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07/09/2014 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 9th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 22 minutes, setting at 9:28. The Moon, 3 days before full, will set at 4:20 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:07.
It’s Wednesday and once again time to locate the bright planets for this week. Jupiter sets less than a half hour after the sun, so it’s gone for us until September mornings. Reddish Mars is in Virgo in the southwest as darkness falls. It’s 97 million miles (156 million km) away now, nearly 2 and a half times farther away than last April, and will set at 1:17 a.m. Saturn will be low in the south-southwest as darkness falls, in the faint constellation of Libra the scales. It will set at 2:34 a.m. Saturn’s in perfect position for viewing with a small or large telescope to see those fabulous rings and its large moon Titan. Somewhat larger telescopes can spot some smaller moons closer in. Brilliant Venus will rise in the east at 4:09 a.m. in morning twilight.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mars, Saturn and the Moon will appear along with the brighter stars of summer at 11 p.m. on July 9, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Mars as seen through a large telescope. It appears really tiny in any other telescope. Time: 11 p.m. on July 9, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and some of its moons. Smaller telescopes will see only Titan, but see how many moon you can see. July 9, 11 p.m. Created using Stellarium.
A binocular view of the gibbous Moon on July 9, 2014 at 11 p.m. Created using Stellarium.
Venus low in the east at 5:45 a.m. July 11, 2014; roughly a half hour before sunrise. Created using Stellarium.
Venus low in the east at 5:45 a.m. July 11, 2014; roughly a half hour before sunrise. Created using Stellarium.
Bright gibbous disk of Venus as seen through a telescope on July 10, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
07/07/2014 – Ephemeris – The Moon will appear near Saturn tonight
Ephemeris for Monday, July 7th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 24 minutes, setting at 9:29. The Moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 2:43 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:05.
Tonight the planet Saturn will be seen above the bright gibbous Moon. At 11 p.m. Saturn will be only 3 moon widths above the moon and may be hard to spot in the Moon’s glare, so that binoculars may be needed to find it. Other than that the moon makes a nice pointer to the ringed planet. The rings of Saturn become apparent in telescopes of at least 20 power. At first the planet looks elliptical, then the planet can be seen to separate from the rings. The Moon itself is a fine but bright object for the telescope. Look near the terminator or sunrise line to see the long lunar shadows delineate the Moon’s crater detail, especially the grand Crater Copernicus near the center of the Moon.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and the Moon as they would appear at 11 p.m. on July 7, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Oops, here’s the Moon for tomorrow night July 8th, 2014. The difference from tonight is the Aristarchus will not be visible, and Sinus Iridium will look cooler. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas. It’s 2 a.m. and I’m too tired to fix it.
07/02/2014 – Ephemeris – Bright planets to start off the 3rd quarter of 2014
Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 2nd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 29 minutes, setting at 9:31. The moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 12:09 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:02.
It’s Wednesday and once again time to locate the bright planets for this week. Jupiter sets less than an hour after the sun, for most folks finding it in twilight will be futile. It will next be seen on September mornings. Reddish Mars is in Virgo in the southwest as darkness falls. It’s 93 million miles (150 million km) away now, and will set at 1:39 a.m. Saturn will be low in the south as darkness falls. It’s in the faint constellation of Libra the scales this year. It will pass due south at 10 p.m. It will set at 3:02 a.m. Saturn’s in perfect position for viewing with a small or large telescope to see those fabulous rings and its large moon Titan. Brilliant Venus will rise in the east at 4:07 a.m. in morning twilight.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn, Mars and the moon at 11 p.m. on July 2, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Binocular view of the Moon at 11 p.m., July 2, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic view of Mars at high power at 11 p.m., July 2, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic view of Saturn and some of its moons on July 2, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Venus and the morning stars at 4:45 a.m., July 3, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic view of Venus on July 3, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
06/25/2014 – Ephemeris – Wednesday is bright planet day here on Ephemeris
Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 25th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 9:31. The moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 5:41 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:58.
It’s Wednesday and once again time to locate the bright planets for this week. Brilliant Jupiter will be in the west-northwestern sky in Gemini as darkness falls tonight. It’s getting lower each night and will set at 10:51 p.m. Reddish Mars is in Virgo in the southwest as darkness falls. It’s 88 million miles (142 million km) away now, and will set at 2:01 a.m. Saturn will be low in the south as darkness falls. It’s in the faint constellation of Libra the scales this year. It will pass due south at 10:28 p.m. It will set at 3:30 a.m. Saturn’s in perfect position for viewing with a small or large telescope to see those fabulous rings. Brilliant Venus will rise in the east at 4:07 a.m. in morning twilight.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Evening Planets and constellations at 10:30 p.m. June 25, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Mars through a powerful telescope at 10:30 p.m. June 25, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn with its moons on June 25, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Venus and a glimpse of the Pleiades at 4:45 a.m. on June 26, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic Venus on June 26, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
06/18/2014 – Ephemeris – The bright planets for this week
Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 18th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 9:30. The moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 1:18 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:56.
