Archive
10/15/2015 – Ephemeris – More planet and Moon action
Ephemeris for Thursday, October 15th. The Sun will rise at 7:57. It’ll be up for 11 hours and one minute, setting at 6:58. The Moon, 3 days past new, will set at 8:41 this evening.
Tonight the planet Saturn will be seen about 15 moon-diameters left of the thin crescent Moon. We are getting close to the end of Saturn’s evening visibility. It will be pretty much lost in the evening twilight by the end of the month. In the morning sky, Mercury will be at greatest elongation by tomorrow morning. It will be at an angle of only 18 degrees from the Sun, however that angle won’t diminish much over the next week, and Mercury will actually get a bit brighter because its phase becomes fuller. Remember it is illuminated by the sun and it is beginning to move around the back of the Sun. Both Mercury and Venus show phases in a telescope like the Moon as they move around the sun.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Animation rocking back and forth between 7:45 p.m. on October 15th and 16th (2015_. Created using Stellarium.
10/14/2015 – Ephemeris – The planet get together in the morning
Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 14th. The Sun will rise at 7:56. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 3 minutes, setting at 7:00. The Moon, 2 days past new, will set at 8:06 this evening.
Lets see what’s happening with the bright planets. Saturn is alone in the evening sky spotted by 8 p.m. low in the west-southwestern sky near the bright star Antares to its left. Antares has a reddish hue, while Saturn is brighter and yellowish. Both these colors are enhanced by being low to the horizon. Saturn will set at 8:56 p.m. The rest of the planets are in the morning sky and seeing more action. Brilliant Venus, the morning star, will rise at 4 a.m. a bit north of east. Below and left of Venus is bright Jupiter, though not as bright as Venus. Above it tomorrow is dim Mars. They will pass each other on Saturday. Jupiter will rise at 4:37 preceded by 7 minutes by Mars. Mercury is way below these, but brightening. It will rise at 6:20.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and Antares appear in west-southwestern twilight with the thin crescent Moon, shown twice its actual size to show up at all, at 7:45 p.m., October 14, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
The morning planets getting together at 7 a.m. Mercury will be falling back toward the Sun after tomorrow. Created using Stellarium.
Apparent sizes of the morning planets Venus, Mars and Jupiter as seen through a telescope. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for October 14, 2015 showing the location of the planets and the Moon at that time. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on the image to enlarge.
10/09/2015 – Ephemeris – The Moon is seen with the morning planets this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, October 9th. The Sun will rise at 7:50. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 18 minutes, setting at 7:09. The Moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 5:31 tomorrow morning.
This morning up to about 7:15 look to the east at the crescent Moon and the planets. The Moon is between Venus above and Jupiter just below and to the left. Mars will be a bit above and just left of the Moon. Mercury will be farther below the moon to the left and about 22 degrees below the Moon (that’s about twice the width of a fist held at arm’s length.) By Sunday morning the thin sliver of the Moor will be near Mercury with the tiny planet just above left of the Moon. Next Thursday the 15th, Mercury will climb to its greatest angular distance or elongation west of the Sun. It will be getting a bit brighter for a while because even though it’s moving away from us, its phase will be getting fuller. Remember it’s illuminated by the sun.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Morning planet animation for 7 a.m. October 8 to 11, 2015. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
09/16/2015 – Ephemeris – Looking for Saturn in the evening and Venus, Mars and Jupiter in the morning
Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 16th. The Sun will rise at 7:22. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 29 minutes, setting at 7:52. The Moon, 3 days past new, will set at 9:32 this evening.
Lets look for the bright planets for this week. Saturn is alone in the evening sky spotted by 9 p.m. low in the southwestern sky near the bright star Antares to its left. Antares has a reddish hue, while Saturn is brighter and yellowish. Both these colors are enhanced by being low to the horizon. Saturn will set at 10:39 p.m. The rest of the planet action has moved to the morning sky. Venus, the morning star, will rise at 4:42 a.m. a bit north of east. Much dimmer Mars will rise at 4:48 a.m. in the east-northeast. Jupiter is beginning to be visible in the morning sky and will rise at 5:57, almost an hour before the Sun. Mercury, though in the evening sky, sets too soon after the Sun to be visible.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and the Moon with the Sagittarius teapot pouring its tea on the tail of Scorpius at 9 p.m. September 16, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
The moon as it might be seen in binoculars at 9 p.m. September 16, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope at 9 p.m., September 16, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Created using Stellarium.
