09/03/2014 – Ephemeris – This week’s bright planets

Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 3rd.  The sun will rise at 7:07.  It’ll be up for 13 hours and 8 minutes, setting at 8:15.   The moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 1:50 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our weekly look at the bright planets.  Mars and Saturn are now nearly side by side with Saturn to the right by six and a half degrees of about 13 moon widths of the red planet.  Saturn will set at 10:57 p.m.  Viewing Saturn with a telescope will suffer because it’s getting close to the horizon but it’s still possible to see those fabulous rings and its large moon Titan.  Reddish Mars is also in the constellation of Libra the scales and will set at 10:52 p.m. because it is slightly lower than Saturn.    In the morning sky brilliant Jupiter will rise in the east-northeast at 4:24 a.m., while the brighter Venus, will rise at 5:53 a.m.  Jupiter is increasing its distance from the sun, while Venus is retreating toward the Sun from our point of view.

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

Addendum

Saturn, Mars and the Moon at 9:30 p.m. September 3, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

Saturn through the telescope at 9:30 p.m. September 3, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

The Moon through binoculars at 9:30 p.m. September 3, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter, Venus and the rising stars of winter at 6:30 a.m. September 4, 2014. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and moons through the telescope at 6:30 a.m. September 4, 2014. Created using Stellarium.