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08/01/2012 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, August 1st. The sun rises at 6:29. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 37 minutes, setting at 9:07. The moon, at full today, will rise at 8:33 this evening.
Let’s see what’s happening with the bright planets for this week. Mars Saturn and the star Spica make a bright triangle in the west southwest after sunset. Mars is on the right and Saturn is the topmost of the three. They are located in the constellation Virgo the virgin. Mars will be setting in the west at 11:38 p.m. Saturn will set at 12:05 a.m. At mid-month Mars will pass between Saturn and Spica. The morning sky features the two brightest planets: Jupiter, which will rise at 1:59 in the east northeast and Venus, which will rise at 3:13 also in the east northeast. The bright star Aldebaran in Taurus the bull will appear just to the right of Jupiter tomorrow morning, but Venus will have dropped farther below Jupiter, as it stays by the sun.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Looking southwest at 10:30 p.m. on August 1, 2012. Created using Stellarium. Click on the image to enlarge.
Looking east at 5 a.m. August 2, 2012. That’s Orion rising below Jupiter and Venus. Created using Stellarium. Click on the image to enlarge.
07/25/2012 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 25th. The sun rises at 6:21. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 53 minutes, setting at 9:15. The moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 12:17 tomorrow morning.
Let’s see what’s happening with the bright planets for this week. Mars, with its unmistakable bright reddish color, is in the west southwest in the evening in the constellation of Virgo the virgin. Mars will be setting in the west at 11:55 p.m. It is approaching Saturn and Spica just to its left. Saturn will be in the west southwest above the bright star Spica now. It will set at 12:32 a.m. The moon passed the group last night as is just east of them now. Jupiter will rise at 2:22 a.m. in the east northeast. Venus, is now seen below Jupiter after it rises at 3:20 a.m. Tomorrow morning, the bright star Aldebaran will appear below and right of Jupiter. Venus is falling off to the lower left of Jupiter as Jupiter moves away from the sun.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mars, Saturn and the moon at 10:30 p.m. 07/25/2012. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and Venus with bright morning stars including those of Orion at 5:30 a.m. on 7/26/2012. Created using Stellarium.
07/18/2012 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 18th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 7 minutes, setting at 9:22. The moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 6:53 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:15.
Let’s see what’s happening with the bright planets for this week. Mars, with its unmistakable bright reddish color, is in the west southwest in the evening in the constellation of Virgo the virgin. Mars will be setting in the west at 12:14 a.m. It is approaching Saturn and Spica just to its left. Saturn will be in the southwest above the bright star Spica now. It will set at 12:59 a.m. Jupiter, now a morning planet will rise at 2:45 a.m. in the east northeast. Venus, is now seen just below Jupiter after it rises at 3:31 a.m. Tomorrow morning, the bright star Aldebaran will appear between the two before twilight gets too bright before 5 a.m. All these planets except Mars, which is too small, are great to view in a telescope.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mars and Saturn in Virgo at 10:30 p.m. on July 18, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and Venus at 5 a.m. on July 19, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
Venus and Jupiter are noticeably separating.
07/11/2012 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 11th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 18 minutes, setting at 9:27. The moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 1:18 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:09.
Let’s see what’s happening with the bright planets for this week. Mars, with its unmistakable bright reddish color, is in the west southwest in the evening in the constellation of Virgo the virgin. Mars will be setting in the west at 12:34 a.m. It is approaching Saturn and Spica just to its left. Saturn will be in the southwest above the bright star Spica now. It will set at 1:26 a.m. Jupiter, now a morning planet will rise at 3:08 a.m. in the east northeast. Venus, is now seen just below Jupiter after it rises at 3:45 a.m. Tomorrow morning, Venus will appear next to the bright star Aldebaran. The planets are striking in telescopes with Venus as a large thin crescent, and Jupiter with its cloud bands and satellites.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Looking westward at 10:30 p.m. on July 11, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
Click on image to enlarge.
Looking eastward at 5 a.m. on July 12, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
Note Aldebaran near Venus. Aldebaran is the brightest star in the winter constellation Taurus the bull. Note the Pleiades star cluster above Jupiter. Well worth a look with binoculars.
07/06/2012 – Ephemeris – Sun and planet viewing tonight
Ephemeris for Friday, July 6th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 25 minutes, setting at 9:29. The moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 11:06 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:05.
This evening the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will hold its monthly meeting at the Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory at 8 p.m. This meeting will be devoted to viewing the sun through the society’s new solar telescope. After that starting at 9 p.m. Will be a star party. For both events, the public is welcome. The tiny planet Mars and the ringed planet Saturn will be visible as will a number of binary stars and brighter wonders of the heavens as the skies darken. Mercury is now receded toward the sun so is not visible. For the rest of the abbreviated planet report this week: A note for early risers that Jupiter and Venus make a fine sight low in the east northeast in the morning after 5 a.m.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/03/2012 – Ephemeris – How Curiosity will land on Mars
Ephemeris for Tuesday, July 3rd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 28 minutes, setting at 9:30. The moon, at full today, will rise at 9:21 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:03.
