Archive
11/12/2014 – Ephemeris – A look at the bright planets for this week.
Ephemeris for Wednesday, November 12th. The sun will rise at 7:35. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 42 minutes, setting at 5:17. The moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 10:38 this evening.
Tonight Mars will be low in the southwest at 7 p.m. It will set at 8:30 p.m. Jupiter now rises before midnight at 11:45 p.m. The best telescopic views will have to wait a couple of hours. Better to view Jupiter in the morning. The planet Mercury is making its autumn morning appearance now, rising in the east-southeast at 6:19 a.m. By 6:45 or so it should be visible low in the eastern sky, below and left of the star Spica, of about the same brightness, but has a bluish tinge in binoculars. Mercury is brightening as moves away from us and its phase appears fuller. Being close in to the sun its distance doesn’t vary by much so its brightness is governed more by its phase. Its separation from the sun is now down to 14.5 degrees.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mars and setting summer constellations at 7 p.m. on November 12, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and the Moon rising at midnight on November 13, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as seen in binoculars at midnight November 13, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
The morning sky including the Moon, Jupiter and Mercury at 6:30 a.m. on November 13, 2014.
Jupiter and moons through a telescope at 6:30 a.m. November 13, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Mercury in twilight showing also its orbit. No, you won’t see that in the real sky. Mercury is sliding back from its peak a couple of weeks ago. 7 a.m. on November 13, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
11/05/2014 – Ephemeris – This week there’s one bright planet in the early evening and two in the morningf
Ephemeris for Wednesday, November 5th. The sun will rise at 7:25. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 1 minute, setting at 5:26. The moon, 1 day before full, will set at 6:56 tomorrow morning.
Tonight Mars will be low in the southwest at 7 p.m. It will set at 8:32 p.m. The sky will stay devoid of bright planets until Jupiter rises at 12:13 a.m. Jupiter is visible this morning in twilight an hour earlier than last week, in the south-southeast along with the brighter stars of winter, a preview of colder evenings to come. The planet Mercury is making its autumn morning appearance now, rising in the east-southeast at 5:48 a.m. By 6:20 or so it should be visible low in the sky. Mercury is brightening as moves away from us and its phase becomes fuller. Being close in to the sun its distance doesn’t vary by much so its brightness is governed more by its phase. Its separation from the sun is now an 18 degree angle and slowly decreasing.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mars and the bright Moon at 7 p.m. on November 5, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
The nearly full Moon as it would be seen in binoculars at 7 p.m. on November 5, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Panorama of the morning sky at 6 a.m. with Jupiter and the just risen Mercury, with the Moon hanging on in the west. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and moons as seen in a telescope at 6 a.m., November 6, 2014. The moon Io, visible earlier in the morning, is hiding behind the planet. Created using Stellarium.
Mercury low in the east at 7 a.m., November 6, 2014. Note its altitude is 11 degrees above the flat horizon. Also shown is Mercury’s orbit. Created using Stellarium.
10/29/2014 – Ephemeris – A last look at the bright planets for October
Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 29th. The sun will rise at 8:16. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 6:35. The moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 11:41 this evening.
Tonight Mars will be low in the southwest at 8 p.m. below and right of the Moon in the constellation of Sagittarius, and will set at 9:35 p.m. The sky will stay devoid of bright planets until Jupiter rises at 1:33 a.m. Jupiter is visible this morning in twilight in the south-southeast along with the brighter stars of winter, a preview of colder evenings to come. The planet Mercury makes its autumn morning appearance for the next week or so, rising in the east-southeast at 6:38. By 7:20 or so it should be visible low in the sky. It’s greatest western elongation will be this Saturday, and it will pass perihelion, its closest to the Sun, this Sunday, so despite its greatest elongation, it’s less than a 19 degree angle from the Sun.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Ephemeris
Mars, the Moon and the setting stars of summer at 8 p.m. on October 29, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it would appear in binoculars at 8 p.m. October 29, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
The morning planets and constellations at 7:30 a.m. October 30, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and its moons as seen in a telescope at 7:30 a.m. October 30, 2014. Io is behind Jupiter. Created using Stellarium.
10/22/2014 – Ephemeris – The bright planets this week plus a preview of Thursday’s partial solar eclipse
Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 22nd. The sun will rise at 8:06. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 39 minutes, setting at 6:46. The moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 7:46 tomorrow morning.
