05/16/2018 – Ephemeris – Let’s check out the whereabouts of the bright planets

Ephemeris for Wednesday, May 16th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 52 minutes, setting at 9:05, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:12. The Moon, 1 day past new, will set at 10:32 this evening.

It’s Wednesday again and time to look for the bright planets. Two of them are in the evening sky. The brilliant beacon of Venus will be visible in the western twilight from about 9:25 p.m. until it sets at 11:44. Jupiter will be low in the southeast as it gets dark. Jupiter is only out shown by Venus and the Moon. And after Venus sets will have the night to itself as the brightest star-like object. Binoculars will show it to be not quite star-like in size, that is it will appear as a tiny orb. It will be accompanied by several satellites which will shift positions night to night. Saturn will rise at 12:12 a.m. in the east-southeast. Mars will rise at 1:46 a.m. and is now outshining Saturn, and will, this summer even outshine Jupiter.

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

Addendum

Jupiter and Venus at 10 p.m. May `6, 2018. Click on image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and its moons at 10:30. May 16, 2018. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Morning planets at 5:30 a.m. May 17, 2017. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic Saturn and Mars with the same magnification at 5:30 a.m. May 17, 2018. Inset shows Mars at higher magnification. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on May 16, 2018. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 17th. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.