07/22/2015 – Ephemeris – Two planets preparing to leave the evening sky

Ephemeris for Wednesday, July 22nd.  Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 1 minute, setting at 9:19.   The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 12:28 tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:18.

Lets take a look at the bright planets for this week.  Our evening stars Venus and Jupiter are together in the west by 9:45 p.m. with Jupiter a little above and right of Venus.  Venus will set at 10:22 with Jupiter 11 minutes later.  Venus’ will slide down to the Sun faster and faster in the coming weeks leaving Jupiter behind for a while.  Venus will take 24 days to slide past the Sun.  Jupiter though will take 35 days, 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 9:27 p.m. and will set at 2:16 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 low on the western horizon at 9:45 p.m. on July 22, 2015. Created using Stellarium.

Saturn and the summer zodiacal constellations of Libra, Scorpius and Sagittarius at 10:30 p.m. on July 22, 2015. Created using Stellarium.

The Moon as it might appear in binoculars tonight at 10:30 p.m. (July 22, 2015). Created using Stellarium.

Comparative apparent sizes of the evening planets as seen through a telescope of the same magnification on July 22, 2015. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

This is a chart showing the sunrise and sunset skies for July 22, 2015 showing the location of the planets at that time. Created using my LookingUp program.