Archive
08/02/2016 – Ephemeris – The Scorpion has visitors this year
Ephemeris for Tuesday, August 2nd. The Sun rises at 6:30. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 35 minutes, setting at 9:06. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
There’s a large constellation located low in the south as it gets dark about 10:30 tonight It’s Scorpius the scorpion. Its brightest star is Antares in its heart, a red giant star whose name means “Rival of Mars”. From Antares to the right is a star then a vertical arc of three stars that is its head. The Scorpion’s tail is a line of stars running down to the left of Antares swooping near the horizon before coming back up and ending in a pair of stars that portray his poisonous stinger. This year the planet Saturn appears almost directly above Antares. Tonight Mars is right of Antares. On the 23rd of this month Mars will pass just above
Antares, between it and Saturn, making line of three bright objects. Mars is currently brighter than Antares.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Scorpius with Mars and Saturn at 10:30 p.m. August 2, 2016. Created using Stellarium.
The red lines are the official constellation boundaries by the International Astronomical Union. From the look of some of the boundaries, astronomers apparently gerrymander as well as our politicians.
For those unfamiliar with gerrymandering put “gerrymander” in your favorite search engine or Wikipedia.
07/10/2015 – Ephemeris – The celestial scorpion crawls over the horizon
Ephemeris for Friday, July 10th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 9:28. The Moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:44 tomorrow morning, and tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:07.
The planet Saturn, this year, is on the right edge of the constellation of Scorpius the scorpion which is in the south at 11 p.m. Its brightest star is Antares in its heart, a red giant star. From Antares to the right is a star then a vertical arc of three stars that is its head. The Scorpion’s tail is a line of stars running down to the left of Antares swooping to the horizon before coming back up and ending in a pair of stars that portray his poisonous stinger. Scorpius looks huge lying on the southern horizon. But if you go south Scorpius will be higher in the sky, and will look smaller. Being close to the horizon from Michigan, Scorpius shares with the rising and setting sun and moon the illusion of increased size.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Scorpius from Traverse City/Interlochen at 11 p.m. on July 10, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
06/08/2015 – Ephemeris – Libra in the balance
Ephemeris for Monday, June 8th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 28 minutes, setting at 9:26. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 1:46 tomorrow morning and tomorrow the Sun will rise at 5:57.
One of the constellations of the Zodiac or circle of animals isn’t either animal or human. It is Libra the Scales or balance. It lies low in the southeastern sky at 11 p.m., just to the right of the rising Saturn and Scorpius the scorpion. Libra, it seems, is an afterthought, a simple diamond shape of four stars. Its two brightest stars Zubeneschamali and Zubenelgenubi translate to the north and south claw respectively, of Scorpius to the left of it. The Arabs, at least, seemed to view this as part of Scorpius. The balance was perhaps to signify the equality of day and night, at the time the sun was in this part of the sky at the start of autumn, over 2000 years ago. Now its in Virgo.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Libra with Saturn and Scorpius rising behind in the southeast at 10:30 p.m. on June 8, 2015. Created using Stellarium.
10/01/2014 – Ephemeris – Let’s start off the month with a look at the bright planets
Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 1st. The sun will rise at 7:40. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 42 minutes, setting at 7:23. The moon, at first quarter today, will set at 12:43 tomorrow morning.
Let’s check out the bright planets for this week. Mars and Saturn are in the southwestern sky at 8:30 p.m. with Mars above the equally bright and red star Antares with Saturn a ways right of them and as high in the sky as Antares. Saturn will set at 9:16 p.m. Mars is in the constellation of Ophiuchus as astronomers draw constellation boundaries, though it looks to be in Scorpius. Mars will set at 10:04. In the morning sky brilliant Jupiter will rise in the east-northeast at 3:02 a.m. Venus will rise about a half hour before the sun, so it will not be visible. On the 25th of this month Venus will be in superior conjunction with the sun, that is it will move behind the sun, and will then enter the evening sky.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and Mars with the evening constellations, showing constellation boundaries in red at 8:30 p.m. on October 1, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn through a telescope. Of the satellites only Titan should be visible with Saturn so low in the sky at 8:30 p.m. Created using Stellarium.
The first quarter Moon tonight at 8:30 p.m. with some interesting locations. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas.
Points of interest on the moon tonight:
- Alpine Valley – This is a fault valley some 79 miles (130 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) wide through the lunar Alps.
- Straight Wall – This is a fault that runs north-south on the moon and is only seen either one day after first quarter or one day after last quarter. It is 67 miles (110 km) long and 900 feet (300 meters) high. But instead of being a wall, it has only a 7 degree slope, which explains its brief appearance. Tonight it will cast a shadow. One day after last quarter the sun will shine directly on the slope, which is covered by lighter material and will show as a bright line.
Jupiter and the winter stars at 6:30 a.m. on October 2, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and its satellites as seen through a telescope at 6:30 a.m. October 2, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
06/30/2014 – Ephemeris – The celestial snake handler
Ephemeris for Monday, June 30th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 30 minutes, setting at 9:31. The moon, 3 days past new, will set at 11:14 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:01. | The red star Antares shines in the south at 11 p.m. In the constellation of Scorpius. In the area of sky above and a little to the left lies a large constellation of faint stars called Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer. The constellation shape is like a large bell, which reminds me of the head, shoulders and arms of a fellow that’s holding the snake-like a weight lifter pulling up a heavy bar bell. The serpent he’s holding is Serpens, the only two-part constellation in the heavens. The head rises to Ophiuchus’ right and the tail extends up to the left. In legend Ophiuchus was a great physician, educated by the god Apollo, and the centaur Chiron, also found in the stars as Sagittarius, now rising below and left of him.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Ophiuchus and Serpens at 11 p.m.. Created using Stellarium.
