04/26/2017 – Ephemeris – Let’s take our weekly look at the bright planets

Ephemeris for Wednesday, April 26th.  The Sun rises at 6:39.  It’ll be up for 14 hours and 1 minute, setting at 8:41.  The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.

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 11:04 p.m.  Coming to dominate the evening sky low in the southeast in evening twilight is Jupiter.  It’s seen above the bright blue-white star Spica in the early evening.   In even the smallest telescopes Jupiter’s four largest moons can be seen.  They shift positions night to night and even as you watch.  Jupiter will set at 6:09 a.m.  At 6 a.m. Saturn will appear to be a bit to the west of south compass point.  It will rise in the east-southeast at 12:41 a.m. tomorrow.  Venus will be low in the east at 6 a.m.  tomorrow morning after rising at 5:06 a.m.  It will appear as a tiny crescent moon in binoculars and telescopes.

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 10 p.m. April 26, 2017. Creating this image reminded me of the fantastic star party at the Sleeping Bear Dunes last Saturday, seeing over the large dune in the west to Sirius in the southwest to Cassiopeia in the northwest. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter above Spica and other stars in the southeast at 10 p.m. April 26, 2017. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and its moons at 10 p.m. April 26, 2017. The moon Io is behind Jupiter and in its shadow at that time. It will reappear at 11:04 p.m. (3:04 UT). Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Saturn and Venus at 6 a.m. April 27, 2017 in morning twilight. Created using Stellarium.

Saturn and its moons at 6 a.m. April 27, 2017. Created using Cartes du Ciel.

Venus as seen in a telescope at 6 a.m., April 27, 2017. Magnified much more than the other planet images seen here. Created using Stellarium.

Planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on April 26, 2017. The night ends on the left with sunrise on April 27. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.