04/29/2022 – Ephemeris – Previewing the skies of May 2022

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Arbor Day, Friday, April 29th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 9 minutes, setting at 8:45, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:34. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 6:36 tomorrow morning.

Let’s look at the month of May’s skies. Daylight hours in the Interlochen/Traverse City area will increase from 14 hours and 15 minutes this Sunday the 1st to 15 hours 19 minutes on May 31st. The altitude, or angle, of the Sun above the southern horizon at local noon will ascend from 60 degrees Sunday to 67 degrees at month’s end. The altitude of the Sun in the Straits area will be a degree lower than that but your length of daylight will be a few minutes longer. Local apparent noon this month, when the Sun passes due south, will be about 1:38 p.m. The Eta Aquariid meteor shower will reach its peak about 3 a.m. on the 5th. The big event this month will be a total eclipse of the Moon starting late Sunday evening the 15th.

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

Addendum

May Evening Star Chart

Star Chart for May 2022 (11 p.m. EDT May 15, 2022). Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program. Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.

The planets and stars are plotted for the 15th at 11 p.m. EDT in the evening and 4 a.m. for the morning chart. These are the chart times. Note that Traverse City is located approximately 45 minutes behind our time meridian, West 75° longitude. (An hour 45 minutes behind our daylight saving time meridian during EDT). To duplicate the star positions on a planisphere you may have to set it to 1 hour 45 minutes earlier than the current time.
Note the chart times of 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. are for the 15th. For each week before the 15th add ½ hour (28 minutes if you’re picky). For each week after the 15th subtract ½ hour, or 28 minutes. The planet positions are updated each Wednesday on this blog. For planet positions on dates other than the 15th, check the Wednesday planet posts on this blog for weekly positions.

May Morning Star Chart

Star Chart for May mornings, 2022 (4 a.m. EDT, May 15, 2022). Click on image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.

For a list of constellation names to go with the abbreviations click here.

• Pointer stars at the front of the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris the North Star.
• Leaky dipper drips on Leo
• Follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper to the star Arcturus, and
• Extend like a spike to Spica,
• EaqR is the radiant of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower that peaks on the 6th.

Twilight Limits, Nautical and Astronomical

			EDT
	Morning	Twilight	Evening	Twilight	Dark	Night	Moon
Date	Astro.	Nautical	Nautical	Astro.	Start	End	Illum.
2021-05-01	4h40m	5h24m	22h02m	22h47m	22h47m	1h35m	0.67
2021-05-02	4h38m	5h23m	22h04m	22h49m	22h49m	2h32m	0.57
2021-05-03	4h36m	5h21m	22h05m	22h51m	22h51m	3h17m	0.46
2021-05-04	4h33m	5h19m	22h07m	22h53m	22h53m	3h52m	0.36
2021-05-05	4h31m	5h17m	22h09m	22h55m	22h55m	4h20m	0.27
2021-05-06	4h29m	5h16m	22h10m	22h57m	22h57m	4h29m	0.18
2021-05-07	4h27m	5h14m	22h12m	22h59m	22h59m	4h27m	0.11
2021-05-08	4h25m	5h12m	22h13m	23h01m	23h01m	4h25m	0.06
2021-05-09	4h23m	5h11m	22h15m	23h03m	23h03m	4h23m	0.02
2021-05-10	4h21m	5h09m	22h16m	23h05m	23h05m	4h21m	0
2021-05-11	4h19m	5h07m	22h18m	23h07m	23h07m	4h19m	0
2021-05-12	4h17m	5h06m	22h19m	23h09m	23h09m	4h17m	0.02
2021-05-13	4h15m	5h04m	22h21m	23h11m	23h11m	4h15m	0.05
2021-05-14	4h13m	5h03m	22h23m	23h13m	–	4h13m	0.1
2021-05-15	4h11m	5h01m	22h24m	23h15m	0h07m	4h11m	0.17
2021-05-16	4h09m	5h00m	22h26m	23h17m	1h00m	4h09m	0.25
2021-05-17	4h07m	4h58m	22h27m	23h19m	1h46m	4h07m	0.34
2021-05-18	4h05m	4h57m	22h28m	23h21m	2h25m	4h05m	0.44
2021-05-19	4h03m	4h56m	22h30m	23h23m	2h58m	4h03m	0.54
2021-05-20	4h01m	4h54m	22h31m	23h24m	3h26m	4h01m	0.65
2021-05-21	4h00m	4h53m	22h33m	23h26m	3h51m	4h00m	0.76
2021-05-22	3h58m	4h52m	22h34m	23h28m	–	–	0.85
2021-05-23	3h56m	4h51m	22h36m	23h30m	–	–	0.92
2021-05-24	3h54m	4h49m	22h37m	23h32m	–	–	0.98
2021-05-25	3h53m	4h48m	22h38m	23h34m	–	–	1
2021-05-26	3h51m	4h47m	22h40m	23h36m	–	–	0.99
2021-05-27	3h49m	4h46m	22h41m	23h38m	–	–	0.95
2021-05-28	3h48m	4h45m	22h42m	23h39m	23h39m	–	0.89
2021-05-29	3h46m	4h44m	22h43m	23h41m	23h41m	0h19m	0.81
2021-05-30	3h45m	4h43m	22h45m	23h43m	23h43m	1h11m	0.72
2021-05-31	3h44m	4h42m	22h46m	23h44m	23h44m	1h52m	0.61

