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Ephemeris: 11/06/2024 – Where are the naked eye planets this week?

November 6, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, November 6th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 55 minutes, setting at 5:24, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:29. The Moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 8:56 this evening.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus can be spotted low in the southwestern sky by 6 PM, about half an hour after sunset. It will set at 7:22. Saturn will be in the southeast at 7 PM. Jupiter will rise at 7:17 PM in the east northeast, and be a good object for the small telescope about an hour later. By 6:00 AM tomorrow Jupiter will be high in the west southwest, among the winter stars, while reddish Mars, which rises tonight near 10:16, will be high in the south. Jupiter and Saturn are good planets to view with a small telescope, while Venus and Mars will appear very small and featureless. These last two will improve next year when they move closer to us.

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 the Moon in evening twilight, approximately half an hour after sunset
Venus and the Moon in evening twilight, approximately half an hour after sunset. For the Grand Traverse area of Michigan that would be about 6 PM, November 6, 2024. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon tonight as it might appear in a small telescope
The Moon tonight as it might appear in a small telescope. Selected features ae labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Jupiter and Saturn in this panorama from northeast to south at 8 pm or about 2 1/2 hours aftet sunset
Jupiter and Saturn in this panorama from northeast to south at 8 pm or about 2 1/2 hours aftet sunset. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and Mars among the stars of winter seen in the southwestern sky at 6 AM, or about an hour and a half before sunrise, tomorrow morning November 7, 2024. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets shown are for tonight, the evening of November 6, 2024. Apparent diameters: Venus 14.7″, 77.4% illuminated; Saturn 18.5″, its rings 42.3″, 5.3 degrees from edge on (opening up a bit); Jupiter 46.7″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 9.6″. Saturn’s rings are actually much brighter than depicted here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. 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 November 6, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 7th. 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, November 6 and 7, 2024. 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: 10/30/2024 – Our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets

October 30, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 30th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 6:33, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:20. The Moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 7:28 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus can be spotted low in the southwestern sky by 7 PM, about half an hour after sunset. It will set at 8:18. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is definitely a binocular object and will be a third of the way up to the zenith in the southwest around 8 PM. It will set at 11:17 PM. Saturn will be in the southeast at 8 PM. Jupiter will rise at 8:42 PM in the east northeast, and be a good object for the small telescope about an hour later. By 7:00 AM tomorrow Jupiter will be high in the west southwest, among the winter stars, while Mars, which rises tonight near 11:30, will be high in the south.

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 in evening twilight
Venus in evening twilight, approximately half an hour after sunset. For the Grand Traverse area of Michigan that would be about 7 PM, October 30, 2024. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn, keeping company with Fomalhaut
Saturn, keeping company with Fomalhaut, the loneliest star in the sky in the south-southeastern sky at 8 PM. Created using Stellarium
Jupiter low in the east-northeast at 11 PM
Jupiter low in the east-northeast at 11 PM. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and Mars among the stars of winter seen at 7 AM tomorrow morning October 31, 2024. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets shown are for tonight, the evening of October 30, 2024. Apparent diameters: Venus 14.1″, 77.4% illuminated; Saturn 18.4″, its rings 42.8″, 5.2 degrees from edge on (opening up a bit); Jupiter 46.0″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 9.2″. Saturn’s rings are actually much brighter than depicted here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. 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 October30, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 31st. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
A finder chart for Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
A finder chart for Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS for tonight and for the next 7 days as it drops from 5th to 6th magnitude. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
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, October 30 and 31, 2024. 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: Comet, Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 10/23/2024 – Taking a look at this week’s brighter solar system bodies

October 23, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 23rd. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 6:44, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:10. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 11:50 this evening.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus might be spotted in the West southwest low on the horizon at 7:15 PM, 29 minutes after sunset. It will set at 8:17. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be west after 8:30 PM the end of astronomical twilight. It will set at 10:55 PM. Saturn will be in the southeast at 8 PM. Jupiter will rise at 9:11 PM this evening in the east northeast, and be a good object for the small telescope about an hour later. By 7:00 AM tomorrow Jupiter will be high in the southwest while Mars will be high in the s­outh to the right of the Moon.

