Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Wednesday, February 29th, the leap day or intercalary day.  The sun will rise at 7:20.  It’ll be up for 11 hours and 8 minutes, setting at 6:29.   The moon, at first quarter today, will set at 2:28 tomorrow morning.

Let’s see what’s happening with the bright planets for this week.  Venus is brilliant in the western sky after sunset and will set at 10:23 in the west.  Jupiter the second brightest planet after Venus is located high in the west as it gets dark and is seen against the stars of the constellation Aries.  Venus is now approaching it.  Jupiter will set at 11:21 p.m.. Mars is the up and coming planet.  It will rise near sunset in the east and is in the constellation Leo the lion.  It is 62.8 million miles away .  It’s now as bright as most first magnitude stars.  Mars will pass due south at 1:14 a.m.  Saturn will rise at 10:29 p.m. just to the left of the bright star Spica in the east southeast.

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Mars in approach.  These photos of Mars from earlier posts by Scott Anttila shows Mars approaching, or rather being approached by the earth over the last two months.

Mars 9 days ago. Photograph by Scott Anttila

Besides getting larger in approach, Mars is becoming  more full.  Also notice that the north polar cap is shrinking as northern summer proceeds.

Mars on February 6, 2012. Photograph by Scott Anttila

Mars on February 20, 2012 at 5:57 UT (12:57 a.m.). Photograph by Scott Anttila.

Mars will reach opposition from the sun on March 3rd, and will be closest to the earth on the 5th, at just a teensy bit closer than today at 62.6 million miles.

For more on the martian seasons check out this blog post with video by the Planetary Society’s Emily Lakdawalla.