11/13/2013 – Ephemeris – Where are the bright planets and comets out this week?

Ephemeris for Wednesday, November 13th.  The sun will rise at 7:36.  It’ll be up for 9 hours and 39 minutes, setting at 5:16.   The moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 4:26 tomorrow morning.

Let’s see where the bright planets are this week.  Venus is brilliant in the west southwest after sunset.  It will set at 7:49 p.m.  The giant planet Jupiter will rise at 8:59 p.m. in the east northeast.  It’s cruising against the stars of Gemini now.  It will pass due south at 4:36 a.m.  Mars will rise at 1:55 a.m. also in the east northeast.  Reddish Mars is nearly two widths of a fist held at arm’s length below and left of the bright star Regulus in Leo now.  Comet ISON is approaching the bright star Spica and will pass it Monday morning.  ISON has been hanging around magnitude 8, about half as bright as current predictions, but probably visible in small telescopes.  Comet ISON will rise about 4:16 a.m. and be visible until around 6:15 a.m.

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

Addendum

Venus low in the southwest at 6 p.m. on November 13, 2013. Created using Stellarium.

Venus through the telescope. (Note the bands are only visible in UV, not visible light). Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter rising at 10 p.m. with some of the winter stars. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic Jupiter and its moons at 11 p.m. Created using Stellarium.

Mars and the spring constellations at 5:30 a.m. November 14, 2013. Created using Stellarium.

This is a busy chart with Comets ISON and Encke and Mercury for the period November 13th through 19th of November 2013 at 6 a.m. Created using Carts du Ciel.

Comet Lovejoy and the constellation Leo for November 13th through 19th, 2013 at 6 a.m. Created using Cartes du Ciel.

Comet LINEAR track for November 13th through 19th 2013. Created using Cartes du Ciel.

The following are the latest magnitudes (brightnesses) recorded for these comets:

Comet               Magnitude     
C/2012 S1 (ISON)    8  (1 magnitude dimmer than predicted)
P2 (Encke)          8
C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) 6  (2.5 magnitudes brighter than predicted)
C/2012 X1 (LINEAR)  8  (5 magnitudes* brighter than predicted)
* 5 magnitudes brighter = 100 times brighter!

Source is http://www.icq.eps.harvard.edu/CometMags.html.  
Search page using the C/???? ?? instead of name.  
Comets Lovejoy and LINEAR have multiple entries.