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Posts Tagged ‘Jupiter’

Ephemeris: 03/19/2025 – Suddenly there are only two planets visible in the evening

March 19, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, March 19th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 7 minutes, setting at 7:54, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:45. The Moon, 3 days before last quarter, will rise at 1:53 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 9 PM this evening just two of the five naked eye planets will be out. Venus and Mercury are too close to the Sun in the twilight to be seen. Saturday and Monday Venus and then Mercury will pass between the Earth and the Sun to enter the morning sky. Jupiter, now becomes the brightest evening planet. It will be high in the southwest. Below it is the bright star Aldebaran with the stars of the Hyades, the face of Taurus the bull, and to the lower left, the great constellation of Orion, The rapidly fading Mars, with its distinctive reddish hue, is high in the south, with the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini above it.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

Jupiter, and Mars seen high in the southwest
Jupiter, and Mars seen high in the southwest with some of the constellations of winter at 9:00 PM tonight, March 19th 2025. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tonight, March 19th 2025
The Moon tonight, March 19th 2025, in it’s 9 PM orientation, as it might appear in a small telescope. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Jupiter (north up) as it would be seen in a small telescope
Telescopic Jupiter (north up) as it would be seen in a small telescope. Jupiter is shown for tonight, 9 PM, March 19, 2025. Its apparent diameter is 38.1″. Mars is 9.1″ in diameter, too small to be shown here. My lower size limit is 10″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. Note that Io is transiting Jupiter at 9 PM. It will be nearly invisible. Its shadow will be cast on the planet trailing the moon as a black dot from 9:23 to 11:34 PM EDT. Io’s Transit will end at 10:19 PM. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap 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
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on March 19, 2025. 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.
A low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, March 19th and 20th, 2025. 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 in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. 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 as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.

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

Ephemeris: 03/12/2025 – Last chance to see four naked-eye planets in the evening

March 12, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, March 12th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 45 minutes, setting at 7:45, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:58. The Moon, 2 days before full, will set at 7:49 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 8:30 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all. Left and a bit below is the much dimmer Mercury. Both will rapidly disappear in evening twilight in a less than a week. Venus will pass in conjunction with the Sun on March 22nd, Mercury will do the same two days later. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the southwest. Mars, the third-brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, is high in the south-southeast, below and right of the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini. By the end of the month only two planets, Mars and Jupiter will be left in the evening sky.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

Venus and Mercury seen very low in the west at 8:30 PM this evening
Venus and Mercury seen very low in the west at 8:30 PM this evening, March 12th 2025. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter, and Mars seen high in the South and southwest at 9:00 PM tonight
Jupiter, and Mars seen high in the South and southwest at 9:00 PM tonight, March 12th 2025. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tonight, March 12th 2025, in it's 9 PM orientation, as it might appear in a small telescope
The Moon tonight, March 12th 2025, in it’s 9 PM orientation, as it might appear in a small telescope. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Venus and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification
Telescopic Venus and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. These planets are shown for tonight, 9 PM, March 12, 2025. Apparent diameters: Venus 56.8″, 4.6% illuminated, it’s now 27.3 million miles or 44.0 million kilometers from the Earth; Jupiter 38.1″. Mercury, 8.5″, and Mars 9.7″ in diameter, neither is shown. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap 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
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on March 12, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 13th. Saturn is close to the direction of the Sun, but south of it, and is not up at either sunrise or sunset. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
A low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, March 12th and 13th, 2025
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, March 12th and 13th, 2025. 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 in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. 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 as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.

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

Ephemeris: 03/05/2025 – Taking our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets

March 5, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Ash Wednesday, March 5th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 23 minutes, setting at 6:36, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:10. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 2:21 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 7:10 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all. Below it at the 7 o’clock position and halfway to the horizon is the much dimmer Mercury, three days from its greatest separation from the Sun. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the south-southwest below and right of the Moon tonight. The 4th planet out is Mars, the third-brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, west of the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini, and in the southeast. By the end of the month both Venus and Mercury will be gone out of the evening sky, leaving only two, Mars and Jupiter.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

Venus and Mercury seen low in the west at 7:10 PM this evening, March 5th 2025.
Venus and Mercury seen low in the west at 7:10 PM this evening, March 5th 2025. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter, Mars and the Moon seen high in the South at 8:00 PM tonight, March 5th 2025.
Jupiter, Mars and the Moon seen high in the South at 8:00 PM tonight, March 5th 2025. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tonight, March 5th 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope
The Moon tonight, March 5th 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification
Telescopic Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM, March 5, 2025. Apparent diameters: Venus 52.4″ and rapidly growing as it approaches us, 10.1% illuminated, it now appears larger than Jupiter; Jupiter 39.0″; Mars, 10.4″. Mercury, which is not shown only appears 6.9″ in diameter. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap 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.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on March 5, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 26th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
A low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow.
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, March 5th and 6th, 2025. 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 in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. 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 as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 02/26/2025 – Where are the naked-eye planets this week?

