We will not be doing Astronomical Observing from Fishcreek Observing Site on Friday 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm (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: 5:50pm Civil twilight ends: 6:16pm Nautical twilight ends: 6:49pm Astronomical twilight ends: 7:21pm Moon Phase: 49.96% illuminated (waning crescent) rising at 1:50am on Feb 6 - 21d 16h 33m 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 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm (nautical twilight). Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com ALL: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Cap 07:29 17:50 Mercury -0.1 Sgr 06:19 15:50 Venus -3.9 Cap 07:53 18:16 Mars -1.2 Cnc 16:30 07:35 Jupiter -2.0 Aqr 08:21 19:15 Saturn 0.7 Vir 21:32 09:46 Uranus 5.9 Psc 09:07 20:58 Neptune 8.0 Cap 07:57 18:33 Pluto 14.3 Sgr 04:43 14:40 Moon -10.1 Lib 01:50 11:22 ABOVE HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Mars -1.2 Cnc 16:30 07:35 Jupiter -2.0 Aqr 08:21 19:15 Uranus 5.9 Psc 09:07 20:58 BELOW HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Cap 07:29 17:50 Mercury -0.1 Sgr 06:19 15:50 Venus -3.9 Cap 07:53 18:16 Saturn 0.7 Vir 21:32 09:46 Neptune 8.0 Cap 07:57 18:33 Pluto 14.3 Sgr 04:43 14:40 Moon -10.1 Lib 01:50 11:22 Sun data: Rise: 7:29am Transit: 12:39pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:50pm Constellation: Capricornus Distance: .98606827 AU = 147,513,713 km = 91,660,773 miles = 8.21 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 32.44 arcminutes in angular diameter Civil twilight ends at: 6:16pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon ) Nautical twilight ends at: 6:49pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon ) Astronomical twilight ends at: 7:21pm ( 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 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm the Sun will be 12° below the west-southwest horizon Moon data: Rise: 1:50am - Feb 6 Transit: 6:39am - Feb 6 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:22am - Feb 6 Constellation: Libra Phase: 49.96% illuminated (waning crescent) Distance: 0.00262182 AU = 392,219 km = 243,714 miles = 1.31 light-seconds Magnitude: -10.1 Apparent size: 30.46 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 89.81° (morning sky) Age: 21d 16h 33m since last New Moon Prior Phase: Last Quarter on Friday Feb 5, 2010 at 6:49pm Next Phase: New Moon on Saturday Feb 13, 2010 at 9:51pm Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT On 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm the Moon will be 69.3° below the north-northeast horizon Mercury data: Rise: 6:19am Transit: 11:04am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 3:50pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 76.98% illuminated Distance: 1.15483927 AU = 172,761,496 km = 107,349,018 miles = 9.62 light-minutes Magnitude: -0.1 Apparent size: 5.82 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 23.07° (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Thursday, April 8, 2010 (19° 21' 01") Morning: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 (25° 07' 48") On 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm Mercury will be 33.3° below the west-southwest horizon Venus data: Rise: 7:53am Transit: 1:05pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:16pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 99.47% illuminated Distance: 1.70053371 AU = 254,396,222 km = 158,074,486 miles = 14.16 light-minutes Magnitude: -3.9 Apparent size: 9.81 arcseconds in ngular diameter Elongation from Sun: 6.18° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59") Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24") On 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm Venus will be 6.9° below the west-southwest horizon Mars data: Rise: 4:30pm Transit: 0:02am - Feb 6 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 7:35am - Feb 6 Constellation: Cancer Phase: 99.67% illuminated Distance: .67348927 AU = 100,752,560 km = 62,604,739 miles = 5.61 light-minutes Magnitude: -1.2 Apparent size: 13.89 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 168.96° (evening sky) Dates of Opposition (when Mars is closest to Earth) Previous: Friday Jan 29, 2010 at 2:21pm. Distance: 99,400,435 km. Size: 14.08 arcseconds. Next: Saturday Mar 3, 2012 at 3:52pm. Distance: 100,839,728 km. Size: 13.88 arcseconds. On 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm Mars will be 23° above the east-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: 8:21am Transit: 1:48pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 7:15pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.91% illuminated Distance: 5.92791984 AU = 886,804,185 km = 551,034,581 miles = 49.38 light-minutes Magnitude: -2.0 Apparent size: 33.26 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 17.30° (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 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm Jupiter will be 3.7° above the west-southwest horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Friday Feb 05, 2010 at 8:28pm (The Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes) GRS longitude: 142.0 Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): none tonight Saturn data: Rise: 9:32pm Transit: 3:39am - Feb 6 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 9:46am - Feb 6 Constellation: Virgo Phase: 99.85% illuminated Distance: 8.78762089 AU = 1,314,609,373 km = 816,860,404 miles = 1.22 light-hours Magnitude: 0.7 Apparent size: 18.91 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 132.86° (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 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm Saturn will be 30.4° below the northeast horizon Uranus data: Rise: 9:07am Transit: 3:03pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:58pm Constellation: Pisces Phase: 99.98% illuminated Distance: 20.8710576 AU = 3,122,265,776 km = 1,940,086,032 miles = 2.9 light-hours Magnitude: 5.9 Apparent size: 3.38 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 37.38° (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 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm Uranus will be 22.3° above the southwest horizon Neptune data: Rise: 7:57am Transit: 1:15pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:33pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 100.00% illuminated Distance: 30.99769784 AU = 4,637,189,593 km = 2,881,416,062 miles = 4.3 light-hours Magnitude: 8.0 Apparent size: 2.20 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 8.76° (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 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm Neptune will be 4° below the west-southwest horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rise: 4:43am Transit: 9:42am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 2:40pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 32.49786014 AU = 4,861,610,678 km = 3,020,864,861 miles = 4.51 light-hours Magnitude: 14.3 Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 42.81° (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 2/5/2010 at 6:49:03pm Pluto will be 46.9° below the west 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