The twilight calendar was generated using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts), with some corrections.

See my blog post: Twilight Zone for the definitions of the different periods of twilight here: https://bobmoler.wordpress.com/2018/09/27/.

NASA Calendar of Planetary Events

    Date     Time     Event
May  1  Su            Venus: 42.4° W
     1  Su   3:52 pm  Moon Ascending Node
     2  Mo  10:17 am  Moon-Mercury: 2° N
     5  Th   4:57 am  Uranus Conjunction
     5  Th   8:46 am  Moon Apogee: 405300 km
     5  Th  11:55 am  Moon North Dec.: 27° N
     6  Fr   4:00 am  Eta Aquarid Shower: ZHR = 60
     6  Fr   6:56 pm  Moon-Pollux: 2.3° N
     7  Sa   8:23 pm  Moon-Beehive: 4° S
     8  Su   8:21 pm  First Quarter
    15  Su   7:44 pm  Moon Descending Node
    16  Mo  12:11 am  Total Lunar Eclipse
    16  Mo  12:14 am  Full Flower Moon
    17  Tu  11:23 am  Moon Perigee: 360300 km
    18  We   9:21 pm  Moon South Dec.: 27° S
    21  Sa   3:14 pm  Mercury Inferior Conj.
    22  Su  12:43 am  Moon-Saturn: 4.6° N
    22  Su   2:43 pm  Last Quarter
    24  Tu   3:24 pm  Moon-Mars: 2.9° N
    24  Tu   7:59 pm  Moon-Jupiter: 3.4° N
    26  Th  10:52 pm  Moon-Venus: 0.2° N
    28  Sa  10:33 pm  Moon Ascending Node
    29  Su   4:57 am  Mars-Jupiter: 0.6° N
    30  Mo   7:30 am  New Moon
Jun  1  We            Venus: 36.5° W

Sky Events Calendar by Fred Espenak and Sumit Dutta (NASA’s GSFC),
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html.

