Archive
05/06/2015 – Ephemeris – Wednesday is planet day or night on Ephemeris
Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 6th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 8:53. The Moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 11:26 this evening. Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:24.
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 21 degrees angle from the sun and will set at 10:52. Our brilliant evening star Venus is high in the west by 9:30 p.m. It will set at 12:37 a.m. Jupiter will appear high in the west-southwestern sky before 10 p.m. It will set at 3:05 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. In telescopes, Jupiter’s moon Europa will pass in front of Jupiter starting at 1:43 a.m. Saturn will rise in the east-southeast at 10:33 p.m. It will be low in the south 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 6, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and its moons at 10 p.m. May 6, 2015. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
Saturn above the southeastern horizon with the stars of late spring at 11 p.m. May 6, 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. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
05/04/2015 – Ephemeris – Last good evening appearance of Mercury for the year*
Note: This program was recorded before the MESSENGER spacecraft crashed into Mercury.
Ephemeris for Monday, May 4th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 22 minutes, setting at 8:51. The Moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 9:29 this evening. Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:27.
The tiny and elusive planet Mercury will be making its final easily observable evening appearance of the year. For the next week or so. Not that Mercury is ever easy to spot. The MESSENGER spacecraft, which has been orbiting Mercury for the past four years is out of fuel and is descending to an impact any day now. It may already have. Mercury is the smallest planet only 50% larger than the diameter of our Moon. There are two planetary satellites larger than it: Jupiter’s Ganymede and Saturn’s Titan. It is a whole lot larger than Pluto, which was demoted to dwarf planet 9 years ago. Mercury is the second densest planet after the Earth. And even Venus with its greenhouse effect is hotter.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
*For northern hemisphere viewers.
Addendum
Mercury, Venus and the setting stars of winter at 10 p.m., May 4, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Four views of Mercury with colors based on the mineralogy seen. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington. Click on image to enlarge.
04/29/2015 – Ephemeris – Last look at the bright planets for April
Ephemeris for Wednesday, April 29th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 8 minutes, setting at 8:45. The Moon, half way from first quarter to full, will set at 4:59 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:34.
Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week. Mercury is low in the western sky after sunset. It’s 19 degrees angle from the sun and will set at 10:32. Our brilliant evening star Venus is high in the west by 9:30 p.m. It will set at 12:27 a.m. Jupiter will appear high in the southwestern sky in the evening. It will set at 3:31 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. In telescopes, Jupiter’s moon Europa will pass in front of Jupiter starting at 11:07 p.m. and its shadow will start across at 1:40 a.m.Saturn will rise in the east-southeast at 10:33 p.m. It will be low in the south as morning twilight brightens.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and the Moon at 9:30 p.m. April 29, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might be seen in binoculars at 10 p.m., April 29, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter at 10:58 p.m. April 29, 2015 with Europa about to transit the planet. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
Saturn alone above the southeastern horizon at 11:30 p.m. April 29, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope the night of April 29-30, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
04/22/2015 – Ephemeris – All the bright planets are back now
Ephemeris for Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22nd. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 8:36. The Moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 12:55 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:45.
Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week. Mars and Mercury are in conjunction, that is close to each other low in the west just after sunset. Mars appears a bit lower and left of the brighter Mercury. Mars will set tonight at 9:47 with Mercury 5 minutes later. Our brilliant evening star Venus is high in the west by 9 p.m. It will set at 12:15 a.m. Jupiter will appear high in the southwestern sky in the evening. It will set at 3:58 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 11:03 p.m. It will be low in the south at 5 to 6 a.m.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
View to the west with Mars, Mercury, Venus and the Moon at 9:15 p.m. April 22, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter, the Moon and the setting winter constellations at 10 p.m. April 22, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
The visibility of the Moon at 10 p.m. on April 22, 2015. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
Jupiter and its moons at 10 p.m. Europa will be transiting the face of Jupiter. It’s shadow will start to cross the face of Jupiter at 11:04 p.m.. The transit will end at 11:27 p.m. and the shadow will leave the face of Jupiter at 1:58 a.m. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
Saturn rising. Shown at midnight, April 22-23 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and the summer constellations at 5:45 a.m. April 23, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
What Saturn and its moons might appear like in a telescope at 5:45 a.m., April 23, 2015. Small telescopes will show only the moon Titan. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
01/21/2015 – Ephemeris – Our weekly look at the bright planets and a comet
Ephemeris for Wednesday, January 21st. The sun will rise at 8:12. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 23 minutes, setting at 5:35. The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 7:29 this evening.
