08/25/2021 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, August 25th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 8:31, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:58. The Moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 10:20 this evening.

Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. Venus should be visible in the western evening twilight before 9 tonight. It will set at 9:53 pm. By 9 pm, Jupiter and Saturn will be seen low in the southeastern sky. The brighter Jupiter will be easy to spot at that hour. Saturn will be dimmer, but a bit higher and to its right. Both these planets will be visible for most of the night, with Saturn setting first at 4:52 am, with Jupiter setting at 6:26 tomorrow morning. Saturn’s rings can be seen in a spotting scope of about 20 power magnification. Though at that power, the rings won’t appear separated from the planet, so Saturn will look like an elliptical spot. Most of Jupiter’s 4 brightest moon can be spotted in binoculars.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hr). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Venus in evening twilight tonight, August 25, 2021 at 9 pm, about 1/2 hour after sunset. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and Saturn in the southeast at 9:30 pm tonight, August 25, 2021, about 45 minutes after sunset. Created using Stellarium.

The Moon as it might appear tonight in binoculars or a small telescope at 11:30 pm, about an hour after it rises tonight, August 25, 2021. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic view of the bright planets (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification, this evening. Venus at 9:15 pm, and the other two at 11 pm, August 25, 2021. Apparent diameters: Venus, 14.51″ 75% illuminated; Saturn 18.43″, its rings 42.93″; Jupiter, 49.06″. Jupiter’s moons Io and Ganymede will slowly separate after 11 pm. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Click on the image to enlarge it. 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 August 25, 2021. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 26th. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.