Sun and Moon Rising and Setting Events

     LU                  Ephemeris of Sky Events for Interlochen/TC
May, 2022    Local time zone: EDT
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| DATE |  SUN     SUN  DAYLIGHT|   TWILIGHT*    |MOON  RISE OR    ILLUM |
|      |  RISE    SET    HOURS |  END    START  |PHASE SET** TIME FRACTN|
+=======================================================================+
|Sun  1| 06:32a  08:47p  14:15 | 10:00p  05:20a |      Set  09:56p    1%|
|Mon  2| 06:31a  08:49p  14:17 | 10:01p  05:18a |      Set  11:02p    4%|
|Tue  3| 06:29a  08:50p  14:20 | 10:03p  05:17a |      Set  12:05a    9%|
|Wed  4| 06:28a  08:51p  14:23 | 10:04p  05:15a |      Set  01:03a   15%|
|Thu  5| 06:27a  08:52p  14:25 | 10:06p  05:13a |      Set  01:53a   23%|
|Fri  6| 06:25a  08:53p  14:28 | 10:08p  05:11a |      Set  02:35a   31%|
|Sat  7| 06:24a  08:55p  14:30 | 10:09p  05:10a |      Set  03:10a   40%|
+------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+
|Sun  8| 06:23a  08:56p  14:33 | 10:11p  05:08a |F Qtr Set  03:39a   50%|
|Mon  9| 06:21a  08:57p  14:35 | 10:12p  05:06a |      Set  04:03a   60%|
|Tue 10| 06:20a  08:58p  14:38 | 10:14p  05:05a |      Set  04:25a   69%|
|Wed 11| 06:19a  08:59p  14:40 | 10:15p  05:03a |      Set  04:45a   79%|
|Thu 12| 06:18a  09:01p  14:43 | 10:17p  05:02a |      Set  05:06a   87%|
|Fri 13| 06:16a  09:02p  14:45 | 10:18p  05:00a |      Set  05:28a   93%|
|Sat 14| 06:15a  09:03p  14:47 | 10:20p  04:59a |      Set  05:53a   98%|
+------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+
|Sun 15| 06:14a  09:04p  14:49 | 10:21p  04:57a |      Set  06:25a  100%|
|Mon 16| 06:13a  09:05p  14:52 | 10:23p  04:56a |Full  Rise 10:13p   99%|
|Tue 17| 06:12a  09:06p  14:54 | 10:24p  04:54a |      Rise 11:33p   95%|
|Wed 18| 06:11a  09:07p  14:56 | 10:26p  04:53a |      Rise 12:43a   89%|
|Thu 19| 06:10a  09:08p  14:58 | 10:27p  04:51a |      Rise 01:40a   80%|
|Fri 20| 06:09a  09:09p  15:00 | 10:29p  04:50a |      Rise 02:23a   70%|
|Sat 21| 06:08a  09:11p  15:02 | 10:30p  04:49a |      Rise 02:56a   59%|
+------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+
|Sun 22| 06:07a  09:12p  15:04 | 10:32p  04:47a |L Qtr Rise 03:22a   48%|
|Mon 23| 06:06a  09:13p  15:06 | 10:33p  04:46a |      Rise 03:44a   37%|
|Tue 24| 06:05a  09:14p  15:08 | 10:34p  04:45a |      Rise 04:03a   27%|
|Wed 25| 06:05a  09:15p  15:10 | 10:36p  04:44a |      Rise 04:22a   18%|
|Thu 26| 06:04a  09:16p  15:11 | 10:37p  04:43a |      Rise 04:42a   11%|
|Fri 27| 06:03a  09:16p  15:13 | 10:38p  04:42a |      Rise 05:03a    6%|
|Sat 28| 06:02a  09:17p  15:15 | 10:39p  04:41a |      Rise 05:27a    2%|
+------+-----------------------+----------------+-----------------------+
|Sun 29| 06:02a  09:18p  15:16 | 10:41p  04:40a |      Rise 05:56a    0%|
|Mon 30| 06:01a  09:19p  15:18 | 10:42p  04:39a |New   Set  09:56p    0%|
|Tue 31| 06:00a  09:20p  15:19 | 10:43p  04:38a |      Set  10:56p    2%|
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
* Nautical Twilight
** Moonrise or moonset, whichever occurs between sunrise and sunset

Generated using my LookingUp for DOS program.

04/28/2022 – Ephemeris – The story of Arcas and Callisto

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Thursday, April 28th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 6 minutes, setting at 8:44, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:35. The Moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 6:16 tomorrow morning.

Appearing in the eastern sky at 10 p.m. tonight is the kite shaped constellation of Boötes the herdsman. The bright star Arcturus is at the bottom of the kite which is horizontal to the left, pointed to by the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper, higher in the east. The Big Dipper is the hind end of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. In one story, Boötes represents a young hunter named Arcas, son of Callisto, a beautiful young woman who had the misfortune of being loved by god Zeus. Zeus’ wife, Hera, found out about the affair, and since she couldn’t punish Zeus, turned the poor woman into a bear. Arcas, many years later, unaware of why his mother disappeared, was about to kill the bear when Zeus intervened and placed them both in the sky, where he continues to chase her across the sky nightly.

