Archive
06/06/2013 – Ephemeris – Star colors
Ephemeris for Thursday, June 6th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 26 minutes, setting at 9:24. The moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 5:22 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:57.
Star and planets colors are quite subtle. This is partly due to the fact that we are color blind at very low light levels. Only the brightest stars show color at all. Telescopes however aid our color perception because it makes the stars brighter. The planet Saturn, now in the south at night has a distinct yellowish hue, caused by the color of its atmosphere. The star Spica to its right is the bluest of the bright first magnitude stars, and shows as a bright arc light. Arcturus, above both Saturn and Spica has a yellow to orange hue. Antares low in the southeast has a definite reddish hue. In a telescope it also looks like a sparkler due to our turbulent atmosphere. Red stars are the coolest stars (temperature wise) while blue-white stars are the hottest.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Stellarium does a pretty good job of showing the subtle colors of stars, which is also reflected in the color of the star labels. Click on the image to enlarge.
06/05/2013 – Ephemeris – Then there were two… planets that is, in the west
Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 5th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 25 minutes, setting at 9:23. The moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 4:43 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:58.
The early evening will be taken up with Venus and Mercury low in the west northwest at about 10:15 p.m. Mercury is above and left of Venus by about 5 degrees, about half the width of your fist at arms length. Jupiter is out of it now, setting at 10:07. We’ll see it next in late July in the morning sky. Venus will set at 10:49, and Mercury will set at 11:16 p.m. Holding forth in the south will be Saturn this evening, the brightest star-like object in the constellation Virgo appearing yellowish to the left of the extremely blue-white star Spica. Saturn will pass due south at 11:01 p.m., and will set at 4:19 tomorrow morning. I’ll talk about star and planet colors on tomorrow’s program.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mercury and Venus seen in the west northwest after sunset. Here it’s 10:15 p.m. on June 5, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
Looking south at Saturn and surrounding constellations at 11 p.m. on June 5, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
05/30/2013 – Ephemeris – The constellation of the harvest, Virgo
Ephemeris for Thursday, May 30th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 17 minutes, setting at 9:19. The moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 1:42 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:00.
Tonight in the sky: to the south, with the bright Saturn to the left of the bright star Spica is the constellation and member of the of the zodiac: Virgo the virgin. Virgo is a large constellation of a reclining woman holding a stalk of wheat. The bright star in the center of the constellation, Spica, is the head of that spike of wheat; and as such it ruled over the harvest in two of Virgo’s guises as the goddesses Persephone and Ceres. Virgo is also identified as Astraea the goddess of justice. The constellation of Libra, the scales, which she is associated with, is found just east of her low in the southeast. Early Christians saw Virgo as the Virgin Mary. Virgo is the host to a grand cluster of galaxies.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Virgo, Saturn and Libra at 11 p.m. on May 30, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
05/29/2013 – Ephemeris – Planetary breakup in the west while Saturn looks on
Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 29th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 16 minutes, setting at 9:18. The moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 1:10 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:01.
The early evening will be taken up with the slow breakup of the grouping of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury low in the west northwest at about 10 p.m. Mercury now is on top with Venus below with Jupiter below Venus. Jupiter will set at 10:48 with Venus following 9 minutes later. Mercury will set at 11 p.m. Hanging backing from this planetary grouping in the east southeast will be Saturn this evening, the brightest star-like object in the constellation Virgo appearing yellowish to the left of the extremely blue-white star Spica. Saturn will pass due south at 11:30 p.m., and will set at 4:48 tomorrow morning.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mercury, Venus and Jupiter low in the west northwest at 10 p.m. on May 29, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and the constellations of the south at 11 p.m. on May 29, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
05/22/2013 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 22nd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 4 minutes, setting at 9:11. The moon, 3 days before full, will set at 4:54 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:06.
The early evening will be taken up with the grouping of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury low in the west northwest at about 10 p.m. Jupiter will be on top and the easiest to spot with Venus below and right of Jupiter and tiny Mercury off to its right. Mercury sets at 10:24 p.m., with Venus following a minute later, while Jupiter will set at 10:48. Hanging backing from this planetary grouping in the east southeast will be Saturn this evening, the brightest star-like object in the constellation Virgo appearing yellowish to the left of the extremely blue-white star Spica. Tonight Saturn will be to the left of and above the bright moon. Saturn will pass due south at midnight, and will set at 5:16 tomorrow morning.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Dance of the planets Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, May 21 thru May 28, 2013. Created using Stellarium. Click on the image to start animation.
