We will not be doing Astronomical Observing from Fishcreek Observing Site on Friday 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm (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: 5:59pm Civil twilight ends: 6:25pm Nautical twilight ends: 6:57pm Astronomical twilight ends: 7:29pm Moon Phase: 1.28% illuminated (waning crescent) rising at 6:29am - 28d 16h 47m 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 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm (nautical twilight). Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com ALL: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Cap 07:21 17:59 Mercury -0.2 Cap 06:28 16:09 Venus -3.9 Aqr 07:49 18:34 Mars -1.0 Cnc 15:50 06:59 Jupiter -2.0 Aqr 07:58 18:56 Saturn 0.7 Vir 21:03 09:18 Uranus 5.9 Psc 08:41 20:32 Neptune 8.0 Cap 07:30 18:06 Pluto 14.3 Sgr 04:16 14:13 Moon -4.6 Cap 06:29 16:52 ABOVE HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Mars -1.0 Cnc 15:50 06:59 Uranus 5.9 Psc 08:41 20:32 BELOW HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Cap 07:21 17:59 Mercury -0.2 Cap 06:28 16:09 Venus -3.9 Aqr 07:49 18:34 Jupiter -2.0 Aqr 07:58 18:56 Saturn 0.7 Vir 21:03 09:18 Neptune 8.0 Cap 07:30 18:06 Pluto 14.3 Sgr 04:16 14:13 Moon -4.6 Cap 06:29 16:52 Sun data: Rise: 7:21am Transit: 12:39pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:59pm Constellation: Capricornus Distance: .98732203 AU = 147,701,273 km = 91,777,317 miles = 8.22 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 32.40 arcminutes in angular diameter Civil twilight ends at: 6:25pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon ) Nautical twilight ends at: 6:57pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon ) Astronomical twilight ends at: 7:29pm ( 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 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm the Sun will be 12° below the west-southwest horizon Moon data: Rise: 6:29am Transit: 11:37am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:52pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 1.28% illuminated (waning crescent) Distance: 0.0027341 AU = 409,016 km = 254,151 miles = 1.37 light-seconds Magnitude: -4.6 Apparent size: 29.21 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 12.96° (morning sky) Age: 28d 16h 47m 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 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm the Moon will be 23.4° below the west-southwest horizon Mercury data: Rise: 6:28am Transit: 11:18am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:09pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 83.67% illuminated Distance: 1.23934253 AU = 185,403,003 km = 115,204,086 miles = 10.32 light-minutes Magnitude: -0.2 Apparent size: 5.43 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 20.45° (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Thursday, April 8, 2010 (19° 21' 01") Morning: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 (25° 07' 48") On 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm Mercury will be 31.4° below the west-southwest horizon Venus data: Rise: 7:49am Transit: 1:11pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:34pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.14% illuminated Distance: 1.69307487 AU = 253,280,396 km = 157,381,144 miles = 14.1 light-minutes Magnitude: -3.9 Apparent size: 9.86 arcseconds in ngular diameter Elongation from Sun: 7.84° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59") Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24") On 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm Venus will be 5.3° below the west-southwest horizon Mars data: Rise: 3:50pm Transit: 11:25pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:59am - Feb 13 Constellation: Cancer Phase: 98.94% illuminated Distance: .69322786 AU = 103,705,412 km = 64,439,556 miles = 5.77 light-minutes Magnitude: -1.0 Apparent size: 13.50 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 159.88° (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 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm Mars will be 31.9° 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: 7:58am Transit: 1:27pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:56pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.96% illuminated Distance: 5.95555604 AU = 890,938,502 km = 553,603,526 miles = 49.61 light-minutes Magnitude: -2.0 Apparent size: 33.10 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 11.89° (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 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm Jupiter will be 1.2° below the west-southwest horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Friday Feb 12, 2010 at 9:18pm (The Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes) GRS longitude: 142.2 Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): None tonight Saturn data: Rise: 9:03pm Transit: 3:10am - Feb 13 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 9:18am - Feb 13 Constellation: Virgo Phase: 99.89% illuminated Distance: 8.70783759 AU = 1,302,673,962 km = 809,444,083 miles = 1.21 light-hours Magnitude: 0.7 Apparent size: 19.09 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 140.26° (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 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm Saturn will be 24.2° below the northeast horizon Uranus data: Rise: 8:41am Transit: 2:36pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:32pm Constellation: Pisces Phase: 99.98% illuminated Distance: 20.93953384 AU = 3,132,509,675 km = 1,946,451,296 miles = 2.91 light-hours Magnitude: 5.9 Apparent size: 3.37 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 30.64° (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 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm Uranus will be 16.5° above the west-southwest horizon Neptune data: Rise: 7:30am Transit: 12:48pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:06pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 100.00% illuminated Distance: 31.01003366 AU = 4,639,035,005 km = 2,882,562,748 miles = 4.3 light-hours Magnitude: 8.0 Apparent size: 2.20 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 1.97° (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 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm Neptune will be 10.3° below the west-southwest horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rise: 4:16am Transit: 9:15am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 2:13pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 32.41539051 AU = 4,849,273,398 km = 3,013,198,830 miles = 4.5 light-hours Magnitude: 14.3 Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 49.66° (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 2/12/2010 at 6:56:58pm Pluto will be 52.9° below the west-northwest 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