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

Addendum

Boötes and Ursa Major aka Arcas chasing Callisto around the pole of the sky. Created using Stellarium.

Arcas about to slay the bear by the 17th century artist Baur. Source: University of Virginia Electronic Text Center

04/27/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, April 27th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 4 minutes, setting at 8:42, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:37. The Moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 5:56 tomorrow morning.

Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. There is one bright planet in the evening sky. Mercury may be spotted around and after 9:30 this evening very low in the west-northwest and be visible for the next hour or so before it sets at 10:43 pm. After that, the planet action shifts to the morning sky. The other 4 naked-eye planets are there. By 5:45 am, the planets will be spread out low from the east to southeast with brilliant Venus closer than ever to Jupiter, lowest in the east. Dim Mars will be to the right and a bit above Venus, while brighter Saturn will be right and above Mars. Saturn will rise tomorrow at 4 am, with Mars following at 4:40. Venus will rise at 5:10 tomorrow morning, followed by Jupiter four minutes later.

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

Addendum

Mercury and bright winter stars in evening twilight at 9:30 tonight, or about 45 minutes after sunset tonight, April 27, 2022. It might take binoculars to spot the stars of Orion and Taurus, and Mercury itself, which is fading, becoming a crescent. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

The morning planet parade at 5:45 am or about 50 minutes before sunrise tomorrow, April 28, 2022. Venus will overtake Jupiter during the day, Saturday the 30th. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and Venus in as they might be seen in binoculars, Saturday morning, April 30, 2022. The difference in brightness of Venus compared to Jupiter will be much greater than seen here. The planets will be about a half a degree apart, or about the width of the Moon. The image shows two satellites of Jupiter, Ganymede to the lower left of Jupiter and Callisto to the upper right. A third satellite, Io, is close to the upper right, within the enlarged Jupiter image. Europa is either behind the planet or in its shadow. Sunday morning, Jupiter will be on the other side of Venus, and a bit farther away. Created using Stellarium.

Views of Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification, tomorrow morning at 5:45 am, April 28, 2022. I do not show planets less than 10 seconds of arc in diameter. Apparent diameters: Venus 16.78″, 67.4% illuminated; Saturn 16.47″, its rings 38.35″; Jupiter 34.76″. Mars is not shown, its apparent diameter is 5.74″ and is 89.5% illuminated. Mercury, in the evening, has an apparent diameter of 8.05″, and it’s 35.6% illuminated. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on April 27, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 28th. Notice that all the naked-eye planets except Mercury are in the morning sky now. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program.

04/26/2022 – Ephemeris – Tomorrow is the Moon’s final stop in passing the parade of morning planets

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Tuesday, April 26th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 1 minute, setting at 8:41, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:38. The Moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 5:37 tomorrow morning.

Also, tomorrow morning, the Moon will conclude its sweep under the four bright planets of the morning sky by being seen below the left-most and lowest of the four, Jupiter. With nearby Venus, it makes a small right triangle The other planets in order to the right of Jupiter are Venus, Mars and finally Saturn. Jupiter and Venus are appearing to get closer to each other every day now. They will cross paths in conjunction this Saturday. Venus is slowly retreating back and around behind the Sun. Jupiter now appears to be moving away from the Sun. Both, however, are still moving eastward against the stars, it’s just that Venus is moving faster. Next month, when the Moon passes by these planets, they will be a different order.

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

Addendum

The Moon passing the morning planets from Sunday to Wednesday mornings 4/24 to 4/27/2022. Note also the approach of Jupiter and Venus. Their paths will cross on Saturday, 4/30/2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.

04/25/2022 – Ephemeris – The moon is passing the morning planet parade

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Monday, April 25th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 58 minutes, setting at 8:40, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:40. The Moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 5:16 tomorrow morning.