Saturn and the moon at 10 p.m. on May 22, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
05/15/2013 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 15th. Today the sun will be up for 14 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 9:03. The moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 1:21 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:13.
It’s time to check out the bright planets for this week. Venus is starting to make an appearance in the western sky after sunset, competing with the bright twilight glow. It will set in the west northwest at 10:08 p.m.. Jupiter is located in the constellation of Taurus, above the V shape of stars, the face of the bull and is in the west during the evening. It will set at 11:05 p.m. In the west northwest. Jupiter is still high enough as it gets dark to get a very good view of its cloud bands and satellites. Saturn will be low in the east southeast when it gets dark in the evening. It’s located in eastern Virgo, but is moving back a bit toward the bright star Spica to its right. Saturn will move past due south at 12:29 a.m., and set at 5:45 a.m.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Jupiter and Venus with the fading stars of winter at 10 p.m. May 15, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn surrounded by the spring constellations at 10:30 p.m. May 15, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
05/08/2013 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets tonight?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 8th. The sun rises at 6:22. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 8:55. The moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 6:06 tomorrow morning.
It’s time to check out the bright planets for this week. Venus is starting to make an appearance in the western twilit sky after sunset, competing with the bright twilight glow. It will set in the west northwest at 9:48. Jupiter is located in the constellation of Taurus, above the V shape of stars, the face of the bull and is in the west during the evening. It will set at 11:28 p. m. In the west northwest. Jupiter is still high enough as it gets dark to get a very good view of its cloud bands and satellites. Saturn will be low in the east southeast when it gets dark in the evening. It’s located in eastern Virgo, but is moving back a bit toward the bright star Spica to its right. Saturn will move past due south at 12:58 a.m., and set at 6:14 a.m.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus, Jupiter and the fading stars of winter at 9:45 p.m. May 8, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and the constellations of spring at 10:30 p.m. May 8, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
05/03/2013 – Ephemeris – Explore the sun and the stars tonight
Ephemeris for Friday, May 3rd. The sun rises at 6:29. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 20 minutes, setting at 8:49. The moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 3:39 tomorrow morning.
Yours truly will present a talk about the sun and its effects on the earth at this evening’s meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory starting at 8 p.m. This is a talk that is prepared to be given to the Friendly Garden Club later this month. It explores how the sun gets its energy and it emphases the life-giving radiation we receive from the sun and how plants, especially use it to create our green oxygenated world. Starting at 9 p.m. Is our first of our star parties for May at the observatory. Highlights, if its clear will be the planets Jupiter and Saturn, plus some of the bright wonders of the spring skies and maybe a star cluster or two. All are welcome.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
05/01/2013 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 1st. The sun rises at 6:32. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 15 minutes, setting at 8:47. The moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 2:35 tomorrow morning.
It’s time to check out the two remaining bright planets for this week. Jupiter is located in the constellation of Taurus, above the V shape of stars, the face of the bull and is in the west during the evening. It will set at 11:49 p. m. In the west northwest. Jupiter is still high enough as it gets dark to get a very good view of its cloud bands and satellites. The four moons that Galileo found are easy targets for small telescopes or even sharp eyed binocular observers. The other bright planet Saturn will be low in the east southeast when it gets dark in the evening. It’s located in eastern Virgo, but us moving back a bit toward the bright star Spica to its right. Saturn will move past due south at 1:28 a.m. An event called transiting the meridian.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
I’m including Venus in this image at 9:20 p.m., May 1, 2013. I’ll start talking about it on the program next week. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and the setting stars of winter at 10 p.m. on may 1, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn is seen low in the southeast at 10 p.m. on May 1, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
04/29/2013 – Ephemeris – Saturn at opposition from the sun
Ephemeris for Monday, April 29th. The sun rises at 6:35. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 9 minutes, setting at 8:45. The moon, 3 days before last quarter, will rise at 1:11 tomorrow morning.
This past weekend Saturn was in opposition to the sun. That simply means the earth was more or less directly between the sun and Saturn. That means Saturn’s at its closest to us at 821 million miles. The Cassini spacecraft that’s still orbiting Saturn, when it sends pictures and data back to earth still takes about an hour and a quarter for the signals to get here. Shadows of the rings on the planet and planet on the rings are minimal. Saturn and the earth have some coincidental properties as seen from the sun. Saturn is 9.5 times the earth’s distance from the sun. And Saturn is about 9.5 times the diameter as the earth, so from the sun both the earth and Saturn would appear to be the same apparent size. Cool huh?
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn rising in the evening in May, 2013 as rendered by Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts)
