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09/11/2013 – Ephemeris – Where are all the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 11th. The sun will rise at 7:16. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 43 minutes, setting at 8:00. The moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 11:39 this evening.
Lets see what bright planets are out this week. Venus is now brilliant low in the west southwestern sky in evening twilight. It will set at 9:24 p.m. Saturn is about 8 degrees above and to the left of Venus. That’s a bit less that the width of a fist held at arm’s length. It has a date with Venus on the 18th. Saturn will set at 9:58 p.m. After midnight Jupiter will rise at 1:45 a.m. in the east northeast. Jupiter is seen among the stars of Gemini this year. The red planet Mars will rise at 3:43 a.m. Currently it is moving rapidly eastward through Cancer. At about 6 a.m. Jupiter will be the brightest star-like object in the east, with Mars visible below and left by two and a half widths of your fist held at arm’s length.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn and Venus at 9 p.m. September 11, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and Mars with a preview of the winter constellations at 6 a.m. September 12, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
09/19/2012 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets this week?
Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 19th. The sun will rise at 7:26. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 18 minutes, setting at 7:44. The moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 9:40 this evening.
Let’s see how many bright planets we can find this week. Mars and Saturn now set too close to the sun to be easily seen in the evening sky. Both are in the west southwestern sky and very low in twilight. Saturn sets at 9:02 p.m., while Mars sets at 9:33. The planetary action moves to later in the evening and the morning. Jupiter, will rise at 11:07 p.m. in the east northeast. It is located in the constellation of Taurus. The last bright planet of the night is the morning star Venus which will rise at 3:45 a.m. also in the east northeast. Venus is now moving through Cancer towards Leo. The planets Venus and Jupiter and the winter constellations are a great sight for early risers.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mars, the moon and Saturn at 8:30 p.m. on September 19, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
Note that the sky will be brighter than this. The moon will be a thin crescent, and not at all bright. tell me if you can spot these guys.
Jupiter, nearly an hour after rising – midnight September 20, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
Jupiter and Venus among the star of winter at 6 a.m. on September 20, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
On a personal note
This would have been my mother’s 100th birthday. She passed away 34 years ago. It is she who first taught me the constellations.
04/26/11 – Ephemeris – Last chance to spot the winter constellations
Tuesday, April 26th. The sun rises at 6:40. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 59 minutes, setting at 8:40. The moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 3:56 tomorrow morning
Lets face it we’re pretty sick of winter, what with all the relapses this month. But I’m never sick of the winter stars and constellations. With Leo and the other spring constellations taking over the skies from overhead to the south, the winter constellations are about to set in the west at 10 p.m. Orion’s rectangular torso is tipped to the right, his belt stars horizontal, 90 degrees from their rising orientation. The same is true of Castor and Pollux higher up which rose vertically and will set horizontally. The brightness and closeness of the stars here are a great contrast with the sparse numbers of stars visible overhead and to the south. That’s because the Milky Way runs through the winter stars and crosses to the north part of the sky.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Winter Stars Setting in Late April. Created using Stellarium.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 