We will not be doing Astronomical Observing from Fishcreek Observing Site on Friday 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm (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: 6:07pm Civil twilight ends: 6:33pm Nautical twilight ends: 7:05pm Astronomical twilight ends: 7:37pm Moon Phase: 29.17% illuminated (waxing crescent) rising at 9:15am - 5d 21h 7m 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 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm (nautical twilight). Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com ALL: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Aqr 07:11 18:07 Mercury -0.3 Cap 06:35 16:34 Venus -3.9 Aqr 07:43 18:51 Mars -0.9 Cnc 15:13 06:25 Jupiter -2.0 Aqr 07:34 18:37 Saturn 0.6 Vir 20:33 08:50 Uranus 5.9 Psc 08:14 20:06 Neptune 8.0 Cap 07:04 17:40 Pluto 14.2 Sgr 03:49 13:47 Moon -9.1 Ari 09:15 00:01 ABOVE HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Mars -0.9 Cnc 15:13 06:25 Uranus 5.9 Psc 08:14 20:06 Moon -9.1 Ari 09:15 00:01 BELOW HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Aqr 07:11 18:07 Mercury -0.3 Cap 06:35 16:34 Venus -3.9 Aqr 07:43 18:51 Jupiter -2.0 Aqr 07:34 18:37 Saturn 0.6 Vir 20:33 08:50 Neptune 8.0 Cap 07:04 17:40 Pluto 14.2 Sgr 03:49 13:47 Sun data: Rise: 7:11am Transit: 12:39pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:07pm Constellation: Aquarius Distance: .988712 AU = 147,909,210 km = 91,906,523 miles = 8.24 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 32.35 arcminutes in angular diameter Civil twilight ends at: 6:33pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon ) Nautical twilight ends at: 7:05pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon ) Astronomical twilight ends at: 7:37pm ( 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 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm the Sun will be 12° below the west-southwest horizon Moon data: Rise: 9:15am Transit: 4:33pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 0:01am - Feb 20 Constellation: Aries Phase: 29.17% illuminated (waxing crescent) Distance: 0.00258193 AU = 386,251 km = 240,005 miles = 1.29 light-seconds Magnitude: -9.1 Apparent size: 30.93 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 65.24° (evening sky) Age: 5d 21h 7m since last New Moon Prior Phase: New Moon on Saturday Feb 13, 2010 at 9:51pm Next Phase: First Quarter on Sunday Feb 21, 2010 at 7:42pm Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT On 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm the Moon will be 50.8° above the southwest horizon Mercury data: Rise: 6:35am Transit: 11:35am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:34pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 88.92% illuminated Distance: 1.30412966 AU = 195,095,020 km = 121,226,427 miles = 10.86 light-minutes Magnitude: -0.3 Apparent size: 5.16 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 17.01° (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Thursday, April 8, 2010 (19° 21' 01") Morning: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 (25° 07' 48") On 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm Mercury will be 28.5° below the west horizon Venus data: Rise: 7:43am Transit: 1:16pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:51pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 98.72% illuminated Distance: 1.68352331 AU = 251,851,503 km = 156,493,271 miles = 14.02 light-minutes Magnitude: -3.9 Apparent size: 9.91 arcseconds in ngular diameter Elongation from Sun: 9.51° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59") Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24") On 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm Venus will be 3.6° below the west-southwest horizon Mars data: Rise: 3:13pm Transit: 10:49pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:25am - Feb 20 Constellation: Cancer Phase: 97.87% illuminated Distance: .72286667 AU = 108,139,314 km = 67,194,655 miles = 6.02 light-minutes Magnitude: -0.9 Apparent size: 12.94 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 151.01° (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 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm Mars will be 40.4° above the east 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: 7:34am Transit: 1:06pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:37pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 5.97307166 AU = 893,558,802 km = 555,231,705 miles = 49.75 light-minutes Magnitude: -2.0 Apparent size: 33.01 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 6.52° (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 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm Jupiter will be 6.2° below the west-southwest horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Friday Feb 19, 2010 at 10:07pm (The Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes) GRS longitude: 142.3 Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): none tonight Saturn data: Rise: 8:33pm Transit: 2:41am - Feb 20 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:50am - Feb 20 Constellation: Virgo Phase: 99.92% illuminated Distance: 8.63971031 AU = 1,292,482,265 km = 803,111,256 miles = 1.2 light-hours Magnitude: 0.6 Apparent size: 19.24 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 147.70° (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 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm Saturn will be 17.6° below the east-northeast horizon Uranus data: Rise: 8:14am Transit: 2:10pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:06pm Constellation: Pisces Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 20.99594026 AU = 3,140,947,956 km = 1,951,694,601 miles = 2.91 light-hours Magnitude: 5.9 Apparent size: 3.36 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 23.93° (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 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm Uranus will be 10.4° above the west-southwest horizon Neptune data: Rise: 7:04am Transit: 12:22pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:40pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 100.00% illuminated Distance: 31.00808979 AU = 4,638,744,206 km = 2,882,382,054 miles = 4.3 light-hours Magnitude: 8.0 Apparent size: 2.20 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 4.90° (morning 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 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm Neptune will be 16.7° below the west-southwest horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rise: 3:49am Transit: 8:48am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 1:47pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 99.98% illuminated Distance: 32.3235485 AU = 4,835,534,029 km = 3,004,661,582 miles = 4.49 light-hours Magnitude: 14.2 Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 56.52° (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 2/19/2010 at 7:04:53pm Pluto will be 58.4° 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