Venus, Mars and Jupiter with the star Regulus in morning twilight at 6:30 a.m. September 17, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Venus through a telescope – September 17, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for September 16, 2015 showing the location of the planets and the Moon at that time. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on the image to enlarge.
09/09/2015 – Ephemeris – Saturn is in the evening sky but the planet action is moving to the morning
Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 9th. The Sun will rise at 7:14. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 50 minutes, setting at 8:05. The Moon, half way from last quarter to new, will rise at 4:42 tomorrow morning.
Lets look for the bright planets for this week. Saturn is alone in the evening sky spotted low in the southwestern sky near the bright star Antares to its left. It will set at 11:06 p.m. The rest of the planet action has moved to the morning sky. Venus, the morning star, will rise at 4:42 a.m. a bit north of east. Tomorrow morning the thin crescent Moon will appear just to the left of it. Much dimmer Mars will be to the left of the Moon, and will rise at 4:52 a.m. in the east-northeast. Mars will rapidly fall behind Venus. Jupiter is beginning to be visible in the morning sky and will rise at 6:16, almost an hour before the Sun. Mercury, though in the evening sky sets too soon after the Sun to be visible. Jupiter is too close to the Sun on thee morning side to be seen.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn with the Zodiacal constellations of Libra, Scorpius and Sagittarius as the Teapot at 9:30 p.m. September 9, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope at 9:30 p.m., September 9, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Created using Stellarium.
Looking east at Venus, the Moon and Mars at 6 a.m. September 10, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for September 9, 2015 showing the location of the planets and the Moon at that time. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on the image to enlarge.
08/05/2015 – Ephemeris – Down to one easily visible evening planet
Ephemeris for Wednesday, August 5th. The Sun rises at 6:33. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 30 minutes, setting at 9:03. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 12:08 tomorrow morning.
Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week. Our evening stars Venus and Jupiter leaving the evening sky in the west. Venus will set 2 minutes after the Sun, so the only hope to spot it is before sunset, a dangerous prospect with the Sun so close. Jupiter is just too faint in the twilight to pick up. Venus is 10 days from inferior conjunction with the Sun. Saturn is in the south in the evening twilight. Saturn can be spotted just to the right of the constellation of Scorpius the scorpion and its bright red star Antares below and right of it. Even small telescopes can see Saturn’s rings. A spotting scope of 20 power magnification can show that Saturn has a ring. Antares though is star-like, scintillating like a sparkler.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury plus the star Regulus together at 9 p.m. August 5, 2015 with the bright Earth’s atmosphere removed. Created using Stellarium.
The reason I don’t discuss Mercury is that This will not be a good apparition of that planet. Apparitions (appearances) of Mercury are best seen in the evening in late winter and spring. Morning apparitions are best seen in late summer and autumn.
Saturn and the southern Milky Way and stars of summer at 10:30 p.m. August 5, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope at 10:30 p.m., August 5, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Created using Stellarium.
This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for August 5, 2015 showing the location of the planets at that time. The traffic jam of planets near the western horizon at sunset is best seen in the first image above. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on the image to enlarge.
05/19/2015 – Ephemeris – The crescent Moon reappears in the west
Ephemeris for Tuesday, May 19th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 57 minutes, setting at 9:08. The Moon, 1 day past new, will set at 10:42 this evening, and tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:09.
The Moon is again making its appearance in the evening sky as a thin crescent. The crescent appearance is because the moon is mostly between the Earth and the Sun. , so we are looking at just a sliver of it is sunlit, and most is unlit by the sun. But the Moon has the Earth in its sky, which is quite bright, and when the moon’s phase is thin, the Earth illuminates its night side with Earth light. We call it Earthshine, when the whole Moon appears faintly inside the crescent. It’s also known more poetically as the “Old moon in the new moon’s arms.” The planets Venus and Mercury also exhibit crescent phases because they can be positioned between the Earth and the Sun, as Mercury is now and Venus will be next month.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Close grouping of, from right to left, Venus, Jupiter, Venus and the overexposed crescent Moon showing Earthshine on June 15, 1991. Credit: Bob Moler.
05/18/2015 – Ephemeris – Venus, beautiful Evening Star or Earth’s evil twin?
