We will not be doing Astronomical Observing from Fishcreek Observing Site on Friday 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm (nautical twilight) but this information is being provided in case you have an opportunity to observe from a reasonably close location - allowing for time changes, of course. All rise/transit/set times will be fairly close if you're within a 50 mile radius of Stow, OH USA. Sunset: 5:12pm Civil twilight ends: 5:40pm Nautical twilight ends: 6:14pm Astronomical twilight ends: 6:48pm Moon Phase: 97.76% illuminated (waning gibbous) rising at 6:24pm 16d 11h 16m since last New Moon Observing at Fishcreek hasn't yet begun in 2010, but we hope you have a wonderful night under the stars whereever you are. We'll be back sometime in the spring of 2010 whenever the weather cooperates - now in our fifteenth year! All times are shown in EST (Eastern Standard Time (UT-5)) as seen from Stow, Ohio Longitude: W 81 25' 38.4" Latitude: N41 11' 11.1" Altitude: 337m The following Sun, Moon and planet detail was calculated as it will be on Friday 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm (nautical twilight). Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com ALL: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Sgr 07:47 17:12 Mercury 3.3 Sgr 08:09 17:48 Venus -3.9 Sgr 07:41 16:57 Mars -0.8 Leo 19:53 10:22 Jupiter -2.1 Cap 10:19 20:54 Saturn 0.9 Vir 23:52 12:04 Uranus 5.9 Aqr 11:23 23:09 Neptune 8.0 Cap 10:12 20:45 Pluto 14.3 Sgr 06:56 16:54 Moon -12.5 Cnc 18:24 09:18 ABOVE HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Jupiter -2.1 Cap 10:19 20:54 Uranus 5.9 Aqr 11:23 23:09 Neptune 8.0 Cap 10:12 20:45 BELOW HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Sgr 07:47 17:12 Mercury 3.3 Sgr 08:09 17:48 Venus -3.9 Sgr 07:41 16:57 Mars -0.8 Leo 19:53 10:22 Saturn 0.9 Vir 23:52 12:04 Pluto 14.3 Sgr 06:56 16:54 Moon -12.5 Cnc 18:24 09:18 Sun data: Rise: 7:47am Transit: 12:29pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:12pm Constellation: Sagittarius Distance: .98330199 AU = 147,099,884 km = 91,403,631 miles = 8.19 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 32.53 arcminutes in angular diameter Civil twilight ends at: 5:40pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon ) Nautical twilight ends at: 6:14pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon ) Astronomical twilight ends at: 6:48pm ( When the Sun is 18° below the horizon ) Winter began at the Winter Solstice which occurred on Monday Dec 21, 2009 at 12:47pm Spring begins at the Vernal Equinox which will occur on Saturday Mar 20, 2010 at 1:33pm Next Solar Eclipse: Partial eclipse (>80%) on Monday August 21, 2017 2:30pm EDT Next TOTAL Solar Eclipse: Monday April 8, 2024 at 3:15pm On 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm the Sun will be 12° below the west-southwest horizon Moon data: Rise: 6:24pm Transit: 1:57am - Jan 2 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 9:18am - Jan 2 Constellation: Cancer Phase: 97.76% illuminated (waning gibbous) Distance: 0.00239953 AU = 358,965 km = 223,051 miles = 1.2 light-seconds Magnitude: -12.5 Apparent size: 33.28 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 162.73° (morning sky) Age: 16d 11h 16m since last New Moon Prior Phase: Full Moon on Thursday Dec 31, 2009 at 2:13pm Next Phase: Last Quarter on Thursday Jan 7, 2010 at 5:40am Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT On 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm the Moon will be 3° below the northeast horizon Mercury data: Rise: 8:09am Transit: 12:58pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:48pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 3.69% illuminated Distance: .69096487 AU = 103,366,873 km = 64,229,198 miles = 5.76 light-minutes Magnitude: 3.3 Apparent size: 9.73 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 6.79° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Morning: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 (24° 45' 10") Evening: Thursday, April 8, 2010 (19° 21' 01") On 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm Mercury will be 5.5° below the west-southwest horizon Venus data: Rise: 7:41am Transit: 12:19pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:57pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 99.92% illuminated Distance: 1.70856895 AU = 255,598,277 km = 158,821,408 miles = 14.23 light-minutes Magnitude: -3.9 Apparent size: 9.77 arcseconds in ngular diameter Elongation from Sun: 2.42° (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59") Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24") On 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm Venus will be 