Tonight Saturn will be low in the west-southwest before it sets at 7:56 p.m. Mars will be low in the southwest at 9 p.m. and will set at 9:40 p.m. The sky will stay devoid of bright planets until Jupiter rises at 1:56 a.m. tomorrow morning. Jupiter is visible this morning in twilight in the south-southeast along with the brighter stars of winter visible, a preview of colder evenings to come. Tomorrow evening, weather permitting, we will get to see part of a partial solar eclipse. The exact times depend on your location, though shouldn’t deviate from these by a few minutes for the Interlochen Public Radio listening area (northwestern lower Michigan). The eclipse will start around 5:32 p.m. and will continue till sunset around 6:44 p.m. Use proper eye protection or use pinhole projection.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and Mars at 7:30 p.m. on October 22, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and the morning constellations at 6:30 a.m., October 23, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter through a telescope at 6:30 a.m. October 23, 2014. The unnamed moon is Io. Created using Stellarium.
Coverage of the partial solar eclipse of October 23, 2014. Credit: NASA. Click image for more information.
The setting partially eclipsed sun from Traverse City. Created using Stellarium.
Partially eclipsed sun using a series of pinholes projected on a reasonably white surface.
10/15/2014 – Ephemeris – Looking for the bright planets this week
Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 15th. The sun will rise at 7:57. It’ll be up for exactly 11 hours, setting at 6:57. The moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 12:53 tomorrow morning.
Let’s check out the bright planets for this week. Saturn is very low in the west-southwestern sky at 8 p.m. and difficult to spot. It will set at 8:22 p.m. Mars is right of the spout of the Teapot of Sagittarius low in the southwest. Mars is in the constellation of Ophiuchus as astronomers draw constellation boundaries, it will set at 9:46. Comet Siding Spring will pass close to Mars this coming Sunday the 19th. More on that tomorrow. In the morning sky brilliant Jupiter will rise in the east-northeast at 2:18 a.m. It’s moving from Cancer to Leo now. Venus is too close to the sun to be seen. On the 25th of this month Venus will be in superior conjunction with the sun, that is it will move behind the sun, and will enter the evening sky.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and Mars low near the setting southern summer stars at 8 p.m. October 15, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and the Moon among the stars of winter at 6 a.m. October 16, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon slightly after last quarter as seen in binoculars at 6 a.m. October 16, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
A telescopic view of Jupiter and its moons as they would be seen at 6 a.m. October 16, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
10/08/2014 – Ephemeris – The ongoing lunar eclipse and a peek at the planets
Note: This program is scheduled to be aired at two points during the total lunar eclipse. The first airing occurs at6:19 a.m., six minutes before totality starts. The second airing will occur at 7:59 a.m. during totality.
Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 8th. The sun will rise at 7:48. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 7:10. The moon, at full today, will rise at 7:23 this evening.
There is a lunar eclipse occurring right now. Totality is either about to start or the moon is in totality with an orange or reddish hue, depending on when you hear this. You can see it right now in the west, if it’s reasonably clear. Totality will end at 7:24. The ending partial phase will be interrupted by moon setting near 8 a.m. Tonight Saturn will be low in the west-southwest before it sets at 8:47 p.m. Mars will be low in the southwest at 9 p.m. and will set at 9:54 p.m. The sky will stay devoid of bright planets until Jupiter rises, which it will do at 2:40 a.m. tomorrow morning. Jupiter is visible this morning in twilight in the south-southeast along with the brighter stars of winter visible, a preview of colder evenings to come.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn, Mars and the setting stars of summer at 8:30 p.m. on October 8, 2014.
Jupiter and a preview of the stars of winter at 6:30 a.m. on October 9, 2014.
Jupiter and its moons as seen through a telescope at 6:30 a.m. October 9, 2014.
10/01/2014 – Ephemeris – Let’s start off the month with a look at the bright planets
Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 1st. The sun will rise at 7:40. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 42 minutes, setting at 7:23. The moon, at first quarter today, will set at 12:43 tomorrow morning.
Let’s check out the bright planets for this week. Mars and Saturn are in the southwestern sky at 8:30 p.m. with Mars above the equally bright and red star Antares with Saturn a ways right of them and as high in the sky as Antares. Saturn will set at 9:16 p.m. Mars is in the constellation of Ophiuchus as astronomers draw constellation boundaries, though it looks to be in Scorpius. Mars will set at 10:04. In the morning sky brilliant Jupiter will rise in the east-northeast at 3:02 a.m. Venus will rise about a half hour before the sun, so it will not be visible. On the 25th of this month Venus will be in superior conjunction with the sun, that is it will move behind the sun, and will then enter the evening sky.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and Mars with the evening constellations, showing constellation boundaries in red at 8:30 p.m. on October 1, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn through a telescope. Of the satellites only Titan should be visible with Saturn so low in the sky at 8:30 p.m. Created using Stellarium.
