 45 minutes before sunrise, Saturn will be in the south-southeast and Mars will be lower in the east, and Jupiter will be low in the east-northeast. The skinny waning crescent Moon may be seen halfway between Jupiter and the northeastern horizon. Saturn will be a bit dimmer this year and next due to its rings being nearly edge on to us and not reflecting as much light. Saturn will rise at 12:40 am, Mars at 2:48 am, and Jupiter at 3:51 am.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Mercury and Venus in the evening sky 1/2 an hour after sunset or 10 PM according to Stellarium . Spotting Mercury will be a real challenge and probably require binoculars. This is not a good elongation of Mercury for observers in the northern hemisphere so don’t worry if you can’t spot it. Venus, basically, is too close to the horizon to be spotted. Created using Stellarium.
The morning planets and the Moon are spread out from the east-northeast to the south in the morning sky at 5:15 AM, or about 45 minutes before sunrise, July 4, 2024. Also visible is the bright star Capella. Created using Stellarium.
This is the Moon according to Stellarium a day before new as it might appear tomorrow morning, July 4th 2024. The night side of the Moon will appear to be illuminated by earthshine, the reflection of the Sun’s light from off the Earth in the Moon’s sky. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope at 5 AM July 4th 2024 with the same magnification. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.0″, its rings 41.9″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 5.4″; Jupiter 33.7″. Note the ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. 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 July 3, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 4th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
This is an ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, July 3rd and 4th 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. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere. The time of the positions is 8 pm EDT, (0 hr UT the next date). 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 by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 06/26/2024 – Where are the naked-eye planets this week?

June 26, 2024 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 26th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 9:32, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:59. The Moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 12:58 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week. Venus and Mercury are too close to the direction of the Sun to be seen. Both are on the evening side of the Sun, but lost in its glare. Venus will appear in the evening sky next month. By 5:15 tomorrow morning, or about 45 minutes before sunrise, Saturn will be in the southeast just above and left of the Moon, and Mars will be lower in the east, and Jupiter will be very low in the east-northeast. Saturn will be a bit dimmer this year and next due to its rings being nearly edge on to us and not reflecting as much light. Saturn will rise at 1:15 am, Mars at 3:07 am, and Jupiter at 4:19 am.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

The Moon as it might appear in binoculars or a small telescope at 5 AM tomorrow morning, June 27th 2024. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
The Moon, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter as they might be seen low in the east and southeastern sky at 5:15 AM, or about 45 minutes before sunrise, tomorrow morning June 27, 2024. Saturn will rise at 1:03 AM, Mars at 2:59 AM, and Jupiter at 4:09 AM. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope at 5 AM June 27th 2024 with the same magnification. Apparent diameters: Saturn 17.8″, its rings 41.4″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 5.3″; Jupiter 33.5″. Note the ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. 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 June 26, 2023. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 27th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
This is an ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, June 26th and 27th 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. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere. 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 by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 06/19/2024 – Where have the naked-eye planets wandered off to this week?

June 19, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Juneteenth, Wednesday, June 19th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 9:31, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:57. The Moon, 2 days before full, will set at 4:15 tomorrow morning.
Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Venus and Mercury are too close to the direction of the Sun to be seen. Both are on the evening side of the Sun, but lost in its glare. It will appear in the evening sky next month. By 5:15 tomorrow morning, or about 45 minutes before sunrise, Saturn will be in the southeast and Mars will be lower in the east, and Jupiter will be very low in the east-northeast. In telescopes, Saturn will look fairly different this year and next with its rings nearly edge on to us. Saturn will rise at 1:35 am, Mars at 3:19 am, and Jupiter, making its first morning appearance, will rise at 4:38 am.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

The Moon as it might appear in binoculars or a small telescope tonight
The Moon as it might appear in binoculars or a small telescope at 11 PM tonight, June 19th 2024. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.

Translations of some lunar feature names according to Virtual Moon Atlas

Lacus Mortis – Lake of Death
Lacus Somniorum – Lake of Dreams
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
Sinus Roris – Bay of Moisture

Craters are named for persons, real or otherwise.

Saturn, Mars and Jupiter as they might be seen low in the east and southeastern sky about 45 minutes before sunrise, tomorrow morning
Saturn, Mars and Jupiter as they might be seen low in the east and southeastern sky at 5:15 AM, or about 45 minutes before sunrise, tomorrow morning June 20, 2024. Saturn will rise at 1:31 AM, Mars at 3:14 AM, and Jupiter at 4:31 AM. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Saturn and Jupiter
Telescopic Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope at 5 AM June 20th 2024 with the same magnification. Apparent diameters: Saturn 17.57″, its rings 40.95″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 5.25″; Jupiter 33.20″. Note the ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
Telescopic Saturn and Jupiter
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on June 19, 2023. 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.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 06/12/2024 – Where are the naked-eye planets this week?

June 12, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 12th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 9:29, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:56. The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 1:49 tomorrow morning.

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

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

The moon as it might appear in binoculars or a small telescope at 11:00 PM tonight, June 12th 2024. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Saturn and Mars as they might be seen low in the east and southeastern sky at 5 AM
Saturn and Mars as they might be seen low in the east and southeastern sky at 5 AM, or about an hour before sunrise,tomorrow morning June 13, 2024. Saturn will rise at 3:48 AM, Mars at 4:36 AM. Created using Stellarium.
A simulated telescopic view of Saturn
A much enlarged telescopic view of Saturn, much larger than is available in the small telescope . I did this to better show the almost edge on rings. The apparent diameter of Saturn is 17.36″, and the rings extend to 40.44″. The tilt of the rings is only about 2° from being edge on . When the rings are tilted to their maximum extent, this was seven years ago, Saturn was much brighter because the rings can reflect more light from the sun than the planet does. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, June 12th 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 13th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,

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

June 5, 2024 Comments off

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

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

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

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

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

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

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

May 29, 2024 Comments off

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

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

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

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

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

May 22, 2024 Comments off

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

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

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

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

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