Archive
10/26/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s see where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week
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
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.
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 (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).
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.
10/24/2022 – Ephemeris – Finding Pisces the fish
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Monday, October 24th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 6:43, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:11. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 8:18 tomorrow morning.
High in the southeast at 9 p.m. are the four bright stars of the Great Square of Pegasus, the upside down flying horse. Lying along the left and bottom sides of the great square is the constellation of Pisces the fish, one of the constellations of the Zodiac that lie along the path of the Sun, Moon and planets. Even though the constellation is called the fish, the fish themselves are not well represented in the stars. What can be traced in the stars is the rope, that’s tied to their tails, anchored at the extreme southeastern part of the constellation. The right or western end of Pisces is the asterism, or informal constellation, of the Circlet. A loop of 5 stars, the rope around the tail of one of the fish, or the fish itself. Jupiter is seen against the stars of Pisces in the evening, the rest of this and early next year.
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
Pisces finder animation looking south-southeast with Jupiter at 9 pm tonight, October 24, 2022. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
10/19/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week
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 for 9 pm tonight, October 19, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
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 for 7 tomorrow morning, October 20, 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. 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).
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.
10/14/2022 – Ephemeris – The loneliest star in the sky isn’t so lonely this year, and more
This is Ephemeris for Friday, October 14th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 2 minutes, setting at 6:59, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:58. The Moon, 3 days before last quarter, will rise at 9:37 this evening.
There’s a bright star that appears for only seven and a half hours on autumn evenings. It’s appearance, low in the south-southeast at 9 p.m., is a clear indication of the autumn season. The star’s name is Fomalhaut, which means fish’s mouth. That’s fitting because it’s in the constellation of Piscis Austrinus, the southern fish. At our latitude it’s kind of the fish that got away, because Fomalhaut appears to be quite alone low in the sky. The other stars of its constellation are dim, and being low in the sky makes them even dimmer. However, this year Fomalhaut has visitors. Above and left of it is the brilliant planet Jupiter. And above and right of it is the bright planet Saturn. Both planets, while not very close to Fomalhaut, will keep it company this year.
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.
Addenda
Fomalhaut and friends (Jupiter and Saturn) finder animation for 9 pm tonight, Friday, October 14, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
Also at Corson Auditorium on the Interlochen Center for the Arts Campus…
Join Interlochen Public Radio for Kids Commute Live! This family-friendly matinee is brought to you by the Interlochen Arts Academy Wind Symphony and features Interlochen theatre and singer-songwriter students, TCAPS middle school musicians, and special guests from NASA, the Coast Guard, and the International Dark Sky Park. Conductor Matthew Schlomer and Kids Commute host Kate Botello will lead this multi-sensory experience centered on the theme “Space Flight.”
The program will include Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter,” Michael Mogenson’s “Aerial Fantasy,” John Williams’ “Fantasy of Flight,” and more!
Come early for pre-concert activities for kids of all ages, including drone demonstrations and paper airplane contests. Space-themed food will be available for purchase.
I will be there from 12 to 1 pm, having the kids help me make COMETS! I’ll also be part of the program.
For more information and tickets: https://www.interlochen.org/events/kids-commute-live-space-flight-2022-10-15
10/12/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 12th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 8 minutes, setting at 7:03, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:55. The Moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 8:28 this evening.
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 10:04 pm in the northeast. It’s located between 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 can be spotted at that hour very low in the east and by 7:30 for the next week or so.
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 and the Moon at 9 pm tonight, October 12, 2022, with the line figures of the zodiacal constellations in their part of the sky. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Annotated waning Gibbous Moon Animation for tonight, October 12, 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 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
Morning planets Mars, Mercury and the Moon at 7 am tomorrow morning, October 13, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
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 6 am. I do not show planets less than 10 seconds of arc in diameter, so Mercury is not shown. Apparent diameters: Saturn 17.81″, its rings 41.48″; Jupiter 49.34″. Mars 13.13″. Mars’ distance is 66.5 million miles (107.1 million kilometers). Mercury, which isn’t shown, is 6.17″ in diameter and 71.1% illuminated. 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 October 12, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 13th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program and GIMP.
