Archive
10/07/2015 – Ephemeris – Saturn lingers in the evening, but the planet action is in the morning
Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 7th. The Sun will rise at 7:47. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 24 minutes, setting at 7:12. The Moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 3:34 tomorrow morning.
Lets see what’s happening with the bright planets. Saturn is alone in the evening sky spotted by 8:30 p.m. low in the southwestern sky near the bright star Antares to its left. Antares has a reddish hue, while Saturn is brighter and yellowish. Both these colors are enhanced by being low to the horizon. Saturn will set at 9:22 p.m. The rest of the planet action in the morning sky is getting interesting. Brilliant Venus, the morning star, will rise at 3:58 a.m. a bit north of east. Tomorrow it will be at its greatest separation from the sun and start to fall back. The Moon will be near Venus tomorrow morning. The star Regulus is near Venus. Much dimmer Mars, brighter Jupiter and finally Mercury will rise at 4:35, 4:57 and 6:37 respectively.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and setting zodiacal constellations at 8:30 .m. on October 7, 2015. Create using Stellarium.
Morning Planets and the Moon at 6:30 a.m. on October 8, 2015. The Moon is shown twice actual size. Created using Stellarium.
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for October 7, 2015 showing the location of the planets and the Moon at that time. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on the image to enlarge.
09/30/2015 – Saturn is really alone in the evening sky now – Mercury is leaving today
Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 30th. The Sun will rise at 7:39. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 46 minutes, setting at 7:25. The Moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 9:20 this evening.
Lets look at the planets for this last day of September. Saturn is alone in the evening sky spotted by 8:30 p.m. low in the southwestern sky near the bright star Antares to its left. Antares has a reddish hue, while Saturn is brighter and yellowish. Both these colors are enhanced by being low to the horizon. Saturn will set at 9:47 p.m. The rest of the planet action has moved to the morning sky. Venus, the morning star, will rise at 4 a.m. a bit north of east. Much dimmer Mars will rise at 4:39 a.m. in the east-northeast. Jupiter is beginning to be visible in the morning sky and will rise at 5:17 in the east-northeast. The three will be closing together in the coming weeks. Mercury is at inferior conjunction with the Sun today.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and two zodiacal constellations at October 1, 2015 Created using Stellarium.
Venus, Mars and Jupiter and the bright st star Regulus at 6:30 a.m. October 1, 2015. Creating using Stellarium.
The Bright Planets, in order of appearance as seen with the same telescope magnification. Created using Cartes du Ciel.
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for September 30, 2015 showing the location of the planets and the Moon at that time. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on the image to enlarge.
09/23/2015 – Ephemeris – One planet visible in the evening and three in the morning
Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 23rd. The Sun will rise at 7:30. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 7 minutes, setting at 7:38. The Moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 3:09 tomorrow morning.
Lets look at the planets for this first day of autumn. Saturn is alone in the evening sky spotted by 9 p.m. low in the southwestern sky near the bright star Antares to its left. Antares has a reddish hue, while Saturn is brighter and yellowish. Both these colors are enhanced by being low to the horizon. Saturn will set at 10:13 p.m. The rest of the planet action has moved to the morning sky. Venus, the morning star, will rise at 4:09 a.m. a bit north of east. Much dimmer Mars will rise at 4:44 a.m. in the east-northeast. Jupiter is beginning to be visible in the morning sky and will rise at 5:37 in the east-northeast. Mercury, though in the evening sky, sets too soon after the Sun to be visible.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and the Moon with setting southern summer stars at 8:30 p.m. on September 23, 2015. The Moon is shown twice actual size. Created using Stellarium.
What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope at 8:30 p.m., September 23, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Created using Stellarium. The telescopic planet charts are all displayed at the same scale.
The Moon as it might be seen in binoculars at 8:30 p.m. September 23, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Venus, Mars and Jupiter with the constellation Leo at 6:30 a.m. September 24, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Venus in a telescope at 6:30 a.m. September 24, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and moons in a telescope at 6:30 a.m. September 24, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for September 23, 2015 showing the location of the planets and the Moon at that time. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on the image to enlarge.
09/16/2015 – Ephemeris – Looking for Saturn in the evening and Venus, Mars and Jupiter in the morning
Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 16th. The Sun will rise at 7:22. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 29 minutes, setting at 7:52. The Moon, 3 days past new, will set at 9:32 this evening.
