Astronomical Observing at Fishcreek - Friday 11/2/2007 Tonight's event will feature a Moonless sky for us since it sets at 3:13pm this afternoon and won't rise until 1:41am Saturday. We'll have the planet Jupiter, colorful double stars, open clusters made up of hundreds of stars, globular clusters comprised of hundreds of thousands of stars, planetary nebula formed by dying stars, diffuse nebula and emission nebula where stars are being born, will all be available to us the entire night. Many amateur astronomers feel that late fall is the best time to observe since there are beautiful objects of all categories available and the Milky Way, the galaxy in which we live, is directly overhead. We hope to see you here for a night under the stars - now in our thirteenth year! The following Sun, Moon and planet detail was calculated as it will be on Friday 11/2/07 at 7:21:33pm (nautical twilight) Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com Above Horizon: Jupiter Uranus Neptune Pluto Below Horizon: Sun Mercury Venus Moon (rises at 1:41am Saturday) Mars Saturn Sun data: Rises: 7:54am Transits: 1:09pm - Time of highest position in the sky, due South Sets: 6:23pm Constellation: Libra Distance: 0.99217713 AU = 148,427,586 km = 92,228,627 miles = 8.26 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 32.24 arcminutes in angular diameter Twilight ends... Civil: 6:49pm - Sun is 6° below the horizon Nautical: 7:22pm - Sun is 12° below the horizon Astronomical: 7:54pm - Sun is 18° below the horizon Winter Solstice: Saturday Dec 22, 2007 at 2:08am (when winter will officially be here) Next Solar Eclipses in Stow, Ohio: Partial eclipse (>80%) on Monday August 21, 2017 2:30pm EDT Total eclipse (an amazing sight!) on Monday April 8, 2024 2:15pm EST (3:15pm EDT) At 7:22pm the Sun will be 12º below the west-southwest horizon Moon data: Rises: 1:41am Nov 3 Transits: 7:59am - Time of highest position in the sky, due South Sets: 3:13pm Constellation: Leo Phase: 38.94% illuminated (waning crescent) Distance: 0.00263336 AU = 393,946 km = 244,787 miles = 1.32 light-seconds Magnitude: -9.5 Apparent size: 30.32 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 77.08 degrees (morning sky) Age: 22.76 days since last New Moon Next Phase: New Moon on Friday Nov 9, 2007 at 7:03pm Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Wednesday Feb 20, 2008 at 9:58pm EST At 7:22pm the Moon will be 33.1º below the north-northwest horizon Mercury data: Rises: 6:29am Transits: 12:08pm - Time of highest position in the sky, due South Sets: 5:47pm Constellation: Virgo Phase: 31.29% illuminated Distance: 0.83427243 AU = 124,805,379 km = 77,550,468 miles = 6.95 light-minutes Magnitude: 0.3 Apparent size: 8.06 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 16.79 degrees (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Morning: Thursday 11/08/2007 (18° 58' 34") Evening: Tuesday 1/22/2008 (18° 38' 41") At 7:22pm Mercury will be 18.8º below the west horizon Venus data: Rises: 3:59am Transits: 10:16am - Time of highest position in the sky, due South Sets: 4:33pm Constellation: Virgo Phase: 53.32% illuminated (waxing crescent) Distance: 0.73230170 AU = 109,550,774 km = 68,071,696 miles = 6.1 light-minutes Magnitude: -4.4 Bright, visible in the morning well before sunrise Apparent size: 22.79 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 46.38 degrees (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Wednesday 1/14/2009 (47° 07' 21") Morning: Friday 6/05/2009 (45° 51' 07") At 7:22pm Venus will be 30.5º below the west-northwest horizon Mars data: Rises: 9:49pm Transits: 5:27am Nov 3 - Time of highest position in the sky, due South Sets: 1:05pm Nov 3 Constellation: Gemini Phase: 90.87% illuminated Distance: 0.75784009 AU = 113,371,264 km = 70,445,638 miles = 6.31 light-minutes Magnitude: -0.7 (getting brighter) Apparent size: 12.35 arcseconds in angular diameter (getting larger) Elongation from Sun: 118.73 degrees (morning sky) Next close approach: Monday Dec 24, 2007 At 7:22pm Mars will be 19.7º below the north-northeast horizon Jupiter data: Rises: 11:15am Transits: 3:55pm - Time of highest position in the sky, due South Sets: 8:35pm Constellation: Ophiuchus (pronounced oh-fee-oo'-cuss) Phase: 99.63% illuminated Distance: 5.99198945 AU = 896,388,863 km = 556,990,223 miles = 49.91 light-minutes Magnitude: -1.9 Apparent size: 32.90 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 39.85 degrees (evening sky) At 7:22pm Jupiter will be 10.1º above the southwest horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Saturday Nov 3 2007 at 2:34am GRS longitude: 118.1º Jupiter moons activity: None tonight Saturn data: Rises: 2:33am Transits: 9:15am - Time of highest position in the sky, due South Sets: 3:57pm Constellation: Leo Phase: 99.77% illuminated Distance: 9.65052354 AU = 1,443,697,773 km = 897,072,218 miles = 1.34 light-hours Magnitude: 0.8 Apparent size: 17.22 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 63.52 degrees (morning sky) At 7:22pm Saturn will be 32.3º below the northwest horizon Uranus data: Rises: 4:02pm Transits: 9:43pm - Time of highest position in the sky, due South Sets: 3:25am Nov 3 Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.96% illuminated Distance: 19.51155190 AU = 2,918,886,619 km = 1,813,712,081 miles = 2.71 light-hours Magnitude: 5.8 Apparent size: 3.61 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 124.80 degrees (evening sky) At 7:22pm Uranus will be 32.1º above the southeast horizon Neptune data: Rises: 2:55pm Transits: 8:05pm - Time of highest position in the sky, due South Sets: 1:15am Oct 20 Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 99.97% illuminated Distance: 29.87105698 AU = 4,468,646,519 km = 2,776,688,250 miles = 4.15 light-hours Magnitude: 7.9 Apparent size: 2.29 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 99.09 degrees (evening sky) At 7:22pm Neptune will be 32.6º above the south-southeast horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rises: 11:22am Transits: 4:26pm - Time of highest position in the sky, due South Sets: 9:30pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 32.03064046 AU = 4,791,715,610 km = 2,977,434,079 miles = 4.45 light-hours Magnitude: 14.2 Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 47.30 degrees (evening sky) At 7:22pm Pluto will be 19.1º above the south-southwest horizon Very sincerely yours, Dave Jessie "Time spent observing the heavens is not deducted from your life span"