10/05/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week
This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 5th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 30 minutes, setting at 7:15, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:46. The Moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 3:33 tomorrow morning.
Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. The waxing gibbous Moon will be visible near Saturn tonight, with the ringed planet right and above our Moon. Super bright Jupiter is to the far right of the Moon at 9 pm in the east southeast, the brightest star-like object in the sky. Jupiter is seen against the stars of Pisces the fish, while Saturn is spotted in the eastern end of Capricornus the sea goat. I don’t think the stars will be visible with the bright Moon. One star in their direction may be visible and low on the horizon and in line tonight with Saturn and the Moon. It’s Fomalhaut, normally the loneliest star in the sky. Before seven tomorrow morning, the red planet Mars will be high in the south, above the winter constellation of Orion. At that hour, Mercury can also be spotted low in the east.cc
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 and the Moon tonight, October 5, 2022, at 9 pm. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Annotated Gibbous Moon Animation for tonight, October 5, 2022, as it might 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 Fecunditatis – Sea of Fertility
Mare Frigoris – Sea of Cold
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 Apenninus – Apennines Mountains
Sinus Asperitatis – Golfe des Asperites
Sinus Iridium – Bay of Rainbows
Sinus Medii – Bay of the Center
Craters are generally named after astronomers, people of science, or explorers
Note that Mare is pronounced Mar-é
Morning planets, Mars and Mercury with the winter stars and Orion at 7 am tomorrow morning, October 6, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image 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 6 am. I do not show planets less than 10 seconds of arc in diameter. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.00″, its rings 41.91″; Jupiter 49.69″. Mars 12.44″. Mars’ distance is 69.7 million miles (112.2 million kilometers). Mercury, which isn’t shown, is 7.51″ in diameter and 40.8% illuminated. 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 October 5, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 6th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program and GIMP.
09/28/2022 – Ephemeris – Searching for the naked-eye planets for this week
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 28th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 51 minutes, setting at 7:28, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:38. The Moon, 3 days past new, will set at 8:51 this evening.
Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. The thin sliver of a waxing crescent Moon may be visible very low in the southwest at 8 pm. We’re back to two naked-eye planets in the evening sky. Jupiter was in opposition from the Sun on Monday, and closest to the Earth. As it gets darker, Jupiter will be seen first low in the east. At that time, Saturn can be seen in the southeast. Jupiter is seen against the stars of Pisces the fish, while Saturn is spotted in the eastern end of Capricornus the sea goat. At 6:45 tomorrow morning, Mars will be high in the south, above the winter constellation of Orion, and Jupiter will be very low in the west. Venus will rise in the east at 7:02 into bright twilight.
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
What the three-day-old Moon might look like in binoculars in twilight at 8 pm tonight, September 28, 2022. Illumination of the night part of the Moon will be provided by the bright gibbous Earth in its sky. The phenomenon is called earth shine. Created using Stellarium.
Evening planet finder animation by showing Jupiter and Saturn with and without the constellation lines. For 9 pm this evening, September 28, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
Morning planet Mars with the last gasp of the new evening planet Jupiter and bright winter stars at 6:45 tomorrow morning, September 29, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic views of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The image 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 10 pm, Mars at 6 am. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.17″, its rings 42.33″; Jupiter 49.86″. Mars 11.01″. Mars’ distance is 73.8 million miles (118.7 million kilometers). The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
One surprising thing about Mars in a telescope is how bright it is. That’s because it’s much closer to the Sun than Jupiter or Saturn, even thought it has a lower albedo (reflectance) than those planets.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on September 28, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 29th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program and GIMP.
09/21/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week
This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 21st. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 13 minutes, setting at 7:41, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:29. The Moon, halfway from last quarter to new, will rise at 3:38 tomorrow morning.
Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. Only one of the naked-eye planets is in the evening sky. Mercury is south of the Sun and cannot be seen. It will pass between the Earth and Sun on Friday and enter the morning sky. As it gets darker, Saturn can be seen in the southeast. Jupiter, though not officially an evening planet, will rise in the east in twilight at 7:54 pm. It is seen against the stars of Pisces now, moving slowly retrograde or westward. At 6:30 am tomorrow, two of the three remaining morning planets will be Mars high in the south, above the winter constellation of Orion, and Jupiter very low in the west. The thin waning crescent Moon will be in the east then. Venus will rise at 6:47 into bright twilight.