At 1:31 on the morning of August 6th our time the Curiosity Rover will land on Mars. The entry, descent and landing of the rover will take just 7 minutes from first encountering the martian atmosphere. The planning to land this nearly one ton lander on Mars was enormous. There’s a heat shield to initially slow the spacecraft, then there is a parachute to slow it more. It will be on the parachute for a maximum of 90 seconds. Then 8 rockets will slow the rover more. These are on the descent stage with the rover tucked underneath. At the proper altitude the descent stage will lower the rover to the ground by cable, then fly off to crash some distance away. This isn’t the half of it. Check out the planetary dot org blog section for more details.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
How Curiosity Will Land – Part 1
How Curiosity Will Land – Part 2
Youtube video: “Challenges of Getting to Mars: Curiosity’s Seven Minutes of Terror”
06/27/12012 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Wednesday, June 27th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 9:31. The moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 1:40 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:59.
Let’s see what’s happening with the bright planets for this week. Mercury is in the evening sky but very low in the west northwest about 45 minutes after sunset. It will set at 11:04 p.m. Mars, with its unmistakable bright reddish color, is in the west southwest in the evening entering the constellation of Virgo the virgin. Mars will be setting in the west at 1:15 a.m. Saturn will be in the south southwest above the bright star Spica now. It will set at 2:21 a.m. Jupiter, now a morning planet will rise at 3:53 a.m. in the east northeast. Venus, is now seen below Jupiter after it rises at 4:23 a.m. [They are striking in telescopes with Venus as a large thin crescent, and Jupiter with its cloud bands and satellites.]
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location. Bracketed text was omitted from the audio program due to time constraints.
Addendum
Mercury, Mars and Saturn at 10:30 p.m. on June 27, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
The eastern sky with Jupiter and Venus. at 5:15 a.m. June 28, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
06/21/2012 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Thursday, June 21st. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 9:31. The moon, 2 days past new, will set at 10:48 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:57.
Let’s see what’s happening with the bright planets for this week, one day late. Mercury is in the evening sky but very low in the west northwest about 45 minutes after sunset. It will set at 11:09 p.m. Mars is in the west southwest in the evening between the constellations Leo the lion and Virgo with its unmistakable bright reddish color. Mars will be setting in the west at 1:33 a.m. Saturn will be in the south southwest above the bright star Spica now. It will set at 2:45 a.m. Jupiter, now a morning planet will rise at 4:10 a.m. in the east northeast. Venus, is now in the morning sky will rise at 4:45 a.m. In the east northeast. It’s making its debut as the morning star.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Looking at the fading twilit sky at 10:30 p.m. on June 21, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
This is just an hour after sunset. The moon is really a very thin crescent, and is much dimmer than is shown here. Click to expand. When expanded the images above and below will appear at the same scale.
The eastern sky at 05:00 a.m. on June 22, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
This shows the sky an hour before sunrise tomorrow. In actuality Venus is much brighter than Jupiter.
06/13/2012 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 13th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 9:28. The moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:47 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:56.
Let’s see what’s happening with the bright planets for this week. Mars is in the southwest in the evening between the constellations Leo the lion and Virgo with its unmistakable bright reddish color, though its fading as it retreats from us. Mars will be setting in the west at 1:58 a.m. Saturn will be in the south above the bright star Spica now. It’s due south at 9:41 p.m. and will set at 3:17 a.m. Jupiter, now a morning planet will rise at 4:39 a.m. in the east northeast. Venus, now in the morning sky is very close to the rising sun, will itself rise at 5:18 a.m. I’m not sure it’s all that visible yet. Mercury is in the evening sky but too close to the sun to be seen, we should be able to spot it the last week of this month.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Centered on the southwestern sky at 10:30 p.m. on June 13, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
The planets Saturn, Mars and Mercury. Click to enlarge.
The morning sky in the east at 5 a.m. on June 14, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter rising a bit right of East at 5 a.m. Venus will rise at 5:18 on the 14th. We should see them both next week. Click to enlarge.
06/12/2012 – Ephemeris – The bright star Antares
Ephemeris for Tuesday, June 12th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 31 minutes, setting at 9:28. The moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 2:20 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:56.
A rival to Mars is now low in southeast at 10:30. It is the red star Antares, whose names literally means “Rival of Mars”. This is from the Greek who’s god of war was Ares. Mars is in the southwest now and a bit brighter than Antares. When Mars catches up with Antares around October 20th this year, they will be nearly the same brightness, and one would be hard put to tell them apart. Antares is in the heart of Scorpius the scorpion which lies close to our southern horizon later in the evening, and is best seen next month at an earlier time. Antares is also a star that appears strange as its twinkling is very pronounced being always close to the horizon for us sputtering all the colors of the rainbow.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Antares and Mars at 11 p.m. on June 12, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 