Over this and the next couple of mornings, the waning crescent Moon will be passing the four morning planets. This morning it was below and between Saturn and Mars. Tomorrow morning, the Moon will be between and below Mars and Venus. Wednesday morning the Moon, Venus and Jupiter will make a nice right triangle with Jupiter above and a bit left of the Moon and Venus will appear above and a bit to the right of it. There’s some motion between Venus and Jupiter. While both are traveling eastward when comparing them to the stars, Venus is moving eastward faster, and is moving toward the Sun in our sky. Jupiter is moving away from the Sun from our vantage point. They will cross paths on Saturday.

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

Addendum

The Moon passing the morning planets from Sunday to Wednesday mornings 4/24 to 4/27/2022. Note also the approach of Jupiter and Venus. Their paths will cross on Saturday, 4/30/2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.

04/22/2022 – Ephemeris – Earth Day and the Moon passes four planets in the morning

This is Ephemeris for Earth Day, Friday, April 22nd. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 50 minutes, setting at 8:36, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:45. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 3:43 tomorrow morning.

The Lyrid meteor shower will still be active tonight and tomorrow morning from 10 pm to almost 4 am. Speaking of things hitting the Earth, NASA’s DART Mission to collide and deflect a small asteroid is still on its way to smash into a tiny asteroid in September to see how it works. A more predictable disaster is climate change or global warming, which is continuing to appear more rapid than earlier thought. It demands that nations start immediately to reduce carbon emissions to slow and eventually stop the rise in global temperatures. As someone said: “There is no Planet B”. Mars isn’t it. It’s too cold, too small, too dry, and the air is too thin and contains no free oxygen. So support your local planet, it’s the only one we’ve got.

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

Addendum

There is an interesting Planet and morning planet encounter Sunday through Wednesday mornings as the Moon passes four planets.

The Moon passing the morning planets from Sunday to Wednesday mornings 4/24 to 4/27/2022. Note also the approach of Jupiter and Venus. Their paths will cross on Saturday, 4/30/2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP

04/21/2022 – Ephemeris – The Lyrid Meteor Shower reaches its peak tomorrow afternoon

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Thursday, April 21st. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 47 minutes, setting at 8:35, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:46. The Moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 2:54 tomorrow morning.

The second major meteor shower this year will reach its peak tomorrow afternoon around 2 pm (~19h UT). One of the best times to see it will be tonight from about 10 pm to near 3 am when the Moon rises. The other is tomorrow night. The meteor shower is called the Lyrids, because they seem to come from near the constellation Lyra the harp and the bright star Vega. At 10 p.m. Vega is the brightest star low in the northeastern sky. By 3 a.m. Vega will be high in the east. The radiant of the meteors is to the west of Vega, between Lyra and the dim constellation of Hercules. The most meteors will be visible just before the Moon begins to brighten the sky before 3 a.m. Though a major shower, the peak hourly rate is expected to be less than 20 meteors an hour.

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

Addendum

The Lyrid radiant at 11 pm, looking to the east-northeast. The meteors will be seen all over the sky, but their tracks can be traced back to the radiant point, like the parallel rails of a train track recede to a point in the distance. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

The Lyrid radiant at 3 am, looking in this all-sky view. Vega will be very high in the east and Hercules will be almost overhead. The meteors will be seen all over the sky, but their tracks can be traced back to the radiant point, like the parallel rails of a train track recede to a point in the distance. There are two other minor meteor showers happening at the same time, though neither is at peak, providing only a few meteors per hour. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

04/20/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, April 20th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 44 minutes, setting at 8:34, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:48. The Moon, 3 days before last quarter, will rise at 1:51 tomorrow morning.

Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. There is one bright planet in the evening sky. Mercury may be spotted around and after 9:15 this evening very low in the west-northwest and be visible for the next half hour or so. After that, the planet action shifts to the morning sky. The other 4 naked-eye planets are there. By 6 am, the planets will be spread out low from the east to southeast with brilliant Venus moving closer to Jupiter, lowest in the east. Dim Mars will be to the right and a bit above Venus, while brighter Saturn will be right and above Mars. Saturn will rise tomorrow at 4:27 am, with Mars following at 4:55. Venus will rise at 5:19 tomorrow morning, followed by Jupiter at 5:39 am. The Moon will be in the south at 6 am.

