Astronomical Observing from Fishcreek Observing Site - Friday 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm (nautical twilight). Sunset: 8:59pm Civil twilight ends: 9:29pm Nautical twilight ends: 10:10pm Astronomical twilight ends: 10:57pm Moon Phase: 34.96% illuminated (waxing crescent) Rise: 11:59am Age: 5d 6h 28m since last New Moon Tonight, we have a 34% illuminated crescent Moon setting at 11:40pm. This phase is perfect for viewing detail in the craters on or near the terminator - the line separating lunar night from day, where a wealth of features can be seen. Faint DSOs (Deep Space Objects) will be available after 11:40pm and Saturn will be beautiful with its rings still nearly edge-on and several moons visible. Also, we have Venus showing a gibbous phase, and Mars growing smaller every night. We have the colorful double stars, open clusters made up of hundreds of stars, the globular clusters comprised of hundreds of thousands of stars, planetary nebula formed by dying stars, diffuse nebula and emission nebula where stars are being born. Galaxies will be visible in our telescopes this evening following Moonset. We hope to see you here for a night under the stars - 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: N 41 11' 11.1" Altitude: 337m The following Sun, Moon and planet detail was calculated as it will be on Friday 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm (nautical twilight). Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com ABOVE HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Venus -4.1 Leo 09:42 23:05 Mars 1.4 Leo 11:00 23:37 Saturn 1.1 Vir 11:36 00:02 Pluto 14.2 Sgr 19:02 04:59 Moon -9.4 Vir 11:59 23:40 BELOW HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Gem 06:03 20:59 Mercury -0.4 Cnc 07:35 22:05 Jupiter -2.6 Psc 23:54 12:04 Uranus 5.8 Psc 23:45 11:51 Neptune 7.8 Aqr 22:27 09:07 Sun data: Rise: 6:03am Transit: 1:31pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:59pm Constellation: Gemini Distance: 1.01637748 AU = 152,047,907 km = 94,478,190 miles = 8.47 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 31.47 arcminutes in angular diameter Civil twilight ends at: 9:29pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon ) Nautical twilight ends at: 10:10pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon ) Astronomical twilight ends at: 10:57pm ( When the Sun is 18° below the horizon ) Summer began at the Summer Solstice which occurred on Monday Jun 21, 2010 at 7:29am Fall begins at the Autumnal Equinox which will occur on Wednesday Sep 22, 2010 at 11:10pm 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 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm the Sun will be 12° below the west-northwest horizon Moon data: Rise: 11:59am Transit: 5:55pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:40pm Constellation: Virgo Phase: 34.96% illuminated (waxing crescent) Distance: 0.00246086 AU = 368,139 km = 228,751 miles = 1.23 light-seconds Magnitude: -9.4 Apparent size: 32.45 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 72.36° (evening sky) Age: 5d 6h 28m since last New Moon Prior Phase: New Moon on Sunday Jul 11, 2010 at 3:40pm Next Phase: First Quarter on Sunday Jul 18, 2010 at 6:11am Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT On 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm the Moon will be 14.6° above the southwest horizon Mercury data: Rise: 7:35am Transit: 2:51pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 10:05pm Constellation: Cancer Phase: 77.96% illuminated Distance: 1.18475005 AU = 177,236,085 km = 110,129,399 miles = 9.87 light-minutes Magnitude: -0.4 Apparent size: 5.68 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 19.10° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Saturday, August 7, 2010 (27° 22' 00") Morning: Sunday, September 19, 2010 (17° 52' 13") On 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm Mercury will be 1.9° below the west-northwest horizon Venus data: Rise: 9:42am Transit: 4:24pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:05pm Constellation: Leo Phase: 64.55% illuminated Distance: .95449837 AU = 142,790,924 km = 88,726,168 miles = 7.95 light-minutes Magnitude: -4.1 Apparent size: 17.48 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 42.96° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59") Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24") On 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm Venus will be 9.2° above the west horizon Mars data: Rise: 11:00am Transit: 5:19pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:37pm Constellation: Leo Phase: 92.27% illuminated Distance: 1.90259525 AU = 284,624,198 km = 176,857,279 miles = 15.85 light-minutes Magnitude: 1.4 Apparent size: 4.92 arcseconds inangular diameter Elongation from Sun: 57.83° (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 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm Mars will be 15.4° above the west-southwest 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/community/skyblog/observingblog/8708182.html http://www.snopes.com/science/astronomy/brightmars.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: 11:54pm Transit: 5:59am - Jul 17 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 12:04pm - Jul 17 Constellation: Pisces Phase: 99.08% illuminated Distance: 4.50860625 AU = 674,477,895 km = 419,101,139 miles = 37.55 light-minutes Magnitude: -2.6 Apparent size: 43.73 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 111.09° (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 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm Jupiter will be 20.5° below the east-northeast horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Saturday Jul 17, 2010 at 6:04am (The Red Spot transits about every 9 hours 56 minutes) GRS longitude: 145.2 Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): None Saturn data: Rise: 11:36am Transit: 5:49pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 0:02am - Jul 17 Constellation: Virgo Phase: 99.77% illuminated Distance: 9.91535371 AU = 1,483,315,802 km = 921,689,720 miles = 1.38 light-hours Magnitude: 1.1 Apparent size: 16.76 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 65.25° (evening sky) Dates of Opposition (when Saturn is closest to Earth) Previous: Sunday Mar 21, 2010 at 8:28pm Next: Sunday Apr 3, 2011 at 7:48pm On 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm Saturn will be 19.9° above the west-southwest horizon Uranus data: Rise: 11:45pm Transit: 5:48am - Jul 17 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:51am - Jul 17 Constellation: Pisces Phase: 99.95% illuminated Distance: 19.66045842 AU = 2,941,162,716 km = 1,827,553,806 miles = 2.73 light-hours Magnitude: 5.8 Apparent size: 3.58 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 113.89° (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 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm Uranus will be 18.9° below the east-northeast horizon Neptune data: Rise: 10:27pm Transit: 3:47am - Jul 17 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 9:07am - Jul 17 Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 29.1683767 AU = 4,363,527,046 km = 2,711,370,037 miles = 4.05 light-hours Magnitude: 7.8 Apparent size: 2.34 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 146.26° (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 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm Neptune will be 4.3° below the east horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rise: 7:02pm Transit: 0:01am - Jul 17 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:59am - Jul 17 Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 100.00% illuminated Distance: 30.91780946 AU = 4,625,238,462 km = 2,873,989,973 miles = 4.29 light-hours Magnitude: 14.2 Apparent size: 0.11 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 158.56° (evening sky) Dates of Opposition (when Pluto is closest to Earth) Previous: Friday Jun 25, 2010 at 2:59pm Next: Tuesday Jun 28, 2011 at 1:23am On 7/16/2010 at 10:09:53pm Pluto will be 25.1° above the southeast 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