09/14/2016 – Ephemeris – Then there were four… Evening planets that is.

Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 14th.  The Sun will rise at 7:21.  It’ll be up for 12 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 7:54.  The Moon, 2 days before full, will set at 5:49 tomorrow morning.

Tonight we have only four of the bright classical planets in the evening sky.  Mercury crossed into the morning sky Monday, Jupiter will follow shortly.  Jupiter is impossible to spot being very close to the direction of the Sun.  We are left with Venus, Saturn and Mars. Venus is briefly visible after sunset, low in the west.  It will set at 8:52 p.m., following the Sun’s earlier setting times.  Mars, Saturn and the star Antares start the evening in the southwestern sky in a triangle, with Saturn on top, Mars below and to the left, and Antares below Saturn and right of and below Mars.  Saturn, spectacular in telescopes with its rings, will set at 11:18 p.m.  And Mars, moving rapidly to the east against the stars will set at 11:39 p.m.

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

Addendum

Looking very low in the west at 8:14 p.m., 20 minutes after sunset, September 14, 2016. Created using Stellarium.

The Moon and the lengthening Mars-Saturn-Antares triangle at 9:30 p.m., September 14, 2016. Created using Stellarium.

Saturn and some of its moons at 9:30 p.m. September 14, 2016. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

The Moon tonight as it might be seen in binoculars at 9:30 p.m. September 14, 2016. Created using Stellarium.

Planets and Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on September 14, 2016. The night ends on the left with sunrise on September 14. Mercury has escaped to the morning sky. If you are using Firefox right-click on the image and select View Image to enlarge the image. That goes for all the large images. Created using my LookingUp program.