Lets take a look at the bright planets and a pretty bright comet for this week. Venus and Mercury are close low in the southwest by 6:30 p.m.. Mercury is about 8 moon widths at about 4 o’clock angle from the brighter Venus. Tonight the Noon will be above and between them. Mercury will set at 6:59, while Venus will set at 7:22 p.m. Mars appear above and left of Venus in the southwest, and is in the constellation of Aquarius. The Red Planet will set tonight at 8:41 p.m. Jupiter will rise in the east at 6:59 p.m. It’s near the sickle-shaped head of Leo the lion. Early risers will be able to spot Saturn which will rise in the east-southeast at 3:57 a.m. Comet Lovejoy, visible in binoculars, is a bit more than the width of a fist to the right of the Pleiades.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus, Mercury and the crescent Moon, which will be a lot dimmer than seen here, with Mars at 6:30 p.m. January 21, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
One day old Moon at 6:30 p.m., January 21, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and the winter constellations at 9 p.m., January 21, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and 4 Galilean moons through a telescope. The moon’s aren’t really that bright compared to Jupiter. The time for this observation will be 9 p.m. January 21, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
The track of Comet Lovejoy for the next week (from 1/21/2015 to 1/27/2015 at 9 p.m.) Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
What we need in the depths of winter, a preview of the summer stars, 5 months hence, but at 7 a.m. January 22, 2015. Saturn is visible in Scorpius. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and its moons at 7 a.m., January 22, 2015. Actually only Titan would be visible in small telescopes. Created using Stellarium.
01/14/2015 – Ephemeris – Five bright planets and Comet Lovejoy are visible now
Ephemeris for Wednesday, January 14th. The sun will rise at 8:17. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 9 minutes, setting at 5:26. The moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 3:05 tomorrow morning.
Lets take a look at the bright planets and a pretty bright comet for this week. Venus and Mercury are side by side low in the southwest by 6 p.m. Mercury is about 2 and a half moon widths to the right of the much brighter Venus. Mercury will set at 7:02, while Venus will set at 7:03 p.m. Mars is low in the southwest at 7 p.m. and is in the constellation of Aquarius. The Red Planet will set tonight at 8:39 p.m. Jupiter will rise in the east at 7:31 p.m. It’s near the sickle shaped head of Leo the lion. Early risers will be able to spot Saturn which will rise in the east-southeast at 4:21 a.m. Comet Lovejoy, visible in binoculars, makes an equilateral triangle with the V shaped head of Taurus and the Pleiades, to the right of both.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus, Mercury and Mars at 6:15 p.m. on January 14, 2015. Note that Mercury is getting dimmer, and Venus is overtaking Mars which is a bit more than a month away. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and the winter constellations at 9 p.m. on January 14, 2015. Comet Lovejoy is not shown. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and it’s Galilean satellites as seen in a telescope at 9 p.m. on January 14, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and the Moon at 7 a.m., January 15, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it would be seen in binoculars at 7 a.m., January 15, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn as seen with a telescope at 7 a.m., January 15, 2015. Titan is visible in most small telescopes. Created using Stellarium.
Comet Lovejoy
We finally had a clear night. Comet Lovejoy was not visible to me to the naked eye last night. But I thing an observer far from city lights and perfectly dark adapted might be able to spot it. It was a great sight in 10X50 binoculars. it was a bright featureless round blob of light. I couldn’t spot a tail, which I expected. My friend Scott Anttila, an excellent astrophotographer unfortunately has moved down to the Detroit area and is hindered by the lights down there. However he was able to get this image of the comet sans tail. But the green color of the come shows wonderfully. Unfortunately our eyes don’t register color at low light levels.