14.2° below the west-southwest horizon Mars data: Rise: 7:53pm Transit: 3:07am - Jan 2 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 10:22am - Jan 2 Constellation: Leo Phase: 96.52% illuminated Distance: .7338943 AU = 109,789,024 km = 68,219,738 miles = 6.11 light-minutes Magnitude: -0.8 Apparent size: 12.75 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 142.62° (morning sky) Dates of Opposition (when Mars is closest to Earth) Previous: Monday Dec 24, 2007 at 1:29pm. Distance: 88,693,927 km. Size: 15.78 arcseconds. Next: Friday Jan 29, 2010 at 2:21pm. Distance: 99,400,435 km. Size: 14.08 arcseconds. On 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm Mars will be 16.5° below the northeast horizon No, Mars was *not* "...as big as a Full Moon on August 27!" Please see the following links for more information about this annual 'Mars Hoax' http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/8708182.html http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp http://www.hoax-slayer.com/mars-earth-close.html http://www.universetoday.com/2007/07/25/will-the-mars-look-as-big-as-the-moon-on-august-27-nope/ Jupiter data: Rise: 10:19am Transit: 3:37pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:54pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 99.51% illuminated Distance: 5.64816547 AU = 844,953,528 km = 525,029,788 miles = 47.05 light-minutes Magnitude: -2.1 Apparent size: 34.90 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 45.13° (evening sky) Dates of Opposition (when Jupiter is closest to Earth) Previous: Friday Aug 14, 2009 at 1:44pm Next: Tuesday Sep 21, 2010 at 7:28am On 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm Jupiter will be 24.5° above the south-southwest horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Saturday Jan 02, 2010 at 2:15am (The Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes) GRS longitude: 141.4 Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): Europa transit begins on Friday Jan 01, 2010 at 6:19pm when Jupiter is 23.8° above the horizon Europa shadow transit begins on Friday Jan 01, 2010 at 8:13pm when Jupiter is 6.2° above the horizon Saturn data: Rise: 11:52pm Transit: 5:58am - Jan 2 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 12:04pm - Jan 2 Constellation: Virgo Phase: 99.73% illuminated Distance: 9.30668816 AU = 1,392,260,732 km = 865,110,722 miles = 1.29 light-hours Magnitude: 0.9 Apparent size: 17.86 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 96.91° (morning sky) Dates of Opposition (when Saturn is closest to Earth) Previous: Sunday Mar 8, 2009 at 3:44pm Next: Sunday Mar 21, 2010 at 8:28pm On 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm Saturn will be 48.6° below the north horizon Uranus data: Rise: 11:23am Transit: 5:16pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:09pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.95% illuminated Distance: 20.38433206 AU = 3,049,452,671 km = 1,894,842,066 miles = 2.83 light-hours Magnitude: 5.9 Apparent size: 3.46 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 71.68° (evening sky) Dates of Opposition (when Uranus is closest to Earth) Previous: Thursday Sep 17, 2009 at 5:34am Next: Tuesday Sep 21, 2010 at 12:51pm On 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm Uranus will be 43.7° above the south horizon Neptune data: Rise: 10:12am Transit: 3:28pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:45pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 30.73403005 AU = 4,597,745,453 km = 2,856,906,609 miles = 4.27 light-hours Magnitude: 8.0 Apparent size: 2.22 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 43.18° (evening sky) Dates of Opposition (when Neptune is closest to Earth) Previous: Monday Aug 17, 2009 at 4:47pm Next: Friday Aug 20, 2010 at 5:59am On 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm Neptune will be 23.2° above the south-southwest horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rise: 6:56am Transit: 11:55am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:54pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 100.00% illuminated Distance: 32.73255811 AU = 4,896,720,995 km = 3,042,681,401 miles = 4.54 light-hours Magnitude: 14.3 Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 9.56° (morning sky) Dates of Opposition (when Pluto is closest to Earth) Previous: Tuesday Jun 23, 2009 at 3:49am Next: Friday Jun 25, 2010 at 2:59pm On 1/1/2010 at 6:13:20pm Pluto will be 15.5° below the west-southwest horizon *************** Web hosting generously provided by *************** JCSi - Jucikas Computer Services, Inc. 4381 Hudson Drive, Suite KV2, Stow, OH 44224 Tel: 330-689-0155 * Fax: 330-689-0165