February 26, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, February 26th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 2 minutes, setting at 6:26, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:23. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 7:25 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 7:15 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the west we have Venus the brightest of all. Far below it, near the horizon, will be the much dimmer Mercury, making its evening appearance, replacing Saturn. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the south. It is slowly heading eastward now above the star Aldebaran. Farther below and left of it is the spectacular constellation of Orion the hunter. The 4th planet out is Mars, the third-brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue in the east-southeast, to the right of the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

A 7:15 PM February 26, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Mercury are in the west, and Jupiter is in the south. Mars is in the southeast.
A 7:15 PM February 26, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Mercury are in the west, and Jupiter is in the south. Mars is in the southeast. Saturn is setting not visible in the evening sky.. The in this projection the ecliptic (orange line) is a straight line, so the planets and Moon nearly line up, but the horizon is a curved line. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification.
Telescopic Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM, February 26, 2025. Apparent diameters: Venus 47.3″ and rapidly growing as it approaches us, 16.5% illuminated, it now appears larger than Jupiter; Jupiter 39.9″; Mars, 11.1″. Mercury, which is not shown only appears 5.8″ in diameter. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap 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
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on February 26, 2025. 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.
A low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, February 26 and 27, 2025. 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 in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. 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 as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 02/19/2025 – All the naked-eye planets are seen in the evening this week

February 19, 2025 Comments off

Ephemeris: 02/19/2025 – Where have the naked-eye planets wandered off to this week?

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, February 19th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 40 minutes, setting at 6:17, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:34. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 1:59 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 7 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all in the west southwest. Far below it, near the horizon, will be the much dimmer Saturn, which we are about to lose, or may already have, to the evening twilight. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the south. It has reversed course and is heading back eastward now. Farther below it is the spectacular constellation of Orion the hunter. The fourth planet out is Mars, the third-brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, west of the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini, and in the east-southeast.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

A 7 PM February 19, 2025 planet panorama
A 7 PM February 19, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the west-southwest, and Jupiter is in the south-southeast. Mars is in the east. This looks like the last time Saturn will be visible in the evening sky for a while. The in this projection the ecliptic (not shown) is a straight line, so the planets and Moon nearly line up, but the horizon is curved. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tomorrow morning
The Moon tomorrow morning, February 20, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope at 6 AM, in the south. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Venus, Jupiter and Mars
Telescopic Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM, February 19, 2025. Apparent diameters: Venus 42.4″ and rapidly growing as it approaches us, 22.9% illuminated, it now appears larger than Jupiter; Jupiter 40.8″; Mars, 11.8″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap 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
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on February 19, 2025. 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.
A low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, February 19 and 20, 2025. 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 in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. 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 as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 02/12/2025 – Taking our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets

February 12, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Darwin Day, Wednesday, February 12th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 20 minutes, setting at 6:07, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:45. The Moon, at full today, will rise at 6:21 this evening.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 7 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all in the west southwest. Far below it, near the horizon, will be the much dimmer Saturn, which we are about to lose to the evening twilight. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the south-southeast. It is reversing course and beginning to head back eastward now. Farther below it is the spectacular constellation of Orion the hunter. The 4th planet out is Mars, the third-brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, west of the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini, and just about due east. The full Moon will be rising in the east.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

A 7 PM February 12, 2025 planet panorama
A 7 PM February 12, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the west-southwest, and Jupiter is in the south-southeast. Mars is in the east. The in this projection the ecliptic (not shown) is a straight line, so the planets and Moon nearly line up, but the horizon is curved. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tonight, February 12, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope at 7 PM
The Moon tonight, February 12, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope at 7 PM, shortly after rising. Since this is about 10 hours after the Moon was full, shadows are beginning to be visible in craters at the upper right edge. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM,February 5, 2025. Apparent diameters: Saturn 15.8″, its rings 36.8″, 2.2 degrees from edge on and closing; Venus 38.0″ and rapidly growing as it approaches us, 28.9% illuminated; Jupiter 41.8″; Mars, 12.7″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap 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 February 12, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 13th.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on February 12, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 13th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, February 12 and 13, 2025. 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 in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. 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 as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.