Scott Anttila’s photo of Comet Lovejoy from the light polluted skies of the Detroit area.
The track of Comet Lovejoy for the next week (from 1/14/2015 to 1/20/2015 at 9 p.m.) Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
01/09/2015 – Ephemeris – Tomorrow Mercury almost makes a conjunction with Venus but falls back
Ephemeris for Friday, January 9th. The sun will rise at 8:19. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 1 minute, setting at 5:20. The Moon, 4 days before last quarter, will rise at 10:06 this evening.
Low in the southwest just after sunset, say around 6 to 6:15 in the evening Venus and Mercury can be seen seeming to flirt with one another. Venus has been moving away from the Sun in the evening sky for a couple of month’s not, but hasn’t been all that visible. Mercury, named after the messenger of the gods is fleet of orbit and is almost about to catch up with Venus. Except it can’t, not this time. Tomorrow evening Mercury will appear closest to Venus about 0.6 angular degrees away, a bit more than the width of the Moon. So for another day the two planets will appear close. But after tomorrow night they will separate with Mercury not able to keep up. Next Tuesday it will reach its greatest elongation or separation from the sun and fall back.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus, the straight track, and Mercury are shown for every evening from yesterday 1/08/15 to 01/23/15. The planets are marked for every night at 6 p.m. and tagged every other day. with month-day and magnitude. The higher the magnitude value the dimmer it is. Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
01/08/2015 – Ephemeris -Venus and Mercury quasi-conjunction Saturday – I
Ephemeris for Thursday, January 8th. The sun will rise at 8:19. It’ll be up for 9 hours even, setting at 5:19. The moon, 4 days past full, will rise at 9:08 this evening.
The planets Venus and Mercury are closing their positions in the southwest in the early evening. They will appear their closest Saturday. For the last few years these two planets without natural satellites have hosted an artificial satellite each. Venus is orbited by the European Space Agency’s Venus Express spacecraft since 2006. Just a few weeks ago it’s fuel tanks ran dry, so it could no longer point its solar panels toward the sun and antenna toward the earth. It will soon plunge into Venus’ thick atmosphere. A like fate will also befall the MESSENGER spacecraft now orbiting close to Mercury. It took 7 years to get to Mercury and so far orbited it for nearly 4 years. It too is running out of fuel and will soon crash on the planet.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Animation of the Quasi-conjunction of Venus and Mercury. Time span 1/05/2015 to 1/15/2015 at 7 p.m. Created by Bob Moler using Stellarium and GIMP.
Artist rendition of Venus Express at Venus. Credit: ESA/AP.
MESSENGER spacecraft at Mercury an artist’s concept. Credit NASA/JPL/APL.
01/07/2015 – Ephemeris – Lets take our first looks at the bright planets and a pretty bright comet
Ephemeris for Wednesday, January 7th. The sun will rise at 8:19. It’ll be up for 8 hours and 59 minutes, setting at 5:18. The moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 8:10 this evening.
Lets take our first look at the bright planets for 2015. Mercury is visible below right of Venus by about 2 moon widths low in the southwest shortly after sunset. On Saturday Mercury will be its closest to Venus. Mercury will set at 6:38, while Venus will set at 6:44 p.m. They will be visible low in the southwestern twilight by 6 p.m. Mars is low in the southwest at 7 p.m. and is in the constellation of Capricornus and will cross the boundary into Aquarius tomorrow. The Red Planet will set tonight at 8:37 p.m. Jupiter will rise in the east at 8:02 p.m. It’s near the sickle-shaped head of Leo the lion. Early risers will be able to spot Saturn which will rise in the east-southeast at 4:46 a.m. On the 18th it will cross the border from Libra to Scorpius.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Animation of the Quasi-conjunction of Venus and Mercury. Time span 1/05/2015 to 1/15/2015 at 7 p.m. Created by Bob Moler using Stellarium and GIMP.