The first quarter Moon tonight at 8:30 p.m. with some interesting locations. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas.
Points of interest on the moon tonight:
- Alpine Valley – This is a fault valley some 79 miles (130 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) wide through the lunar Alps.
- Straight Wall – This is a fault that runs north-south on the moon and is only seen either one day after first quarter or one day after last quarter. It is 67 miles (110 km) long and 900 feet (300 meters) high. But instead of being a wall, it has only a 7 degree slope, which explains its brief appearance. Tonight it will cast a shadow. One day after last quarter the sun will shine directly on the slope, which is covered by lighter material and will show as a bright line.
Jupiter and the winter stars at 6:30 a.m. on October 2, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and its satellites as seen through a telescope at 6:30 a.m. October 2, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
09/29/2014 – Ephemeris – The Moon, Mars and Antares will line up tonight
Ephemeris for Monday, September 29th. The sun will rise at 7:37. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 48 minutes, setting at 7:26. The moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 10:49 this evening.
Tonight we’ll still have Mars hanging around the star Antares. However we’ll have the Moon joining the party. The three will nearly be in line at 9 p.m. with the fat crescent Moon on top, Mars below it and Antares below Mars. They will be in a straighter line but the Sun out makes them impossible to see. With binoculars or a small telescope the lunar seas visible, kind of in order from the Moon’s sunlit edge are Crises, Fertility, Nectar, Tranquility and half of Serenity. If you’re looking for the Man in the Moon, you’ll have to wait until the Moon is nearly full to completely discern his face. However most of the upside down rabbit is visible. The seas of Fertility and Nectar make up his ears, Tranquility, his head, and Serenity his body.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Moon, Mars and the bright red star Antares line up on the evening of September 29, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
The moon tonight September 29, 2014. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas.
09/26/2014 – Ephemeris – Mars meets its rival
Ephemeris for Friday, September 26th. The sun will rise at 7:34. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 58 minutes, setting at 7:32. The moon, 2 days past new, will set at 8:45 this evening.
The planet Mars and the bright star Antares will appear at their closest tomorrow night. The name of the star Antares means “Rival of Mars”. “Ant” meaning anti, “Ares”, the Greek equivalent to the Roman god Mars. This is about a 26 month recurrence, give or take. Usually Mars is way brighter than Antares, or way dimmer. This time Mars and Antares are the same brightness. Both planet and star have the same color, kind of a faded orange color, made redder by being low in our sky which drains even more of the blue out. The reason Mars is red is that its surface is rusty. Antares is another matter. It is a cool red giant star. Well, cool on the outside by hotter than the sun’s interior on the inside where it’s changing helium into carbon and oxygen for power. Hint: Mars is always on top. Also tomorrow night the crescent Moon will be just to the right of Saturn.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addenda
Mars appears its closest to Antares. Here seen low in the southwest at 8:30 p.m. on September 27, 2014. The Moon, near Saturn is too small to show a phase. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn with the crescent moon. Earthshine may still be visible on the three day old Moon’s night side. Created using Stellarium.
Acme Fall Festival
The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be at the Acme Fall Festival at Flintfields Horse Park on Bates Rd, North of M72, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday the 27th. The society will bring telescopes, including the 25 inch Dobsonian telescope and the Solar Telescope to view the Sun in white light and the light of the element hydrogen. There will also be exhibits and free stuff from NASA for the kids.
09/24/2014 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 24th. The sun will rise at 7:31. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 4 minutes, setting at 7:36. The moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
Let’s take our weekly look at the bright planets. Mars and Saturn are in the southwestern sky at 9 p.m. with Saturn to the right and a bit below Mars by 17 degrees, about the two widths of your fist held at arm’s length. Saturn will set at 9:38 p.m. Saturn is in Libra, while Mars is in Scorpius. Mars is closing in on a star that has the identical color, and this year the same brightness, its rival Antares. Indeed that’s what the star’s name means: Ant as in anti, Ares the Greek god of war, and the counterpart of the Roman Mars. They will be closest Saturday. Mars will set at 10:13.. In the morning sky brilliant Jupiter will rise in the east-northeast at 3:23 a.m., while Venus, will rise in the east at 6:51 a.m. only 42 minutes before the sun. I’m not sure you’ll see it.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn with Mars approaching Antares low in the southwest at 8:30 p.m. on September 24, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn in a telescope on September 24, 2014. Of the satellites, only Titan should be visible. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and the winter and the western most spring constellations at 6:30 a.m. on September 25, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and its moon through a telescope at 6:30 a.m. on September 25, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 