It’s Wednesday and once again time to locate the bright planets for this week. Brilliant Jupiter will be in the west-northwestern sky in Gemini as darkness falls tonight. It’s getting lower each night and will set at 11:13 p.m. tonight. Reddish Mars is in Virgo in the southwest as darkness falls. It’s 83 million miles (135 million km) away now, and will set at 2:25 a.m. Saturn will be low in the south-southeast as darkness falls. It’s in the faint constellation of Libra the scales this year. It will pass due south at 10:57 p.m. It will set at 3:59 a.m. Saturn’s in perfect position for viewing with a small or large telescope. Brilliant Venus will rise in the east at 4:10 a.m. in morning twilight.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The bright evening planets and stars at 10:30 p.m., June 18, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and moons in a telescope on June 18, 2014. Due to the low altitude of Jupiter not all the moons may be visible and Jupiter will suffer color fringes due to atmospheric dispersion. Created using Stellarium.
Mars through a telescope on June 18, 2018. Note that Mars is not fully illuminated, and appears as a gibbous disc. This effect will increase for another month. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and its moons through a telescope on June 18, 2018. Titan is easy to spot, the other moons will be more difficult. Created using Stellarium.
Venus and the Moon at 4:30 a.m. on June 19, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as seen in binoculars on June 19, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Venus as seen in a telescope on June 19, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
06/11/2014 – Ephemeris – It’s 11 p.m., do you know where your bright planets are?
Actually yes we do. Three are visible at 11 p.m., One, Mercury is MIA too close to the sun to be seen. And the 5th bright planet is a morning person planet. Uranus and Neptune are beyond the scope of this radio program. Well, on with the transcript:
Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 11th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 30 minutes, setting at 9:27. The moon, 2 days before full, will set at 5:40 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:56.
It’s Wednesday and once again time to locate the bright planets for this week. We have lost Mercury to the bright twilight glow, and the fact that it’s getting dimmer as a crescent. Brilliant Jupiter will be in the western sky in Gemini as darkness falls tonight. It’s getting lower each night and will set at 11:36 p.m. tonight. Reddish Mars is in Virgo in the south-southwest as darkness falls. It’s 80 million miles (128 million km) away now, and moving away, and will set at 2:49 a.m. Saturn will be low in the southeast as darkness falls. It’s in the faint constellation of Libra the scales this year. It will pass due south at 11:26 p.m. Brilliant Venus will rise in the east at 4:14 a.m. in morning twilight.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The evening planets at 11 p.m. on June 11, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and moons at 10 p.m., June 11, 2014 Callisto is in Jupiter’s shadow and wont emerge until 11:09 p.m. when Jupiter will be less than 5 degrees above the horizon in Michigan. Created using Stellarium.
Mars through a telescope at 11 p.m., June 11, 2014. The large dark feature Syrtis Major is rotating onto the Earth side face of the planet from the left. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and some of its brighter moons at 11 p.m. June 11, 2014. The moon Titan can be seen in small telescopes, but larger scopes may be necessary to pick out the other satellites. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as seen in binoculars at 11 p.m., June 11, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Venus in morning twilight at 5 a.m., June 12, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
A telescopic view of Venus as it would be seen at 5 a.m., June 12, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
06/10/2014 – Ephemeris – Our Moon and Saturn’s largest moon Titan
Ephemeris for Tuesday, June 10th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 29 minutes, setting at 9:26. The moon, 3 days before full, will set at 4:51 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:57.
Tonight the planet Saturn will be near the bright gibbous Moon. One might need a bit of help locating it in the Moon’s glare. Saturn is to the right and slightly above the Moon. Saturn has a few moons of its own. The count’s up to 62, with another apparently forming from one of Saturn’s rings as monitored by the Cassini spacecraft now in orbit of Saturn. Cassini, which has about three years left in its mission, entered orbit of Saturn 10 years ago next month after a 7 year journey to get there. One of the most intensively studied moons is Titan, whose haze foiled the earlier Voyager spacecraft, Cassini and it’s Huygens lander have shown us earthly terrain and methane seas. Titan is easily seen in small telescopes near Saturn.
Addendum
Saturn and the Moon tonight at 11 p.m., June 10, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Just Saturn and the Moon showing the moon’s gibbous phase at 11 p.m. June 10, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and its moons including Titan at 11 p.m. June 10, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Titan, as Voyager would have seen it, but photographed by Cassini. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute.