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

Ephemeris: 02/05/2025 – Let’s take our weekly look at the naked-eye planets

February 5, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, February 5th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 1 minute, setting at 5:57, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:55. The Moon, at first quarter today, will set at 3:14 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 7:30 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all in the west southwest. Far below it, near the horizon, will be the much dimmer Saturn. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the south-southeast. It is reversing course and beginning to head back eastward now. Farther below it is the spectacular constellation of Orion the hunter. The 4th planet out is Mars, the third-brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, near the star Pollux in Gemini, and just about due east. The fifth naked eye planet, Mercury, is too close to the Sun to be visible.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

A 7 PM February 5, 2025 planet panorama
A 7 PM February 5, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the west-southwest, and Jupiter is in the south-southeast. Mars is in the east. The in this projection the ecliptic (not shown) is a straight line, so the planets and Moon nearly line up, but the horizon is curved. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tonight, February 5, 2025, as it might appear in a small telescope. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM,February 5, 2025. Apparent diameters: Saturn 15.9″, its rings 37.0″, 2.6 degrees from edge on and closing; Venus 34.3″, 34.5% illuminated; Jupiter 42.7″; Mars, 13.3″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap 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 February 5, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 6th.
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on February 5, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 6th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
A low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, February 5 and 6, 2025
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, February 5 and 6, 2025. 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 in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. 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 as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 01/29/2025 – Our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets

January 29, 2025 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, January 29th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 42 minutes, setting at 5:47, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:03. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 8 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all low in the west southwest. Almost directly below it will be the much dimmer Saturn. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the south-southeast. Below it is the letter V shape of stars that is the head of Taurus the bull. Farther below is the spectacular constellation of Orion the hunter. The 4th planet out is Mars, the third-brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, near the star Pollux in Gemini, and just about due east. The fifth naked eye planet, Mercury, is too close to the Sun in the morning to be visible.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

An 8 PM January 29, 2025 planet panorama
An 8 PM January 29, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the west-southwest, and Jupiter is in the south-southeast. Mars is in the east. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM, January 29, 2025. Apparent diameters: Saturn 16.0″, its rings 37.3″, 3.0 degrees from edge on andclosing; Venus 30.7″, 40.0% illuminated; Jupiter 43.8″; Mars, 13.9″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. Europa will disappear behind Jupiter at 9:44 PM EST (UT-5), and reappear from the planet’s shadow at 2:39 AM. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap 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
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on January 29, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 30th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, January 29 and 30, 2025. 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 in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. 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 as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 01/22/2025 – Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets

January 22, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, January 22nd. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 26 minutes, setting at 5:38, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:10. The Moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 3:07 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. At 8 PM this evening four of the five naked eye planets will be out. Starting from the West we have Venus the brightest of all low in the west southwest. Directly below it will be the much dimmer Saturn. Jupiter, the second-brightest planet will be high in the southeast. Below and right of it is the letter V shape of stars that is the head of Taurus the bull. Farther below is the spectacular constellation of Orion the hunter. The 4th planet out is Mars, the third brightest planet now, with its distinctive reddish hue, near the star Pollux in Gemini. The fifth naked eye planet, Mercury, is too close to the Sun in the morning to be visible.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

An 8 PM January 22, 2025, planet panorama.
An 8 PM January 22, 2025 planet panorama. Venus and Saturn are in the west-southwest, and Jupiter is in the southeast. Mars is in the east. The orange line is the ecliptic, the path of the Sun in the sky, and near which all the planets are seen. Also shown are the zodiacal constellations. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tomorrow morning, January 23, 2025
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tomorrow morning, January 23, 2025. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification
Telescopic Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets are shown for tonight, 8 PM, January 22, 2025. Apparent diameters: Saturn 16.1″, its rings 37.5″, 3.3 degrees from edge on (closing); Venus 28.4″, 43.8% illuminated; Jupiter 44.6″; Mars, 14.3″. Planetary surface detail is more subtle than shown here. Jupiter’s moon Europa is behind the planet and will reappear on the east or trailing side of the planet around midnight EST (5:00 UT). The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Click or tap 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 January 22, 2025. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 23rd. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, January 22 and 23, 2025
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, January 22 and 23, 2025. 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 in hours and minutes. Dec is declination which is the north-south position of the object on the celestial sphere in degrees and minutes. 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 as a table by my Ephemeris Helper app.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 01/20/2025 – The planets augment the Winter Hexagon

January 20, 2025 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 20th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 22 minutes, setting at 5:35, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:12. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 12:56 tomorrow morning.

The winter circle or more properly hexagon, seen in the winter sky this evening, has the addition of two planets, and they’re in the proper location so that they don’t spoil the hexagon. We start at the top with the star Capella high in the east. We move clockwise downward to Jupiter and below it the star Aldebaran. We drop lower to Orion’s knee and the star Rigel, then down to Sirius, low in the southeast, the brightest nighttime star, but doesn’t hold a candle to Jupiter. Then we go above left to Procyon and upwards and left to Mars, which is near Pollux, and finally back up to Capella. That’s that is our winter hexagon right now, so take it in while you can, before Jupiter and Mars move off and mess it up.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

The Winter Hexagon, right now, with Jupiter replacing Aldebaran and Mars replacing Pollux
The Winter Hexagon, for tonight at 8 PM, January 20, 2025, with Jupiter replacing Aldebaran and Mars replacing Pollux, but still keeping the basic shape of the hexagon. This will soon change as Jupiter and especially Mars eventually begin to move eastward. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.

As for events happening on Earth: Resist!

Categories: Asterism, Ephemeris Program, Observing, Planets, Stars Tags: , , , , , , , ,