We will not be doing Astronomical Observing from Fishcreek Observing Site on Friday 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm (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: 5:25pm Civil twilight ends: 5:52pm Nautical twilight ends: 6:26pm Astronomical twilight ends: 6:59pm Moon Phase: 0.33% illuminated (waxing crescent) rising at 7:56am - 0d 16h 19m 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 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm (nautical twilight). Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com ALL: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Sgr 07:45 17:25 Mercury 0.5 Sgr 06:19 15:59 Venus -3.9 Sgr 07:54 17:25 Mars -1.1 Cnc 18:37 09:19 Jupiter -2.1 Aqr 09:32 20:13 Saturn 0.8 Vir 22:57 11:09 Uranus 5.9 Psc 10:28 22:16 Neptune 8.0 Cap 09:18 19:51 Pluto 14.3 Sgr 06:03 16:00 Moon -4.2 Cap 07:56 17:58 ABOVE HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Jupiter -2.1 Aqr 09:32 20:13 Uranus 5.9 Psc 10:28 22:16 Neptune 8.0 Cap 09:18 19:51 BELOW HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Sgr 07:45 17:25 Mercury 0.5 Sgr 06:19 15:59 Venus -3.9 Sgr 07:54 17:25 Mars -1.1 Cnc 18:37 09:19 Saturn 0.8 Vir 22:57 11:09 Pluto 14.3 Sgr 06:03 16:00 Moon -4.2 Cap 07:56 17:58 Sun data: Rise: 7:45am Transit: 12:35pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:25pm Constellation: Sagittarius Distance: .98373815 AU = 147,165,133 km = 91,444,175 miles = 8.19 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 32.52 arcminutes in angular diameter Civil twilight ends at: 5:52pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon ) Nautical twilight ends at: 6:26pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon ) Astronomical twilight ends at: 6:59pm ( 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 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm the Sun will be 12° below the west-southwest horizon Moon data: Rise: 7:56am Transit: 12:54pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:58pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 0.33% illuminated (waxing crescent) Distance: 0.00271821 AU = 406,638 km = 252,673 miles = 1.36 light-seconds Magnitude: -4.2 Apparent size: 29.38 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 6.57° (evening sky) Age: 0d 16h 19m since last New Moon Prior Phase: New Moon on Friday Jan 15, 2010 at 2:11am Next Phase: First Quarter on Saturday Jan 23, 2010 at 5:53am Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT On 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm the Moon will be 6° below the west-southwest horizon Mercury data: Rise: 6:19am Transit: 11:09am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 3:59pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 32.23% illuminated Distance: .79220789 AU = 118,512,613 km = 73,640,325 miles = 6.6 light-minutes Magnitude: 0.5 Apparent size: 8.49 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 20.35° (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Morning: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 (24° 45' 10") Evening: Thursday, April 8, 2010 (19° 21' 01") On 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm Mercury will be 27.7° below the west-southwest horizon Venus data: Rise: 7:54am Transit: 12:39pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:25pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 99.97% illuminated Distance: 1.71119982 AU = 255,991,850 km = 159,065,963 miles = 14.25 light-minutes Magnitude: -3.9 Apparent size: 9.75 arcseconds in ngular diameter Elongation from Sun: 1.37° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59") Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24") On 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm Venus will be 11.6° below the west-southwest horizon Mars data: Rise: 6:37pm Transit: 1:58am - Jan 16 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 9:19am - Jan 16 Constellation: Cancer Phase: 98.96% illuminated Distance: .67946555 AU = 101,646,600 km = 63,160,270 miles = 5.66 light-minutes Magnitude: -1.1 Apparent size: 13.77 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 160.21° (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 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm Mars will be 2.9° 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: 9:32am Transit: 2:52pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:13pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.70% illuminated Distance: 5.78695328 AU = 865,715,889 km = 537,930,921 miles = 48.2 light-minutes Magnitude: -2.1 Apparent size: 34.07 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 33.83° (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 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm Jupiter will be 17.2° above the southwest horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Saturday Jan 16, 2010 at 3:54am (The Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes) GRS longitude: 141.6 Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): none tonight Saturn data: Rise: 10:57pm Transit: 5:03am - Jan 16 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:09am - Jan 16 Constellation: Virgo Phase: 99.76% illuminated Distance: 9.08165858 AU = 1,358,596,786 km = 844,192,915 miles = 1.26 light-hours Magnitude: 0.8 Apparent size: 18.30 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 111.05° (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 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm Saturn will be 44.6° below the north-northeast horizon Uranus data: Rise: 10:28am Transit: 4:22pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 10:16pm Constellation: Pisces Phase: 99.96% illuminated Distance: 20.60306675 AU = 3,082,174,915 km = 1,915,174,726 miles = 2.86 light-hours Magnitude: 5.9 Apparent size: 3.42 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 57.84° (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 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm Uranus will be 37.3° above the south-southwest horizon Neptune data: Rise: 9:18am Transit: 2:35pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 7:51pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 30.87769108 AU = 4,619,236,837 km = 2,870,260,736 miles = 4.29 light-hours Magnitude: 8.0 Apparent size: 2.21 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 29.35° (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 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm Neptune will be 13.5° above the southwest horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rise: 6:03am Transit: 11:01am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:00pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 100.00% illuminated Distance: 32.67770697 AU = 4,888,515,382 km = 3,037,582,669 miles = 4.54 light-hours Magnitude: 14.3 Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 22.43° (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 1/15/2010 at 6:26:09pm Pluto will be 27.9° 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