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 in evening twilight, approximately three quarters of an hour after sunset
Venus in evening twilight, approximately three quarters of an hour after sunset. For the Grand Traverse area of Michigan that would be about 7:30 PM tonight, October 23, 2024. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn, keeping company with Fomalhaut, the loneliest star in the sky
Saturn, keeping company with Fomalhaut, the loneliest star in the sky in the siuth-southeastern sky at 9 PM. Created using Stellarium
Jupiter low in the east-northeast at 11 PM this evening
Jupiter low in the east-northeast at 11 PM this evening. Created using Stellarium.
A finder chart for Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS for tonight and for the next 7 days
A finder chart for Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS for tonight and for the next 7 days. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter, Mars and the Moon among the stars of winter seen at 7 AM tomorrow morning
Jupiter, Mars and the Moon among the stars of winter seen at 7 AM tomorrow morning October 24, 2024. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon three hours past last quarter at 7 AM tomorrow morning
The Moon three hours past last quarter at 7 AM tomorrow morning, October 24, 2024. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. All the planets shown are for tonight, the evening of October 23, 2024. Venus and Saturn are from the evening of the 25th 2024, Apparent diameters: Venus 13.6″, 79.2% illuminated; Saturn 18.6″, its rings 43.2″, 5.1 degrees from edge on (opening up a bit); Jupiter 45.2″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 8.7″. Saturn’s rings are actually much brighter than depicted here. The ” means seconds of arc, or 1/3600th of a degree. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
A low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, October 23 and 24, 2024. 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: Comet, Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 10/16/2024 – Where are the naked-eye planets and the comet?

October 16, 2024 Comments off

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 16th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 55 minutes, setting at 6:55, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:01. The Moon, 1 day before full, will set at 8:11 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus might be spotted in the West southwest low on the horizon at 7:30 PM, 35 minutes after sunset. It will set at 8:19. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be west southwest way above and to the right of Venus. It will set at 9:46 PM. Saturn will be in the southeast at 8 PM. Jupiter will rise at 9:40 PM this evening and be a good object for the small telescope about an hour later. Jupiter and Mars are both mourning planets so they can be seen early in the morning before sunrise. By 7:00 AM tomorrow Jupiter will be high in the southwest while Mars will be high in the South.

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

An animated finder for Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS and Venus for tonight and for the next 7 days. Venus is in the lower left on the horizon for tonight. The image contains 3 frames the first is tonight at 8 PM without any annotations. The second adds names and constellation outlines. The third is the comet’s position for tonight in the next 7 days. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
Saturn and the Moon tonight at 8:00 PM along with the star Fomalhaut just rising . Created using Stellarium
Jupiter low in the east northeast at 11 PM this evening. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and Mars among the stars of winter seen at 7 AM tomorrow morning. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. Venus and Saturn are from 8 pm, and Jupiter for 11 pm tonight, October 16, 2024. Apparent diameters: Venus 13.2″, 81.0% illuminated; Saturn 18.7″, its rings 43.6″, 5.0 degrees from edge on (opening up a bit); Jupiter 44.4″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 8.3″. 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 October16, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 17th. 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, October 16 and 17, 2024. 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: Comet, Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets Tags: , , , , , ,

Ephemeris: 10/09/2024 – Where are the naked-eye planets this week?

October 9, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 9th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 16 minutes, setting at 7:07, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:52. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 10:57 this evening.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus might be spotted in the West southwest only 7° above the horizon at 8 PM, 55 minutes after sunset. It will set at 8:23. Saturn will be in the southeast at that time. Saturn may look disappointing in telescopes this year since its rings are nearly edge on and appearing as a line through the planet like it’s stapled onto the sky. Jupiter and Mars will be up in the morning sky, with Jupiter rising about 10:08 PM in the east-northeast. By 7 AM tomorrow, Jupiter will be brighter than any of the winter stars high in the south. Mars, with its reddish hue, will be to the left of Jupiter. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be in the western evening sky starting this weekend. It is expected to be quite bright, I’m betting with a broad tail.

