Astronomical Observing from Fishcreek Observing Site - Friday 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm (nautical twilight). Sunset: 8:54pm Civil twilight ends: 9:23pm Nautical twilight ends: 10:03pm Astronomical twilight ends: 10:48pm Moon Phase: 96.41% illuminated (waxing gibbous) Rise: 7:19pm Age: 12d 6h 28m since last New Moon Tonight, we have a very bright full Moon with us the entire night. While this phase isn't the best for viewing detail in the craters on or near the terminator - the line separating lunar night from day, a wealth of features can still be seen. Faint DSOs (Deep Space Objects) are probably not going to be visible due to the Moon, but 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. Additionally, we'll have the opportunity to view Mercury, a fairly rare event. 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 probably won't be visible this evening due to the brightness of the full Moon. 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: N41 11' 11.1" Altitude: 337m The following Sun, Moon and planet detail was calculated as it will be on Friday 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm (nautical twilight). Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com ABOVE HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Mercury -0.1 Leo 08:08 22:04 Venus -4.1 Leo 09:55 22:54 Mars 1.5 Vir 10:54 23:19 Saturn 1.1 Vir 11:11 23:35 Pluto 14.2 Sgr 18:34 04:31 Moon -12.1 Sgr 19:19 04:48 BELOW HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Cnc 06:09 20:54 Jupiter -2.6 Psc 23:27 11:37 Uranus 5.8 Psc 23:17 11:23 Neptune 7.8 Aqr 21:59 08:39 Sun data: Rise: 6:09am Transit: 1:32pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:54pm Constellation: Cancer Distance: 1.01583104 AU = 151,966,160 km = 94,427,395 miles = 8.46 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 31.49 arcminutes in angular diameter Civil twilight ends at: 9:23pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon ) Nautical twilight ends at: 10:03pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon ) Astronomical twilight ends at: 10:48pm ( 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 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm the Sun will be 12° below the west-northwest horizon Moon data: Rise: 7:19pm Transit: 0:02am - Jul 24 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:48am - Jul 24 Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 96.41% illuminated (waxing gibbous) Distance: 0.00264531 AU = 395,732 km = 245,896 miles = 1.32 light-seconds Magnitude: -12.1 Apparent size: 30.19 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 158.09° (evening sky) Age: 12d 6h 28m since last New Moon Prior Phase: First Quarter on Sunday Jul 18, 2010 at 6:11am Next Phase: Full Moon on Sunday Jul 25, 2010 at 9:37pm Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT On 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm the Moon will be 19.2° above the southeast horizon Mercury data: Rise: 8:08am Transit: 3:07pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 10:04pm Constellation: Leo Phase: 68.11% illuminated Distance: 1.08900044 AU = 162,912,147 km = 101,228,916 miles = 9.07 light-minutes Magnitude: -0.1 Apparent size: 6.18 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 23.50° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Saturday, August 7, 2010 (27° 22' 00") Morning: Sunday, September 19, 2010 (17° 52' 13") On 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm Mercury will be 0.9° below the west horizon Venus data: Rise: 9:55am Transit: 4:25pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 10:54pm Constellation: Leo Phase: 61.61% illuminated Distance: .89960828 AU = 134,579,483 km = 83,623,815 miles = 7.49 light-minutes Magnitude: -4.1 Apparent size: 18.55 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 43.96° (evening sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59") Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24") On 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm Venus will be 8.5° above the west horizon Mars data: Rise: 10:54am Transit: 5:07pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:19pm Constellation: Virgo Phase: 92.68% illuminated Distance: 1.94661253 AU = 291,209,089 km = 180,948,941 miles = 16.21 light-minutes Magnitude: 1.5 Apparent size: 4.81 arcseconds inangular diameter Elongation from Sun: 55.33° (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 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm Mars will be 13.3° 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: 11:27pm Transit: 5:32am - Jul 24 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:37am - Jul 24 Constellation: Pisces Phase: 99.17% illuminated Distance: 4.41044006 AU = 659,792,442 km = 409,976,021 miles = 36.74 light-minutes Magnitude: -2.6 Apparent size: 44.70 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 117.70° (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 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm Jupiter will be 16.8° below the east-northeast horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Saturday Jul 24, 2010 at 6:50am (The Red Spot transits about every 9 hours 56 minutes) GRS longitude: 145.3 Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): Io occultation ends on Saturday Jul 24, 2010 at 1:16am when Jupiter is 19.1° above the horizon Saturn data: Rise: 11:11am Transit: 5:23pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:35pm Constellation: Virgo Phase: 99.79% illuminated Distance: 10.01808654 AU = 1,498,684,415 km = 931,239,333 miles = 1.39 light-hours Magnitude: 1.1 Apparent size: 16.59 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 59.12° (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 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm Saturn will be 16.3° above the west-southwest horizon Uranus data: Rise: 11:17pm Transit: 5:20am - Jul 24 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 11:23am - Jul 24 Constellation: Pisces Phase: 99.95% illuminated Distance: 19.55658098 AU = 2,925,622,873 km = 1,817,897,795 miles = 2.71 light-hours Magnitude: 5.8 Apparent size: 3.60 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 120.65° (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 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm Uranus will be 15.1° below the east-northeast horizon Neptune data: Rise: 9:59pm Transit: 3:19am - Jul 24 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 8:39am - Jul 24 Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 29.10929797 AU = 4,354,688,993 km = 2,705,878,325 miles = 4.04 light-hours Magnitude: 7.8 Apparent size: 2.35 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 153.10° (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 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm Neptune will be 0.5° below the east horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rise: 6:34pm Transit: 11:33pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:31am - Jul 24 Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 99.99% illuminated Distance: 30.9701433 AU = 4,633,067,493 km = 2,878,854,708 miles = 4.3 light-hours Magnitude: 14.2 Apparent size: 0.11 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 151.89° (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 7/23/2010 at 10:02:50pm Pluto will be 26.9° 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