07/23/2014 – Ephemeris – It’s Wednesday. Do you know where the bright planets are?

Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 23rd.  The sun rises at 6:19.  It’ll be up for 14 hours and 58 minutes, setting at 9:18.   The moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 4:28 tomorrow morning.

It’s Wednesday and once again time to locate the bright planets for this week.  Reddish Mars is in Virgo in the southwest as darkness falls.  It’s 105 million miles (169 million km) away now, nearly 3 times farther away than it was last April, and will set at 12:39 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 1:38 a.m.  Saturn’s in perfect position for viewing with a small or large telescopes 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 4:22 a.m. in morning twilight.  Mercury will rise at 4:46 and be barely visible below Venus.  The crescent moon will be right of Venus tomorrow morning.

Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

The evening planets Mars and Saturn with the zodiacal constellations at 10:30 p.m. on July 23, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

Saturn through a telescope. In small telescopes of the moons only Titan will be visible. July 23, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

 

Venus, Mercury, and the crescent Moon at 5:30 a.m. on July 24, 2014. Created using Stellarium.