08/21/2019 – Ephemeris – Where are all the bright planets?

Ephemeris for Wednesday, August 21st. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 47 minutes, setting at 8:39, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:53. The Moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 11:41 this evening.

Let’s look at the planets for this week. Mars and Venus are too close to the Sun to be seen. Mars is still on the evening or east side of the Sun, as is Venus which passed superior conjunction with the Sun a week ago. Bright Jupiter will be in the southern sky as it gets dark. With steadily held binoculars a few of the 4 largest satellites of Jupiter can be seen. Four of Jupiter’s largest satellites can be spotted in telescopes tonight. Jupiter will set at 1:04 a.m. Saturn, the ringed planet, will be in the southern sky in the evening. It will pass the meridian, due south at 10:45 p.m. and will set at 3:12 a.m. Mercury will rise at 5:44 a.m. in the east-northeast.

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

Addendum

Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon with the bright stars of the southern summer sky at 10 p.m. August 21, 2019. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic views of Jupiter and Saturn with the same magnification at 10 p.m.August 21, 2019. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

The Moon, Mercury and bright stars in the morning twilight at 6 a.m. August 22, 2019. Created using Stellarium.

The waning gibbous Moon at 6 a.m. August 22, 2019. Created using Stellarium.

Planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on August 21, 2019. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 22nd. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.