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 the Moon in evening twilight, approximately an hour after sunset. For the Grand Traverse area of Michigan that would be about 8 PM tonight, October 9, 2024, where Venus, is only 7 degrees above the horizon at sunset. It would be higher from the south of us, below 45° N latitude, and lower for those north of us. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn as it would appear at 8 PM tonight, October 9, 2024, low in east southeast to southeast. With the naked eye it would seem to be pretty much alone in that sector of the sky of dim stars. Created using Stellarium.
Though not visible tonight, the comet will be making an evening appearance at the end of the week. The track of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) for five nights at 8 pm starting with Saturday the 12th. It might be visible on the 11th but the sky might be too bright. On that date we might be able to see the tail without seeing the head of the comet in the twilight. It should be interesting. The bright track on the lower left is Venus. Each label is the date and estimated magnitude. The comet is expected to be brighter that those estimates, especially during the first week of its appearance. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tonight, October 9, 2024. Selected features are labeled. Created using stellarium, LibreOffice draw, and GIMP.
Mars and Jupiter among the bright winter stars, and above the constellation of Orion with its bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel 7:00 AM tomorrow morning, October 10, 2024. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. Venus and Saturn are from 8 pm, and Jupiter for 11 pm tonight, October 9, 2024. Apparent diameters: Venus 12.7″, 82.5% illuminated; Saturn 18.9″, its rings 44.0″, 4.8 degrees from edge on (opening up a bit); Jupiter 43.5″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 8.0″. 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 October 9, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 10th. 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, October 9 and 10, 2024. 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: 10/02/2024 – Taking our weekly look at where the naked-eye planets are

October 2, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 2nd. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 37 minutes, setting at 7:20, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:43. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus might be spotted in the West southwest only 7° above the horizon at 7:45 PM, 35 minutes after sunset. It will set at 8:30. Saturn will be low in the east-southeast at that time, but you might have to wait another half hour for it to appear. Saturn may look disappointing in telescopes this year since its rings are nearly edge on and appearing as a line through the planet like it’s stapled onto the sky. Jupiter and Mars will be up in the morning sky, with Jupiter rising about 10:30 PM now in the east-northeast and by 7 AM tomorrow, Jupiter will be brighter than the winter stars high in the south. Mars will be left of Jupiter. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is very low in the east at that hour, but probably too faint to spot.

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 in evening twilight
Venus in evening twilight, approximately 25 minutes after sunset. For the Grand Traverse area of Michigan that would be about 7:45 PM, where Venus is very close to the horizon, due to the low angle of the ecliptic. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn in the southeastern sky by 9 pm. Created using Stellarium
The morning planets Jupiter and Mars are seen among the winter stars at 7 AM or about an hour before sunrise in the South southeast. Though Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is shown, it is too low and faint to be able to spot. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. Venus and Saturn are from the evening of the 2nd 2024, Jupiter is for 7 am on the 3rd. Apparent diameters: Venus 12.4″, 84.3% illuminated; Saturn 19.0″, its rings 44.3″, 4.3 degrees from edge on (opening up a bit); Jupiter 42.6″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 7.7″. Saturn’s rings are actually much brighter than depicted 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 October 2, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 3rd. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is moving northeastward in the sky. 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, October 2 and 3, 2024. 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: 09/25/2024 – Looking for the naked-eye planets for this week

September 25, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 25th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 59 minutes, setting at 7:33, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:35. The Moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 12:53 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus might be spotted in the West southwest only 6° above the horizon at 8 PM, 30 minutes after sunset. It will set at 8:38. Saturn will be low in the east-southeast at that time, but you might have to wait another half hour for it to appear. Saturn may look disappointing in telescopes this year since its rings are nearly edge on and appearing as a line through the planet like it’s stapled onto the sky. Jupiter and Mars will be up in the morning sky, with Jupiter rising about 11 PM now and by 6:30 AM tomorrow, Jupiter will be brighter than the winter stars in the south-southeast. Mars and the Moon will be left and below Jupiter.