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

Addendum

Mercury in the evening at 9:15, or about 40 minutes after sunset tonight, April 20, 2022. Created using Stellarium.

Annotated Binocular Moon. What the Moon might look like tomorrow morning, April 21, 2022. Created using Stellarium, GIMP and LibreOffice.

Translations

Mare Frigoris – Sea of Cold
Mare Humorum – Sea of Moisture
Mare Imbrium – Sea of Showers
Mare Nubium – Sea of Clouds
Mare Serenitatis – Sea of Serenity
Oceanus Procellarum – Ocean of Storms

Note that Mare is pronounced Mar-é

Parade of the morning planets at 6 am or about 45 minutes before sunrise tomorrow, April 21, 2022. Created using Stellarium.

Views of Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification, tomorrow morning at 6:00 am, April 21, 2022. I do not show planets less than 10 seconds of arc in diameter. Apparent diameters: Venus 18.01″, 64.0% illuminated; Saturn 16.24″, its rings 37.82″; Jupiter 34.24″. Mars is not shown, its apparent diameter is 5.56″ and is 90.2% illuminated. The moons of Jupiter and Saturn may not be visible in twilight. Io transiting the face of Jupiter definitely will not be visible. Jupiter is shown here much dimmer compared to its moons than it actually is. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on April 20, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 21st. Notice that all the naked-eye planets are in the morning sky now, with the Moon still hanging out in the evening sky. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program.

04/19/2022 – Ephemeris – A constellation memorializing a real person

This is Ephemeris for Tuesday, April 19th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 41 minutes, setting at 8:32, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:49. The Moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 12:37 tomorrow morning.

High in the southeast at 10 p.m. is a tiny and faint constellation of Coma Berenices, or Berenice’s Hair. In it are lots of faint stars arrayed to look like several strands of hair to the naked eye. The whole group will fit in the field of a pair of binoculars, which will also show many more stars. The story behind it was that Berenice was a real Queen of Egypt, whose husband was away at war. This was in the days when the Greeks ruled Egypt after Alexander conquered it. She offered her golden tresses to the gods for the king’s safe return. The hair, was placed in a temple. However, the offering disappeared when the king returned. Ever since then, the constellation of Coma Berenices has been seen to commemorate the queen’s sacrifice.

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

Addendum

Coma Berenices and neighboring constellations at 10 p.m. in mid-April. Note that only the upper right star of the upside down L shape actually belongs to the cluster. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

Approximate 7 power binocular field of view (FOV) of the Coma Berenices Cluster. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

04/18/2022 – Ephemeris – Arcturus, the fourth-brightest nighttime star*

This is Ephemeris for Monday, April 18th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 38 minutes, setting at 8:31, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:51. The Moon, 2 days past full, will rise at 11:17 this evening.

The fourth-brightest nighttime star* is now up in the east these evenings. It is Arcturus, a bright star with an orange hue. It can be found otherwise by finding the Big Dipper and tracing out and extending the curve of the handle and saying the phrase “Follow the arc of the handle to Arcturus”, to remember the name of the star and how to find it. Arcturus is about 37 light years from us and is moving quite rapidly across the sky, compared to most stars, but one would not notice it to the naked eye in one’s lifetime. Arcturus is slightly more massive than our Sun, and about 7 billion years old, and is entering its red giant stage of life after using all the hydrogen fuel in its core. Our Sun, being slightly less massive, will survive on hydrogen a bit longer.

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

*Or 5th brightest star, depending on which list you look at. Arcturus and Vega, which is just above the horizon in the northeast at 10 pm, are nearly the same brightness, however Vega is white while Arcturus is orange, making brightness comparisons difficult visually. Stellarium, however, reports Vega is a slightly brighter magnitude 0.00, while Arcturus is 0.15. My older lists say Arcturus is the 4th brightest star. I’m an older guy, so I’m sticking with it.

Addendum

How to find Arcturus nearly a month into spring. Arcturus is in the east in the evening. The Big Dipper is high in the northeast standing on its handle. To find and remember the name of this star, simply follow the arc of the handle to Arcturus. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.

I’ll have more tidbits about this remarkable star throughout the spring and summer. Can’t wait? Search for Arcturus on this blog.