We will not be doing Astronomical Observing from Fishcreek Observing Site on Friday 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm (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. Moon Phase: 34.23% illuminated (waning crescent) rising at 1:46am - 23d 11h 16m since last New Moon Sunset: 5:17pm Civil twilight ends: 5:45pm Nautical twilight ends: 6:19pm Astronomical twilight ends: 6:53pm 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 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm (nautical twilight). Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com ALL: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Sgr 07:47 17:17 Mercury 2.5 Sgr 07:01 16:44 Venus -3.9 Sgr 07:49 17:09 Mars -1.0 Leo 19:16 09:52 Jupiter -2.1 Aqr 09:55 20:33 Saturn 0.9 Vir 23:24 11:37 Uranus 5.9 Aqr 10:55 22:42 Neptune 8.0 Cap 09:45 20:18 Pluto 14.3 Sgr 06:29 16:26 Moon -9.3 Vir 01:46 12:10 ABOVE HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Jupiter -2.1 Aqr 09:55 20:33 Uranus 5.9 Aqr 10:55 22:42 Neptune 8.0 Cap 09:45 20:18 BELOW HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Sgr 07:47 17:17 Mercury 2.5 Sgr 07:01 16:44 Venus -3.9 Sgr 07:49 17:09 Mars -1.0 Leo 19:16 09:52 Saturn 0.9 Vir 23:24 11:37 Pluto 14.3 Sgr 06:29 16:26 Moon -9.3 Vir 01:46 12:10 Sun data: Rise: 7:47am Transit: 12:32pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:17pm Constellation: Sagittarius Distance: .9834032 AU = 147,115,024 km = 91,413,039 miles = 8.19 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 32.53 arcminutes in angular diameter Civil twilight ends at: 5:45pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon ) Nautical twilight ends at: 6:19pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon ) Astronomical twilight ends at: 6:53pm ( 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 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm the Sun will be 12° below the west-southwest horizon Moon data: Rise: 1:46am Transit: 7:02am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 12:10pm Constellation: Virgo Phase: 34.23% illuminated (waning crescent) Distance: 0.00262323 AU = 392,429 km = 243,844 miles = 1.31 light-seconds Magnitude: -9.3 Apparent size: 30.44 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 71.47° (morning sky) Age: 23d 11h 16m since last New Moon Prior Phase: Last Quarter on Thursday Jan 7, 2010 at 5:40am Next Phase: New Moon on Friday Jan 15, 2010 at 2:11am Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT On 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm the Moon will be 64° below the northwest horizon Mercury data: Rise: 7:01am Transit: 11:52am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:44pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 7.35% illuminated Distance: .68809155 AU = 102,937,030 km = 63,962,106 miles = 5.73 light-minutes Magnitude: 2.5 Apparent size: 9.77 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 10.04° (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Morning: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 (24° 45' 10") Evening: Thursday, April 8, 2010 (19° 21' 01") On 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm Mercury will be 18.1° below the west-southwest horizon Venus data: Rise: 7:49am Transit: 12:29pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:09pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 1.71085323 AU = 255,940,000 km = 159,033,745 miles = 14.25 light-minutes Magnitude: -3.9 Apparent size: 9.75 arcseconds in ngular diameter Elongation from Sun: 1.00° (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59") Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24") On 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm Venus will be 13° below the west-southwest horizon Mars data: Rise: 7:16pm Transit: 2:34am - Jan 9 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 9:52am - Jan 9 Constellation: Leo Phase: 97.85% illuminated Distance: .70236524 AU = 105,072,345 km = 65,288,929 miles = 5.85 light-minutes Magnitude: -1.0 Apparent size: 13.32 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 151.16° (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 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm Mars will be 10.2° 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: 9:55am Transit: 3:14pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:33pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.61% illuminated Distance: 5.72168629 AU = 855,952,085 km = 531,863,974 miles = 47.66 light-minutes Magnitude: -2.1 Apparent size: 34.46 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 39.45° (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 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm Jupiter will be 21° above the southwest horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Saturday Jan 09, 2010 at 3:05am (The Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes) GRS longitude: 141.5 Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): none Saturn data: Rise: 11:24pm Transit: 5:31am - Jan 9 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:37am - Jan 9 Constellation: Virgo Phase: 99.75% illuminated Distance: 9.19247783 AU = 1,375,175,110 km = 854,494,208 miles = 1.28 light-hours Magnitude: 0.9 Apparent size: 18.08 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 103.94° (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 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm Saturn will be 47.2° below the north horizon Uranus data: Rise: 10:55am Transit: 4:48pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 10:42pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.95% illuminated Distance: 20.49673088 AU = 3,066,267,296 km = 1,905,290,189 miles = 2.85 light-hours Magnitude: 5.9 Apparent size: 3.44 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 64.74° (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 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm Uranus will be 40.9° above the south-southwest horizon Neptune data: Rise: 9:45am Transit: 3:01pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:18pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 30.81165916 AU = 4,609,358,602 km = 2,864,122,686 miles = 4.28 light-hours Magnitude: 8.0 Apparent size: 2.22 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 36.26° (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 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm Neptune will be 18.6° above the southwest horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rise: 6:29am Transit: 11:28am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:26pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 100.00% illuminated Distance: 32.71206974 AU = 4,893,655,979 km = 3,040,776,888 miles = 4.54 light-hours Magnitude: 14.3 Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 15.80° (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 1/8/2010 at 6:19:14pm Pluto will be 21.6° 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