We will not be doing Astronomical Observing from Fishcreek Observing Site on Friday 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm (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: 6:24pm Civil twilight ends: 6:49pm Nautical twilight ends: 7:21pm Astronomical twilight ends: 7:53pm Moon Phase: 66.17% illuminated (waning gibbous) rising at 0:41am on Mar 6 - 19d 21h 35m 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' 38.3" Latitude: N41 11' 11.1" Altitude: 337m The following Sun, Moon and planet detail was calculated as it will be on Friday 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm (nautical twilight). Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com ALL: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Aqr 06:50 18:24 Mercury -1.0 Aqr 06:43 17:40 Venus -3.9 Psc 07:27 19:25 Mars -0.5 Cnc 14:08 05:21 Jupiter -2.0 Aqr 06:47 17:59 Saturn 0.6 Vir 19:33 07:53 Uranus 5.9 Psc 07:21 19:15 Neptune 8.0 Cap 06:10 16:48 Pluto 14.2 Sgr 02:55 12:53 Moon -10.8 Lib 00:41 10:02 ABOVE HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Mars -0.5 Cnc 14:08 05:21 BELOW HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Aqr 06:50 18:24 Mercury -1.0 Aqr 06:43 17:40 Venus -3.9 Psc 07:27 19:25 Jupiter -2.0 Aqr 06:47 17:59 Saturn 0.6 Vir 19:33 07:53 Uranus 5.9 Psc 07:21 19:15 Neptune 8.0 Cap 06:10 16:48 Pluto 14.2 Sgr 02:55 12:53 Moon -10.8 Lib 00:41 10:02 Sun data: Rise: 6:50am Transit: 12:37pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:24pm Constellation: Aquarius Distance: .99198024 AU = 148,398,131 km = 92,210,325 miles = 8.26 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 32.25 arcminutes in angular diameter Civil twilight ends at: 6:49pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon ) Nautical twilight ends at: 7:21pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon ) Astronomical twilight ends at: 7:53pm ( 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 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm the Sun will be 12° below the west horizon Moon data: Rise: 0:41am - Mar 6 Transit: 5:23am - Mar 6 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 10:02am - Mar 6 Constellation: Libra Phase: 66.17% illuminated (waning gibbous) Distance: 0.00260706 AU = 390,010 km = 242,341 miles = 1.3 light-seconds Magnitude: -10.8 Apparent size: 30.63 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 108.73° (morning sky) Age: 19d 21h 35m since last New Moon Prior Phase: Full Moon on Sunday Feb 28, 2010 at 11:38am Next Phase: Last Quarter on Sunday Mar 7, 2010 at 10:42am Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT On 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm the Moon will be 56.5° below the east-northeast horizon Mercury data: Rise: 6:43am Transit: 12:11pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:40pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 97.26% illuminated Distance: 1.37109752 AU = 205,113,270 km = 127,451,479 miles = 11.42 light-minutes Magnitude: -1.0 Apparent size: 4.91 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 7.77° (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Thursday, April 8, 2010 (19° 21' 01") Morning: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 (25° 07' 48") On 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm Mercury will be 19.8° below the west horizon Venus data: Rise: 7:27am Transit: 1:26pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 7:25pm Constellation: Pisces Phase: 97.62% illuminated Distance: 1.65804103 AU = 248,039,407 km = 154,124,544 miles = 13.81 light-minutes Magnitude: -3.9 Apparent size: 10.06 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 12.87° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59") Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24") On 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm Venus will be 0.2° below the west-southwest horizon Mars data: Rise: 2:08pm Transit: 9:44pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:21am - Mar 6 Constellation: Cancer Phase: 95.33% illuminated Distance: .80632885 AU = 120,625,079 km = 74,952,950 miles = 6.72 light-minutes Magnitude: -0.5 Apparent size: 11.60 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 134.98° (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 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm Mars will be 55.2° 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: 6:47am Transit: 12:23pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:59pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 5.97763038 AU = 894,240,776 km = 555,655,464 miles = 49.79 light-minutes Magnitude: -2.0 Apparent size: 32.98 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 4.34° (morning 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 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm Jupiter will be 16.3° below the west horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Friday Mar 05, 2010 at 11:47pm (The Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes) GRS longitude: 142.6 Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): none visible Saturn data: Rise: 7:33pm Transit: 1:43am - Mar 6 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 7:53am - Mar 6 Constellation: Virgo Phase: 99.98% illuminated Distance: 8.54304362 AU = 1,278,021,135 km = 794,125,526 miles = 1.19 light-hours Magnitude: 0.6 Apparent size: 19.45 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 162.62° (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 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm Saturn will be 3.6° below the east-northeast horizon Uranus data: Rise: 7:21am Transit: 1:18pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 7:15pm Constellation: Pisces Phase: 100.00% illuminated Distance: 21.07009927 AU = 3,152,041,986 km = 1,958,588,111 miles = 2.93 light-hours Magnitude: 5.9 Apparent size: 3.35 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 10.64° (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 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm Uranus will be 2.1° below the west-southwest horizon Neptune data: Rise: 6:10am Transit: 11:29am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:48pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 100.00% illuminated Distance: 30.96210254 AU = 4,631,864,612 km = 2,878,107,272 miles = 4.3 light-hours Magnitude: 8.0 Apparent size: 2.21 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 18.45° (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 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm Neptune will be 29.6° below the west horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rise: 2:55am Transit: 7:54am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 12:53pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 99.98% illuminated Distance: 32.1176476 AU = 4,804,731,692 km = 2,985,521,897 miles = 4.46 light-hours Magnitude: 14.2 Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 70.25° (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 3/5/2010 at 7:20:44pm Pluto will be 66.1° below the north-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