We will not be doing Astronomical Observing from Fishcreek Observing Site on Friday 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm (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: 7:39pm Civil twilight ends: 8:04pm Nautical twilight ends: 8:36pm Astronomical twilight ends: 9:09pm Moon Phase: 16.09% illuminated (waxing crescent) rising at 8:50am - 4d 3h 36m 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 EDT (Eastern Daylight Time (UT-4)) 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 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm (nautical twilight). Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com ALL: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Psc 07:27 19:39 Mercury -1.7 Psc 07:44 20:04 Venus -3.9 Psc 08:10 20:59 Mars -0.1 Cnc 14:16 05:24 Jupiter -2.0 Aqr 07:00 18:21 Saturn 0.5 Vir 19:33 07:55 Uranus 5.9 Psc 07:27 19:24 Neptune 8.0 Cap 06:16 16:55 Pluto 14.2 Sgr 02:57 12:55 Moon -8.1 Ari 08:50 23:59 ABOVE HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Venus -3.9 Psc 08:10 20:59 Mars -0.1 Cnc 14:16 05:24 Saturn 0.5 Vir 19:33 07:55 Moon -8.1 Ari 08:50 23:59 BELOW HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Psc 07:27 19:39 Mercury -1.7 Psc 07:44 20:04 Jupiter -2.0 Aqr 07:00 18:21 Uranus 5.9 Psc 07:27 19:24 Neptune 8.0 Cap 06:16 16:55 Pluto 14.2 Sgr 02:57 12:55 Sun data: Rise: 7:27am Transit: 1:33pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 7:39pm Constellation: Pisces Distance: .99576282 AU = 148,963,997 km = 92,561,938 miles = 8.29 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 32.12 arcminutes in angular diameter Civil twilight ends at: 8:04pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon ) Nautical twilight ends at: 8:36pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon ) Astronomical twilight ends at: 9:09pm ( 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 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm the Sun will be 12° below the west horizon Moon data: Rise: 8:50am Transit: 4:20pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:59pm Constellation: Aries Phase: 16.09% illuminated (waxing crescent) Distance: 0.00257498 AU = 385,212 km = 239,360 miles = 1.29 light-seconds Magnitude: -8.1 Apparent size: 31.01 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 47.18° (evening sky) Age: 4d 3h 36m since last New Moon Prior Phase: New Moon on Monday Mar 15, 2010 at 5:01pm Next Phase: First Quarter on Tuesday Mar 23, 2010 at 7:00am Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT On 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm the Moon will be 33.9° above the west-southwest horizon Mercury data: Rise: 7:44am Transit: 1:53pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:04pm Constellation: Pisces Phase: 97.94% illuminated Distance: 1.31063948 AU = 196,068,876 km = 121,831,553 miles = 10.92 light-minutes Magnitude: -1.7 Apparent size: 5.13 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 5.46° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Thursday, April 8, 2010 (19° 21' 01") Morning: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 (25° 07' 48") On 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm Mercury will be 7.1° below the west horizon Venus data: Rise: 8:10am Transit: 2:34pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:59pm Constellation: Pisces Phase: 96.14% illuminated Distance: 1.62368711 AU = 242,900,134 km = 150,931,148 miles = 13.52 light-minutes Magnitude: -3.9 Apparent size: 10.28 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 16.26° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59") Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24") On 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm Venus will be 3.1° above the west horizon Mars data: Rise: 2:16pm Transit: 9:50pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:24am - Mar 20 Constellation: Cancer Phase: 93.01% illuminated Distance: .91289917 AU = 136,567,772 km = 84,859,280 miles = 7.6 light-minutes Magnitude: -0.1 Apparent size: 10.25 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 121.44° (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 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm Mars will be 66.2° above the east-southeast 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: 7:00am Transit: 12:41pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:21pm Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.93% illuminated Distance: 5.94194574 AU = 888,902,431 km = 552,338,370 miles = 49.49 light-minutes Magnitude: -2.0 Apparent size: 33.18 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 14.89° (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 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm Jupiter will be 26.3° below the west horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Saturday Mar 20, 2010 at 2:25am (The Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes) GRS longitude: 142.9 Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): none visible Saturn data: Rise: 7:33pm Transit: 1:44am - Mar 20 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 7:55am - Mar 20 Constellation: Virgo Phase: 100.00% illuminated Distance: 8.50435873 AU = 1,272,233,957 km = 790,529,541 miles = 1.18 light-hours Magnitude: 0.5 Apparent size: 19.54 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 176.66° (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 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm Saturn will be 10.8° above the east horizon Uranus data: Rise: 7:27am Transit: 1:26pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 7:24pm Constellation: Pisces Phase: 100.00% illuminated Distance: 21.09041934 AU = 3,155,081,825 km = 1,960,476,980 miles = 2.93 light-hours Magnitude: 5.9 Apparent size: 3.34 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 2.67° (morning 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 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm Uranus will be 14.7° below the west horizon Neptune data: Rise: 6:16am Transit: 11:36am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:55pm Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 30.8627618 AU = 4,617,003,448 km = 2,868,872,973 miles = 4.28 light-hours Magnitude: 8.0 Apparent size: 2.21 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 31.93° (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 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm Neptune will be 41.9° below the west-northwest horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rise: 2:57am - Mar 20 Transit: 7:56am - Mar 20 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 12:55pm - Mar 20 Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 99.98% illuminated Distance: 31.89227747 AU = 4,771,016,801 km = 2,964,572,435 miles = 4.43 light-hours Magnitude: 14.2 Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 83.99° (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 3/19/2010 at 8:36:25pm Pluto will be 65.6° below the north 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