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 in evening twilight
Venus in evening twilight, approximately 30 minutes after sunset. For the Grand Traverse area of Michigan that would be about 8 PM, where Venus is very close to the horizon, due to the low angle of the ecliptic. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn in the southeastern sky by 9 pm. Created using Stellarium.
The morning planets Jupiter, Mars and the Moon are seen among the winter stars at 6:45 AM or about an hour before sunrise in the South southeast. Though Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS ia shown, it is too low and faint to be able to spot. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon two days past last quarter. Selected features are labeled. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. Venus and Saturn are from the evening of the 25th 2024, Jupiter is for 6:45 am on the 26th. Apparent diameters: Venus 12.0″, 86.1% illuminated; Saturn 19.0″, its rings 44.5″, 4.4 degrees from edge on (opening up a bit); Jupiter 41.6″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 7.4″. Saturn’s rings are actually much brighter than depicted 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 September 25, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 26th. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is moving northeastward in the sky. 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, September 25 and 26, 2024. 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: 09/18/2024 – Checking out where the naked-eye planets are this week

September 18, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 18th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 20 minutes, setting at 7:46, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:27. The Moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 8:08 this evening.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus might be spotted in the West southwest only 5° above the horizon at 8:15 or 30 minutes after sunset. It will set at 8:48. Saturn will be low in the east-southeast at that time, with the Moon just rising in the east. Saturn may look disappointing in telescopes this year since its rings are nearly edge on and appearing as a line through the planet like it’s stapled onto the sky. Jupiter and Mars will be up in the morning sky, with Jupiter rising before midnight now and by 6:30 AM tomorrow, Jupiter will be the brightest starlike object in the sky among the winter stars in the south-southeast. Mars will be left and below Jupiter.

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 in evening twilight, approximately 30 minutes after sunset
Venus in evening twilight, approximately 30 minutes after sunset. For the Grand Traverse area of Michigan that would be about 8:15 PM, where Venus is very close to the horizon, due to the low angle of the ecliptic, even though Venus is about 27 degrees east of the sun, it is only 10 degrees above the horizon at sunset. It would be higher from the south of us, below 45° N latitude, and lower for those north of us. Created using Stellarium.
At the same time we see Venus setting in the West around 8:15 PM we see the Moon rise in the east, and Saturn close by in the east-southeast
At the same time we see Venus setting in the West around 8:15 PM we see the Moon rise in the east, and Saturn close by in the east-southeast. Saturn may not be quite as visible as this, but it will be shortly. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon one day past the full Harvest Moon
The Moon one day past the full Harvest Moon and shadows are beginning to creep onto the west, or right side of it. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
The morning planets Jupiter and Mars are seen among the winter stars
The morning planets Jupiter and Mars are seen among the winter stars at 6:30 AM or about an hour before sunrise in the South southeast. Created using stellarium.
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupite
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. Venus and Saturn are from the evening of the 18th 2024, Jupiter is for 6:30 am on the 19th. Apparent diameters: Venus 11.7″, 87.6% illuminated; Saturn 19.2″, its rings 44.6″, 4.2 degrees from edge on (opening up a bit); Jupiter 40.7″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 7.1″. 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 September 18, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 19th. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Low precision ephemeris
This is a low precision ephemeris of the Sun Moon and naked eye planet positions for today and tomorrow, September 18 and 19, 2024. 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: 09/11/2024 – Where are the naked-eye planets now?