08/06/2013 – Ephemeris – The constellation of Sagittarius: centaur or teapot?
Ephemeris for Tuesday, August 6th. The sun rises at 6:34. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 26 minutes, setting at 9:00. The moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
The Milky Way runs from north to south through the heavens at 11 p.m. You’ll notice that the Milky Way is brighter and broader just above the horizon in the south. In that glow in the south is a star pattern that looks like a stout little teapot, with a bright stream of the Milky Way rising from the spout, which faces the west. This pattern of stars is the major part of the constellation called Sagittarius. According to Greek mythology Sagittarius is a centaur with a bow and arrow poised to shoot Scorpius the scorpion to the right. This centaur is named Chiron, the most learned of the breed, centaurs usually being a rowdy bunch. The center of the pin wheel of our galaxy lies hidden beyond the stars near the spout of the teapot.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Location of the center of the Milky Way behind gas and dust clouds and the Teapot of Sagittarius.
Sagittarius and Scorpius at 11 p.m. on August 6, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
07/16/2013 – Ephemeris – The red giant star Antares
Ephemeris for Tuesday, July 16th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 11 minutes, setting at 9:23. The moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 1:24 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:13.
Low in the south is the red giant star Antares. It lies at the heart of Scorpius the scorpion. Its name means Rival of Mars, because it has the same hue as the red planet. In Mars case the color comes from iron oxide, rust. In Antares case it has a cool surface temperature, relatively speaking of 5,700 degrees Fahrenheit. As a red giant star Antares is near the end of its life, though for a star Antares is young, possibly 12 million years old. That that age the sun was just getting started. But Antares with around 15 to 17 the sun’s mass has already run out of fusible hydrogen in its core and bloated out to over Mars orbit in size. Antares is 450 light years away and has a companion star in its system that looks greenish in contrast to Antares red. However when Antares A, the red giant’s light is blocked, the companion looks bluish.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The constellation Scorpius and the star Antares. Created using Stellarium.
07/09/2013 – Ephemeris – Thank goodness this is as close as scorpions get to northern Michigan
Ephemeris for Tuesday, July 9th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 9:28. The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 9:58 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:07.
Crawling just above the southern horizon at 11 p.m. is the zodiacal constellation of Scorpius the scorpion. His heart is the red giant star Antares. Its facing the west or right with a short arc of three stars as its head. His body and tail drop to the left and scrape the horizon before curving up to the critter’s poisonous stinger of two stars. It really makes a great scorpion. One story of the scorpion concerns Orion the hunter the great winter constellation. In that story Orion was killed by the sting of a scorpion. Therefore Orion and Scorpius are never seen in the sky at the same time. That is certainly true around here and for the Greeks, whose legend it is. However if one travels far enough south that is no longer true.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Scorpius at 11 p.m. on July 9, 2013. Credit Stellarium. I don’t agree with the artist’s drawing of the scorpion. To me it’s larger. The arc of three stars in the drawing’s right claw to me is its head and start of the claw appendages. I’ve added two star names from the constellation of Libra to the right. The Arabic translation of Zubeneschamali and Zubenelgenubi is North Claw and South Claw respectively. At one time Scorpius was larger than it is depicted today. Click on the image to enlarge.
07/17/2012 – Ephemeris – Scorpius and Orion
Ephemeris for Tuesday, July 17th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 9 minutes, setting at 9:22. The moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 5:50 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:14.
Crawling just above the southern horizon at 11 p.m. is the zodiacal constellation of Scorpius the scorpion. His heart is the red giant star Antares. Its facing the west or right with a short arc of three stars as its head. His body and tail drop to the left and scrape the horizon before curving up to the critter’s poisonous stinger of two stars. One story of the scorpion concerns Orion the hunter the great winter constellation. In that story Orion was supposedly killed by the sting of a scorpion. Therefore Orion and Scorpius are never seen in the sky at the same time. That is certainly true around here and for the Greeks, whose legend it is. However if one travels far enough south that is no longer true.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The constellation Scorpius at 10:30 p.m. on July 17, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
07/09/2012 – Ephemeris – The constellation of Scorpius the scorpion
Ephemeris for Monday, July 9th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 9:28. The moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 12:23 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:07.
There’s a large constellation located low in the south at about about 11 tonight. It’s Scorpius the scorpion. Its brightest star is Antares in its heart, a red giant star, that I get calls about from time to time as being a UFO. It’s due south at 11 this evening. From Antares to the right is a star then a vertical arc of three stars that is its head. The Scorpion’s tail is a line of stars running down to the left of Antares swooping to the horizon before coming back up and ending in a pair of stars that portray his poisonous stinger. There is a beautiful star cluster seen in binoculars at that first bend in the tail that is unfortunately too low to appreciate from this far north. I was very impressed with it when spotting it from the Florida Keys.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The constellation Scorpius at 11 p.m. on July 9, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
In the Traverse City area the bottom stars just barely clear the horizon. farther north the constellation will not fully rise above the southern horizon.
The star cluster mentioned is near the star closest to the south compass point in the view above.
NGC6231 – a great binocular star cluster visible from south of Michigan. Created using Stellarium.
In this view there is a hint of ever more stars visible in a small telescope. This recreation doesn’t do it justice.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 