06/01/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, June 1st. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 9:21, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:59. The Moon, 2 days past new, will set at 11:49 this evening.

Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. All the naked-eye planets are in the morning sky, although Mercury is too close to the Sun to be seen, and might just be visible low in the east-northeast after 5 am around mid-month. That’s at least for those as far north as we are. At 5 am tomorrow the planets will be spread out from brilliant Venus low in the east to Saturn higher in the south-southeast. To the right of Venus, tomorrow morning, in the east-southeast are Mars and Jupiter. Mars is quite a bit dimmer than Jupiter. All will be in line sloping to the upper right with Saturn all by its lonesome in the south-southeast. Though Mercury will enter the evening sky first, it won’t have great visibility. Saturn will enter the evening sky August 14th.

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 two-day-old Moon as it might be seen in binoculars tonight, June 1, 2022. Earth shine might illuminate the Moon’s night side. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.

Morning planets at 5 am tomorrow morning, June 2, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. The span of the planets from Venus to Saturn is 70 degrees. Click on the image to enlarge it. 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 5:00 am, June 2, 2022. I do not show planets less than 10 seconds of arc in diameter. Apparent diameters: Venus 13.58″, 78.3% illuminated; Saturn 17.40″, its rings 40.54″; Jupiter 37.49″. Mars is not shown, its apparent diameter is 6.46″ and is 87.2% illuminated. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts), planet information from Stellarium.

The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on June 1, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 2nd. Notice that all the naked-eye planets are in the morning sky now. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program.

Update on the Tau Herculid meteor shower of May 31st.

The meteor shower was rather weak. I saw one during an hour and a half of observing, slowly moving over the Big Dipper. The sky was “clear”, but there was a haze to it. It definitely wasn’t crystal clear. I’ve heard from others who had a bit more success.