Titan as seen in the infrared by the Cassini spacecraft. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute.
Seas and lakes at Titan’s north pole seen by radar from the Cassini spacecraft. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC.
Image mosaic of Titan from the descending Huygens Lander. Credit: ESA/NASA/Univ. of Arizona.
06/04/2014 – Ephemeris – Last week for all 5 pre-telescopic planets to be visible for a while
Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 4th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 23 minutes, setting at 9:22. The moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 1:39 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:58.
It’s Wednesday and once again time to locate the bright planets for this week. Mercury is showing up in the west shortly after sunset, It is getting dimmer (magnitude 1.6) as it is becoming a thin crescent. It will set at 10:47. Brilliant Jupiter will be in the western sky in Gemini as darkness falls tonight. It will set at 11:59 p.m. Reddish Mars is in Virgo in the south-southwest as darkness falls. It’s 76 million miles (122 million km) away now, and moving away, and will set at 3:14 a.m. Saturn will be low in the southeast as darkness falls. It’s in the faint constellation of Libra the scales this year. It will pass due south at 11:55 p.m. Brilliant Venus will rise in the east at 4:21 a.m. in morning twilight.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and the Moon seen at 11 p.m. June 4, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and moons in a telescope at 11 p.m. June 4, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear in binoculars at 11 p.m. on June 4, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Mars, probably a bit better than it will appear in a small telescope at 11 p.m. June 4, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn with some of its moons, not all of them will be visible in a small telescope, at 11 p.m. on June 4, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Venus in morning twilight in the east at 5:15, June 5, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Venus showing its gibbous phase in a telescope at 5:15 a.m. on June 5, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
05/28/2014 – Ephemeris – Wednesday is planet day on Ephemeris
Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 28th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 9:17. The moon is new today, and won’t be visible. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:02.
It’s Wednesday and once again time to locate the bright planets for this week. Mercury is showing up in the west shortly after sunset, It was at its farthest from the Sun 3 days ago. It will set at 11:09. Brilliant Jupiter will be in the western sky in Gemini as darkness falls tonight. It will set at 12:25 a.m. Reddish Mars is in Virgo in the south as darkness falls. It will pass due south at 9:52 p.m. It’s 72 million miles (115 million km) away now, and moving away, and will set at 3:41 a.m. Saturn will be low in the southeast as darkness falls. It’s in the faint constellation of Libra the scales this year. It will pass due south at 12:24 a.m. Brilliant Venus will rise in the east at 4:29 a.m. in morning twilight.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The planets Mercury, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn at 10:30 p.m. on May 28, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Mercury barely shows a disc in telescopes.
In the planetary images below the scale is the same. It is the same as using the same magnifying power for each planet.
Jupiter is definitely the largest appearing planet.
Jupiter and its four moons Galilean moons at 10:30 p.m. May 28, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Mars at 10:30 p.m. May 28, 2014. Detail is difficult to see. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and moons as seen through a telescope at 10:30 p.m. on May 28, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Venus in a telescope at 5:30 a.m. May 29, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Venus in the eastern twilight at 5:30 a.m. May 29, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
05/21/2014 – Ephemeris – All the classical naked eye planets are visible this week
Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 21st. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 1 minute, setting at 9:10. The moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 2:42 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:07.
It’s Wednesday and once again time to locate the bright planets for this week. Mercury is showing up in the west shortly after sunset, It will be at its farthest from the Sun on the 25th. It will set at 11:10. Brilliant Jupiter will be in the western sky in Gemini as darkness falls tonight. It will set at 12:44 a.m. Reddish Mars is in Virgo in the southeast as darkness falls. It will pass due south at 10:18 p.m. It’s 68 million miles (109 million km) away now, and moving away, and will set at 4:09 a.m. Saturn will be low in the southeast as darkness falls. It’s in the faint constellation of Libra the scales this year. It will pass due south at 12:54 a.m. Brilliant Venus will rise in the east at 4:37 a.m. in morning twilight.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
All the evening planets from Mercury to Saturn at 10:30 p.m. May 21, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Telescopic images of the moon and planets are not to scale.
Mercury in a telescope 10:30 p.m. May 21, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and moons in a telescope 10:30 p.m. May 21, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Mars in a telescope 10:30 p.m. May 21, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and its moon Titan in a telescope 10:30 p.m. May 21, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Venus and the Moon looking east at 5:30 a.m. May 22, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon in a telescope at 5:30 a.m. May 22, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Venus in a telescope at 5:30 a.m. May 22, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
