09/07/2022 – Ephemeris – Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week

This is Ephemeris for Wednesday, September 7th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 56 minutes, setting at 8:08, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:13. The Moon, 3 days before full, will set at 4:33 tomorrow morning.

Let’s search for the naked-eye planets for this week. Two of the naked-eye planets are in the evening sky. Mercury sets too close to the Sun to be seen in the evening. But as it gets darker, Saturn can be seen low in the southeast. Jupiter rises in the east around 8:52 pm. It is seen against the stars of Pisces now, moving slowly retrograde or westward. At 6:30 am tomorrow the three remaining morning planets will be spread out from brilliant Venus very low in the east-northeast to Mars high in the south-southeast above the bright reddish star Aldebaran to Jupiter in the west-southwest. Mars is among the stars seen rising on late autumn and winter evenings. Venus is actually all the way to the spring constellation of Leo the lion.

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

Evening planets and the Moon tonight at 10 pm, September 7, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

The Moon tonight as it might be seen in binoculars or low power telescopes. Labels of prominent features are alternately shown with the unlabeled chart. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw and GIMP.

Translations of some feature names

Mare Crisium – Sea of Crises
Mare Fecunditatis – Sea of Fertility
Mare Frigoris – Sea of Cold
Mare Humorum – Sea of Moisture
Mare Imbrium – Sea of Showers
Mare Nectaris – Sea of Nectar
Mare Nubium – Sea of Clouds
Mare Serenitatis – Sea of Serenity
Mare Tranquillitatis – Sea of Tranquility
Mare Vaporum – Sea of Vapors
Montes Apenninus – Apennines Mountains
Oceanus Procellarum – Ocean of Storms
Sinus Asperitatis – Golfe des Asperites
Sinus Iridium – Bay of Rainbows
Sinus Medii – Bay of the Center

Note that Mare is pronounced Mar-é

Morning planets with the bright winter stars at 6:30 am tomorrow, September 8, 2022. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium.

Telescopic views of Saturn Jupiter and Mars (north up) as they would be seen in a small telescope, with the same magnification. The times vary for each planet. Jupiter is shown twice, at 10 pm and 6:30 am, since its moons, especially Io and Europa, move rapidly. I do not show planets less than 10 seconds of arc in diameter, so Venus doesn’t show up yet. Coincidentally, Mars has reached that threshold. Apparent diameters: Saturn 18.58″, its rings 43.23″; Jupiter 49.27″. Mars 10.23″, 85.5% illuminated; Venus (not shown) 9.97″, 97.9% illuminated. 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).

The naked-eye planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise on a single night, starting with sunset on the right on September 7, 2022. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 8th. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using my LookingUp program.