Lets look for the bright planets for this week. Saturn is alone in the evening sky spotted by 9 p.m. low in the southwestern sky near the bright star Antares to its left. Antares has a reddish hue, while Saturn is brighter and yellowish. Both these colors are enhanced by being low to the horizon. Saturn will set at 10:39 p.m. The rest of the planet action has moved to the morning sky. Venus, the morning star, will rise at 4:42 a.m. a bit north of east. Much dimmer Mars will rise at 4:48 a.m. in the east-northeast. Jupiter is beginning to be visible in the morning sky and will rise at 5:57, almost an hour before the Sun. Mercury, though in the evening sky, sets too soon after the Sun to be visible.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and the Moon with the Sagittarius teapot pouring its tea on the tail of Scorpius at 9 p.m. September 16, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
The moon as it might be seen in binoculars at 9 p.m. September 16, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope at 9 p.m., September 16, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Created using Stellarium.
Venus, Mars and Jupiter with the star Regulus in morning twilight at 6:30 a.m. September 17, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Venus through a telescope – September 17, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for September 16, 2015 showing the location of the planets and the Moon at that time. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on the image to enlarge.
09/09/2015 – Ephemeris – Saturn is in the evening sky but the planet action is moving to the morning
Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 9th. The Sun will rise at 7:14. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 50 minutes, setting at 8:05. The Moon, half way from last quarter to new, will rise at 4:42 tomorrow morning.
Lets look for the bright planets for this week. Saturn is alone in the evening sky spotted low in the southwestern sky near the bright star Antares to its left. It will set at 11:06 p.m. The rest of the planet action has moved to the morning sky. Venus, the morning star, will rise at 4:42 a.m. a bit north of east. Tomorrow morning the thin crescent Moon will appear just to the left of it. Much dimmer Mars will be to the left of the Moon, and will rise at 4:52 a.m. in the east-northeast. Mars will rapidly fall behind Venus. Jupiter is beginning to be visible in the morning sky and will rise at 6:16, almost an hour before the Sun. Mercury, though in the evening sky sets too soon after the Sun to be visible. Jupiter is too close to the Sun on thee morning side to be seen.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn with the Zodiacal constellations of Libra, Scorpius and Sagittarius as the Teapot at 9:30 p.m. September 9, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope at 9:30 p.m., September 9, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Created using Stellarium.
Looking east at Venus, the Moon and Mars at 6 a.m. September 10, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for September 9, 2015 showing the location of the planets and the Moon at that time. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on the image to enlarge.
08/05/2015 – Ephemeris – Down to one easily visible evening planet
Ephemeris for Wednesday, August 5th. The Sun rises at 6:33. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 30 minutes, setting at 9:03. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 12:08 tomorrow morning.
Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week. Our evening stars Venus and Jupiter leaving the evening sky in the west. Venus will set 2 minutes after the Sun, so the only hope to spot it is before sunset, a dangerous prospect with the Sun so close. Jupiter is just too faint in the twilight to pick up. Venus is 10 days from inferior conjunction with the Sun. Saturn is in the south in the evening twilight. Saturn can be spotted just to the right of the constellation of Scorpius the scorpion and its bright red star Antares below and right of it. Even small telescopes can see Saturn’s rings. A spotting scope of 20 power magnification can show that Saturn has a ring. Antares though is star-like, scintillating like a sparkler.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury plus the star Regulus together at 9 p.m. August 5, 2015 with the bright Earth’s atmosphere removed. Created using Stellarium.
The reason I don’t discuss Mercury is that This will not be a good apparition of that planet. Apparitions (appearances) of Mercury are best seen in the evening in late winter and spring. Morning apparitions are best seen in late summer and autumn.
Saturn and the southern Milky Way and stars of summer at 10:30 p.m. August 5, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope at 10:30 p.m., August 5, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Created using Stellarium.
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for August 5, 2015 showing the location of the planets at that time. The traffic jam of planets near the western horizon at sunset is best seen in the first image above. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on the image to enlarge.
07/29/2015 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets tonight
Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 29th. The Sun rises at 6:25. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 47 minutes, setting at 9:12. The Moon, 2 days before full, will set at 5:36 tomorrow morning.
Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week. Our evening stars Venus and Jupiter are together in the west by 9:30 p.m. with Jupiter above and right of Venus. Venus will set at 9:46 with Jupiter 23 minutes later. Venus will slide down to the Sun faster and faster in the coming weeks leaving Jupiter behind for a while. Venus will take 17 days to slide past the Sun. Jupiter though will take 28 days, so Venus will pass it again around August 4th when both are too close to the horizon and Sun to spot. There’s a third conjunction of these two in October in the morning sky with Mars nearby. Saturn is in the south in the evening twilight. It will set at 1:48 a.m. Even small telescopes can see Saturn’s rings.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus and Jupiter low on the western horizon at 9:30 p.m. on July 29, 2015. This will be their last appearance on this blog in the west this year. We’ll wait until they appear in the east in the morning. For Venus it’ll be sooner than you think. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn with the bright Moon and some stars of summer in the constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius at 10:30 p.m. July 29, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Comparative apparent sizes of the evening planets as seen through a telescope of the same magnification on July 29, 2015. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts). Note that I didn’t show the moons of Jupiter which are not visible in the bright twilight. Also the program didn’t extend the cusps of Venus’ crescent properly.
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for July 29, 2015 showing the location of the planets at that time. Created using my LookingUp program.
07/22/2015 – Ephemeris – Two planets preparing to leave the evening sky
Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 22nd. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 1 minute, setting at 9:19. The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 12:28 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:18.
Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week. Our evening stars Venus and Jupiter are together in the west by 9:45 p.m. with Jupiter a little above and right of Venus. Venus will set at 10:22 with Jupiter 11 minutes later. Venus’ will slide down to the Sun faster and faster in the coming weeks leaving Jupiter behind for a while. Venus will take 24 days to slide past the Sun. Jupiter though will take 35 days, so Venus will pass it again around August 4th when both are too close to the horizon and Sun to spot. There’s a third conjunction of these two in October in the morning sky with Mars nearby. Saturn is in the south in the evening twilight. It will pass due south at 9:27 p.m. and will set at 2:16 a.m. Even small telescopes can see Saturn’s rings.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus and Jupiter low on the western horizon at 9:45 p.m. on July 22, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and the summer zodiacal constellations of Libra, Scorpius and Sagittarius at 10:30 p.m. on July 22, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear in binoculars tonight at 10:30 p.m. (July 22, 2015). Created using Stellarium.
Comparative apparent sizes of the evening planets as seen through a telescope of the same magnification on July 22, 2015. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for July 22, 2015 showing the location of the planets at that time. Created using my LookingUp program.
07/17/2015 – Ephemeris – The constellation of the harp now and Venus and the Moon tomorrow night.
Ephemeris for Friday, July 17th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 11 minutes, setting at 9:24. The Moon, 2 days past new, will set at 10:07 this evening, and tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:14.
High in the east at 11 p.m. can be found a bright star just above a small, narrow, but very distinctive parallelogram of stars. They are the stars of the constellation Lyra the harp. The bright star is Vega, one of the twenty one brightest stars, called first magnitude stars. Vega is actually the 5th brightest night time star. The harp, according to Greek mythology, was invented by the god Hermes. The form of the harp in the sky, is as he had invented it: by stretching strings across a tortoise-shell. Hermes gave it to his half-brother Apollo, who in turn gave it to the great musician Orpheus.
Looking westward tomorrow night the planet Venus will appear about 2 moon widths above the crescent Moon.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Lyra as a tortoise-shell harp. Created using Stellarium and free clip art.
Venus appears above the thin crescent moon with Jupiter to the right at 10 p.m. Saturday July 18, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
07/15/2015 – Ephemeris – Venus and Jupiter are dipping lower in the west
Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 15th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 9:25. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible. Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:12.
Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week. Our evening stars Venus and Jupiter are still side by side in the west by 9:45 p.m. They both will set near 10:55 p.m.. Venus’ will slide down to the Sun faster and faster in the coming weeks leaving Jupiter behind for a while. Venus will take 1 month to slide past the Sun. Jupiter though will take 6 weeks, so Venus will pass it again around August 4th when both are too close to the horizon and Sun to spot. There’s a third conjunction of these two in October in the morning sky with Mars nearby. Saturn is in the south in the evening twilight. It will pass due south at 9:55 p.m. and will set at 2:44 a.m. Even small telescopes can see Saturn’s rings.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus and Jupiter will be about 9 degrees above the western horizon at 10 p.m. (45 minutes after sunset if you’re not from around here) on July 15, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn with Scorpius and the Teapot of Sagittarius at 10:30 p.m., July 15, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Comparative apparent sizes of the evening planets as seen through a telescope of the same magnification. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
This is a chart adapted from the one I publish monthly as my role as the editor of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society newsletter the Stellar Sentinel. It’s for sunrise and sunset for July 15, 2015 showing the location of the planets at that time. I’m bringing it to Wednesday Planet Day on this blog. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on the image to enlarge.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 