06/16/2021 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 16th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 9:30, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:56. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 1:55 tomorrow morning.

Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. Venus can be spotted low in the west-northwest twilight by 10 pm or a little after. Venus will set at 11:04 pm. Mars can be found in the west-northwest at 10:30 tonight, It’s in Cancer and by next Wednesday will pass in front of the Beehive star cluster which can be easily seen in a pair of binoculars. Check it out each night before then and watch Mars approach the cluster, now to its upper left. Mars will set at 11:55 pm. Jupiter and Saturn, are in the morning sky. Saturn will rise at 12:12 am. It’s seen with the stars of Capricornus. Brighter Jupiter, to the left of Saturn, will rise at 1:01 am. By 5 am, these two planets will be in the south-southeast in the morning twilight.

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

Addendum

Venus in evening twilight at 10 pm or a half hour after sunset tonight over a sea or Lake Michigan horizon. Venus is a bit less than 10 degrees altitude. Created using Stellarium.

The Moon, Mars and Venus at 11 pm or an hour and a half after sunset tonight over a sea or Lake Michigan horizon. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.

Mars and the Beehive star cluster at 11 pm tonight as they might be seen in binoculars. Created using Stellarium.

The Moon as it might appear tonight in binoculars or small telescope tonight. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and Saturn at 5 am or an hour before sunrise tomorrow morning. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic views of Venus, Saturn and Jupiter. Venus at the same magnification. Venus, seen at 10 pm, will be 10.72″ in diameter. Saturn at 5 am will be 18.00″ in diameter, its rings 44.43″ in extent. And Jupiter will be 43.43″. The normal cutoff for whether to show a planet here is an apparent diameter of 10″ or greater. Mars doesn’t make the cut, its apparent diameter will be 3.98″ tonight. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree). 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 16, 2021. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 17th. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.