06/19/2019 – Ephemeris – Checking out the bright planets for tonight

Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 19th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 9:31, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:56. The Moon, 2 days past full, will rise at 11:34 this evening.

Let’s look at the planets for this week. Mars and Mercury will be low in the west-northwestern sky below and left of the star Pollux. Mercury is somewhat brighter than Pollux tonight with dimmer Mars a bit right of and below Mercury. Mercury is separating from Mars rapidly, It not named for the messenger of the gods for nothing. Mercury will set at 11:13 p.m., three minutes after Mars. Jupiter will start the evening low in the southeast. It far brighter than any star and will be visible all night, setting at 5:30 a.m. It’s in Ophiuchus the serpent bearer now, just above Scorpius the scorpion. In the morning sky we have Saturn which will rise at 10:41 p.m., in the east-southeast. It’s in Sagittarius the archer. Venus is too close to the Sun to be seen.

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

Addendum

Mercury and Mars with the brighter stars at 10:15 p.m., June 19, 2019. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and Saturn before moonrise at 11:30 p.m. June 19, 2019. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.

The waning gibbous Moon at midnight as it might be seen in binoculars or a small telescope.. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and Saturn with the same magnification at 11:30 p.m., June 19, 2019. 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 June 19, 2019. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 20th. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.