September 11, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 11th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 42 minutes, setting at 7:59, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:18. The Moon, at first quarter today, will set at 12:07 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the whereabouts of the naked-eye planets. Venus might be glimpsed low in the west around 8:20 PM. It will set at 8:56. It is best seen over a very low or lake horizon. By 9 PM the gibbous Moon will be low in the south. Saturn will be low in the east-southeast, pretty much by itself. Saturn may look disappointing in telescopes this year since its rings are nearly edge on and appearing as a line through the planet. Jupiter and Mars will be up in the east in the morning, and by 6:15 AM tomorrow, Jupiter will be the brightest starlike object in the sky among the winter stars in the southeast. Mars will be left and below Jupiter. Mercury might be spotted near the horizon in the east.

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 in evening twilight, approximately 30 minutes after sunset
Venus in evening twilight, approximately 30 minutes after sunset. For the Grand Traverse area of Michigan that would be about 8:30 PM, where Venus Due to the low angle of the ecliptic, even though Venus is about 27 degrees east of the sun, it is only 10 degrees above the horizon at sunset. It would be higher from the south of us, below 45° N latitude, and lower for those north of us. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn as it would appear at 9 PM low in east southeast with the naked eye
Saturn as it would appear at 9 PM low in east southeast with the naked eye. It would seem to be pretty much alone in that sector of the sky of dim stars. Saturn is now officially an evening planet. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tonight
The Moon as it might appear through a small telescope tonight, September 11, 2024. Selected features are labeled. Created using stellarium, LibreOffice draw, and GIMP.
Mars and Jupiter among the bright winter stars
Mars and Jupiter among the bright winter stars, and above the constellation of Orion with its bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel. Also visible is the rising Mercury at 6:00 AM tomorrow morning, September 12, 2024. Created using Stellarium.
Mars and Jupiter among the bright winter stars
Telescopic Venus, Saturn and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope with the same magnification. Venus and Saturn are from the evening of the 11th, Jupiter is for 6 am on the 12th. Apparent diameters: Venus 11.4″, 89.2% illuminated; Saturn 19.2″, its rings 44.7″, 3.5 degrees from edge on (opening up a bit); Jupiter 39.7″; Mars, too small to be represented here, is 6.9″. Mercury, also too small 5.8 and 78.6% illuminated. 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 September 11, 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 12th. 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, September 11 and 12 2024. 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: 09/10/2024 – What last Saturday’s opposition from the Sun means

September 10, 2024 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Tuesday, September 10th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 45 minutes, setting at 8:01, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:17. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 11:17 this evening.

Last Saturday the planet Saturn moved in opposition to the Sun. It’s not an insurrection or anything, but Saturn was opposite the Sun in the sky. At that time Saturn would be closest to the Earth of some 806 million miles (900 km). Saturn is 9 1/2 times the distance of the Earth to the Sun so over the year as Saturn moves from opposition through conjunction with the Sun to opposition again it does not vary in size very much, unlike Venus and Mars which are closer to us and vary a lot in size over their period around our sky. Saturn is now an evening planet and so will become a fixture in our evening skies for the next 4 or so months. It lies in a star poor part of the sky so it’s easy to find. Saturn’s rings are now nearly edge on to us so in a small telescope Saturn looks like a tiny disk stapled onto the sky with the staple being a bright line through the planet.

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

Comparing Saturn’s and Mars’ images at their nearest and farthest distances from the Earth as seen through a telescope. Saturn is 9 1/2 times Earth’s distance from the Sun (solar distance) while Mars is 1 1/2* times Earth’s solar distance. At opposition the planet’s distance from the Earth is the planet’s solar distance minus the Earth’s solar distance. At solar conjunction the planet’s distance from the Earth is the planet’s solar distance plus the Earth’s solar distance. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts), Libreoffice Draw and GIMP.

* Mars has a fairly elliptical orbit and next January’s opposition is almost at its farthest. In 2003 Mars was as close as that it has gotten in 50,000 years, or so they tell me. At that time Mars’ apparent size was 72% larger than it will be next January. Mars has its closest oppositions to the Earth every 15 or 17 years. The last time it occurred was in 2018, and the next time will be in 2035.

Categories: Concepts, Ephemeris Program, Planets Tags: ,