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 at 9 pm tonight, September 21, 2022. Created using Stellarium.
Animation of the morning planets and the waning crescent Moon at 6:30 am tomorrow, September 22, 2022. Star labels are shown alternately, since they clutter the image. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
The waning crescent Moon as it might be seen in binoculars or a small telescope. The dark area on the left side of the Moon is Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms). The dark spot near the bottom of the Moon is the crater Grimaldi. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The times vary for each planet. Jupiter is shown twice, at 9 pm and 6:30 am, since its moons, especially Io and Europa, move rapidly. I do not show planets less than 10 seconds of arc in diameter. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.33″, its rings 42.69″; Jupiter 49.85″. Mars 11.21″, 86.6% illuminated. Mars’ distance is 78 million miles (125 million kilometers). The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
In the above chart, it may appear that Jupiter’s Great Red Spot didn’t move very much. However, the 9.5 hours between the images is a bit less than one Jovian day, so the spot actually made almost one complete rotation. In this view, features on the face of Jupiter rotate from left to right. Satellites behave similarly. They move left to right if in front of the planet, and right to left if behind.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on September 21, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 22nd. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program and GIMP.
09/14/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week
This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 14th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 7:55, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:21. The Moon, 3 days before last quarter, will rise at 10:02 this evening.
Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. Two of the naked-eye planets are in the evening sky. Mercury sets too close to the Sun to be seen in the evening. But as it gets darker, Saturn can be seen in the southeast. Jupiter, still officially a morning planet, rises in the east around 8:23 pm. It is seen against the stars of Pisces now, moving slowly retrograde or westward. At 6:30 am tomorrow the three morning planets will be spread out from brilliant Venus on the horizon in the east-northeast, if you can see it at all, to Mars high in the south-southeast below the Moon and next to the bright reddish star Aldebaran to Jupiter in the west-southwest. Mars is among the stars seen rising on late autumn and early winter evenings.
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 at 9 pm tonight, September 14, 2022. Created using Stellarium.
The waning gibbous moon as seen in binoculars or low power telescope at 10:30 tonight, September 14, 2022. Labels are centered on their feature. Created using Stellarium, labels using LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP for animation.
The morning planets with the Moon and the bright winter stars at 6:30 am tomorrow, September 15, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The times vary for each planet. Saturn is shown at 9 pm. Jupiter is shown twice, at 9 pm and 6:30 am, since its moons, especially Io and Europa, move rapidly. Mars is shown at 6:30 am. I do not show planets less than 10 seconds of arc in diameter, so Venus isn’t shown. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.47″, its rings 43.02″; Jupiter 49.66″. Mars 10.70″, 86.0% illuminated; Venus (not shown) 9.89″, 98.5% illuminated. 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) and GIMP.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on September 14, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 15th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program, and GIMP.
09/09/2022 – Ephemeris – Observe the Harvest Moon at the Sleeping Bear Dunes Saturday night (weather permitting)
Update 9/10/2022, 6 pm: The weather does not permit it! We’ll have another, again weather permitting, on September 24th. This time with dark skies and a look at the summer Milky Way, two days after the end of summer. (It still counts).
This is Ephemeris for Friday, September 9th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 8:04, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:15. The Moon, 1 day before full, will set at 7:14 tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow night, September 10th, there will be, weather permitting, a star party at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, this will take place at the Dune Climb. Actually, it will be mostly a Moon and planet party. The event will be made possible by the rangers of the park and the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society. The society’s and member’s telescopes will take over the parking lot closest to the Dunes. The event starts at 8 p.m., near sunset, while it’s still light out and the location can be found. The Moon will join the party, rising at 8:41 pm. Oh, and it’s a supermoon. There will be a short talk about Harvest Moon lore and why it was important. See if you can find the Man in the Moon and the Chinese rabbit pounding medicine.
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 Harvest Moon with Jupiter and Saturn at 9 pm, September 10, 2022. Created using Stellarium.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 