07/15/2015 – Ephemeris – Venus and Jupiter are dipping lower in the west

Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 15th.  Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 9:25.  The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.  Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:12.

Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week.  Our evening stars Venus and Jupiter are still side by side in the west by 9:45 p.m. They both will set near 10:55 p.m..  Venus’ will slide down to the Sun faster and faster in the coming weeks leaving Jupiter behind for a while.  Venus will take 1 month to slide past the Sun.  Jupiter though will take 6 weeks, so Venus will pass it again around August 4th when both are too close to the horizon and Sun to spot.   There’s a third conjunction of these two in October in the morning sky with Mars nearby.  Saturn is in the south in the  evening twilight.  It will pass due south at 9:55 p.m. and will set at 2:44 a.m.  Even small telescopes can see Saturn’s rings.

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

Addendum

Venus and Jupiter will be about 9 degrees above the western horizon at 10 p.m. (45 minutes after sunset if you’re not from around here) on July 15, 2015. Created using Stellarium.

Saturn with Scorpius and the Teapot of Sagittarius at 10:30 p.m., July 15, 2015. Created using Stellarium.

Comparative apparent sizes of the evening planets as seen through a telescope of the same magnification. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

This is a chart adapted from the one I publish monthly as my role as the editor of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society newsletter the Stellar Sentinel. It’s for sunrise and sunset for July 15, 2015 showing the location of the planets at that time.  I’m bringing it to Wednesday Planet Day on this blog. Created using my LookingUp program.  Click on the image to enlarge.