Ephemeris for Monday, May 18th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 55 minutes, setting at 9:07. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible and tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:10.
Venus has been called the Earth’s twin because it is 95 percent the size of the Earth. It is 72 percent of the Earth’s distance from the Sun, and that seems to be the thing that turned a planet, perhaps as endowed with the same amounts of water and other minerals as the Earth, into Earth’s evil twin. Those nice shiny white clouds are not the water vapor clouds of Earth, but poisonous corrosive clouds of sulfuric acid droplets. The air which is mostly carbon dioxide is dense, some 90 times the Earth’s atmospheric pressure at sea level. The carbon dioxide atmosphere creates a runaway green house effect, giving a surface temperature of over 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Hotter, even than Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The clouds of Venus in ultraviolet light as seen by Pioneer Venus in 1979. Venus’ clouds provide a blank face in visible light. Credit: NASA.
A map of Venus surface produced by NASA’s Magellan spacecraft using radar: 1990-1994. Credit NASA
05/13/2015 – Ephemeris – The bright planets including a last look at Mercury for a while
Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 13th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 44 minutes, setting at 9:01. The Moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 4:17 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:16.
Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week. Mercury is low in the west-northwestern sky after sunset. It’s at a 19 degrees angle from the sun and will set at 10:47. Mercury is getting dimmer as its phase becomes a decreasingly thin crescent. Our brilliant evening star Venus is in the west by 9:30 p.m. It will set at 12:44 a.m. Jupiter will appear high in the west-southwestern sky before 10 p.m. It will set at 2:43 a.m. It’s near the sickle-shaped head of Leo the lion, and it’s the second brightest star-like object in the sky after Venus. Saturn will rise in the east-southeast at 9:33 p.m. It will be low in the southwest as morning twilight brightens. It’s rings and the moon Titan can be seen in small telescopes.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and the setting stars of winter at 10 p.m., May 13, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Venus through a telescope, over exposed to match the brilliant orb of Venus, on May 13, 2015. Created using Carted du Ceil (Sky Charts).
Jupiter and its moons at 10 p.m. May 13, 2015. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
Saturn above the southeastern horizon with the stars of late spring at 11 p.m. May 13, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope the night of May 6-7, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Same scale/magnification as Jupiter and Venus. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
05/07/2015 – Ephemeris – Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation today
Ephemeris for Thursday, May 7th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 30 minutes, setting at 8:54. The Moon, half way from full to last quarter, will rise at 12:20 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:23.
The tiny planet Mercury has been in the news lately because the MESSENGER spacecraft plunged onto its surface a week ago, after having mapped and studied chemical composition of this planet for four years. Today, for Mercury watchers from the Earth, it reached its greatest angular separation from the sun in its orbit, of 21 degrees just before 1 a.m. Mercury has always been a tough planet to study, low to the horizon in twilight. It’s also a tough planet to get to with a spacecraft, being far down the Sun’s gravity well. MESSENGER took 7 years to get there, bleeding off energy by passing Earth, Venus and Mercury itself to fall into orbit of this little world that was full of surprises.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mercury’s orbit as seen from about 45 degrees north latitude Earth at the greatest eastern elongation at sunset on May 7, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
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The other red line is the plane of the Earth’s orbit. In the spring at sunset it is much closer to vertical than in autumn. The angle of the ecliptic to the horizon at sunset on the vernal equinox is 90° – (your latitude) + 23.5°. Here near 45° north latitude it’s 68.5°. For the sunset at the autumnal equinox the formula is 90° – (your latitude) – 23.5° or 21.5°. The ecliptic will really lay down making planets close to the direction of the Sun hard to spot. In the morning sky the ecliptic will be steep at the autumnal equinox and lay down at the vernal equinox. Thus the best time to spot Mercury, which never strays far from the sun is on late winter and spring evenings and late summer and autumn mornings. Also note that Mercury’s 7 degree inclination to the ecliptic helps it now.
Also note that we are seeing Mercury’s orbit nearly edge on. It will be edge-on in a couple of days. It so happens that a year from now, the morning of May 9th, 2016, for us in the United States, Mercury will transit, or cross in front of, the Sun. Three years ago this June we witnessed the extremely rare transit of Venus. The transit of Mercury isn’t as spectacular or rare, but it’s rare enough.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 