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Ephemeris: 05/01/2024 – Where are all naked eye planets?

May 1, 2024

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 1st. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 16 minutes, setting at 8:48, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:30. The Moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 4:03 tomorrow morning.

Let’s find out where the naked-eye planets have wandered off to this week, and see what planets are left. Jupiter now is too close to the direction of the Sun to be seen. It will set at 9:49 pm. It will move to be in conjunction with the Sun on the 18th of this month and by late July may be visible in the morning sky in twilight. By 5:30 tomorrow morning, about an hour before sunrise, the Moon, Saturn and Mars will be visible low and spread out from the southeast to east. The fat waning crescent Moon will be highest in the southeast and to the left of it, and a bit lower, will be Saturn. Farther to the east, and lower yet will be dimmer Mars. In telescopes, Saturn will look fairly different this year and next with its rings nearly edge on to us.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

The Moon, Saturn and Mars as they might be seen in the east to southeastern sky about 5:30 tomorrow morning
The Moon, Saturn and Mars as they might be seen in the east to southeastern sky about 5:30 tomorrow morning May 2nd 2024. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.
Annotated Moon
The waning crescent moon a day after last quarter seen tomorrow morning, May 2nd 2024. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
Saturn as it might appear in telescopes
Saturn as it might appear in telescopes tomorrow morning, May 2nd 2024. It is enlarged more than usual to show detail in the rings, which is getting very hard to see as the rings close up. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right tonight, May 1st 2024. The night ends on the left with sunrise tomorrow morning on the 2nd. Click or tap on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp app and GIMP.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Naked-eye planets, Observing, Planets