Note that Mercury gets dimmer as the days go by. This is because its phase moves from gibbous to half illuminated on the 14th at its greatest elongation from the Sun.
Mars and the setting constellations, with constellation boundaries in red. at 7 p.m. on January 7, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter, the Moon and the winter constellations at 10 p.m. on January 7, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as seen through binoculars at 10 p.m. on January 7, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and its satellites as seen through a telescope at 10 p.m. on January 7, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and the spring constellations at 7 p.m. on January 8, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and satellites through a telescope at 7 a.m. January 8, 2015. Note that the moons other than Titan will be difficult to spot. Created using Stellarium.
Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy)
Comet Lovejoy track for January 7 to January 13, 2015. Despite the magnitudes being less than 6, binoculars will, most likely, be needed to spot it. Every other day is marked with month-day and magnitude of the comet.
01/01/2015 – Ephemeris – Happy New Year – a look at January
Ephemeris for New Years Day, Thursday, January 1st. The sun will rise at 8:20. It’ll be up for 8 hours and 52 minutes, setting at 5:12. The moon, 3 days before full, will set at 5:43 tomorrow morning.
Happy New Year. Let’s preview the month of January. We’re a day from the latest sunrise at about the same time as today, 8:20 a.m. and will back down to 8:02 by the 31st. Sunset times are currently increasing by a minute a day from 5:12 p.m. today to 5:49 at month’s end. Listeners near the shore of Lake Michigan will have about the same sunrise time in Ludington, Interlochen/Traverse City, Petoskey and Mackinaw City, but the sunset times will vary markedly. The Quadrantid meteor shower whose radiant is near the end of the Big Dipper’s handle will reach peak on the 3rd, but it will have interference from the full moon,. On the 4th the Earth will be its closest to the sun of the entire year.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addenda
Monthly Star Chart
Star Chart for January 2015. Created using my LookingUp program.
The Moon is not plotted. The planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 9 p.m. That is chart time.
Evening astronomical twilight ends at 6:58 p.m. on January 1st, and increasing to 7:30 p.m. on the 31st.
Morning astronomical twilight starts at 6:34 a.m. on January 1st, and decreasing to 6:22 a.m. on the 31st.
Add a half hour to the chart time every week before the 15th and subtract and hour for every week after the 15th.
For a list of constellation names to go with the abbreviations click here.
The green pointer from the Big Dipper is the pointer stars at the front of the bowl of the Big Dipper that point to Polaris the North Star.
The Quadrantid meteor shower
The moon will interfere with the meteor shower, so only the brightest will be visible. The radiant will rise from the northeast. The radiant will be nearly overhead at the start of twilight. On a dark night up to 120 meteors per hour may be seen according to the International Meteor Organization.
Quadrantid meteor shower radiant at 1:30 a.m.
The Earth at Perihelion
This is the closest the Earth gets to the Sun in its orbit this year. The Sun will be 91,402,000 miles or 147,096,000 kilometers away at around 1 a.m. January 4th, 2015 EST or 6 hr UT January 5th 2015. It makes winter the shortest season because the Earth is moving its fastest during perihelion. It’s only by a few days. And in northern Michigan where it seems that winter overlaps half of fall and spring besides, that few days difference is buried under snow.
Quasi-conjunction between Venus and Mercury on the evening of January 10th.
A quasi-conjunction. Conjunctions occur when two solar system bodies have the same right ascension. Mercury will get to within 0.6 degrees of Venus before retreating back sun-ward.
Animation of the Quasi-conjunction of Venus and Mercury. Time span 1/05/2015 to 1/15/2015 at 7 p.m. Created by Bob Moler using Stellarium and GIMP.
Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy)
Here is a finder chart for 9 p.m. for January. Every other position is marked with the month-day and predicted magnitude. Recently the comet has shown to be brighter than predicted by up to one magnitude. Note that magnitudes in astronomy are like golf scores – the lower the number, the brighter the object. So the comet should reach 4th magnitude.
Nightly plot of Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) for the month of January, 2015 at 9 p.m.
Created using Cartes du Ceil (Sky Charts).
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 