04/19/2017 – Ephemeris – Let’s take our weekly look at the bright planets

Ephemeris for Wednesday, April 19th.  The Sun rises at 6:51.  It’ll be up for 13 hours and 41 minutes, setting at 8:32.  The Moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 3:44 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take our Wednesday weekly look at the bright planets.  Mars is still in the west after sunset and fading.  It’s near the Pleiades star cluster now.  It will set at 11:06 p.m.  Coming to dominate the evening sky low in the southeast in evening twilight is Jupiter.  It’s seen near the bright blue-white star Spica this year.   At 6 a.m. Jupiter is still hanging on very low on the western horizon, and will set at 6:36 a.m.  At the same time Saturn be about due south.  It will rise in the east-southeast at 1:38 a.m. tomorrow.  The Moon will be seen in the southeast at that hour.  Venus will be low in the east at 6 a.m.  tomorrow morning after rising at 5:22 a.m.  It will appear as a tiny crescent moon in binoculars.

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

Addendum

Mars in the west with bright stars at 9:30 p.m. April 19, 2017. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter in dark skies with some southern spring constellations on April 19, 2017 at 10 p.m. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and moons at 10 p.m. April 19, 2017. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Jupiter, Saturn, the Moon, and Venus at the eastern horizon at 6 a.m. April 20, 2017. Created using Stellarium.

Saturn and moons in telescopes at 6 a.m. April 20, 2017. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Telescopic Venus as created with Stellarium for early morning April 20, 2017. Stellarium is coloring Venus as it would be colored low in the sky.

Planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on April 19, 2017. The night ends on the left with sunrise on April 20. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.