Astronomical Observing from the ACA Observatory
	     Saturday, 4/10/2010 at 8:00:00pm

        Planet Parade: View Mercury, Venus, Mars, & Saturn!

                                            PLUS...
                        Messier Marathon Night

                    Sunset: 8:03pm
       Civil twilight ends: 8:29pm
    Nautical twilight ends: 9:03pm
Astronomical twilight ends: 9:38pm

Moon Phase: 11.83% illuminated (waning crescent) will be 9.33% illuminated when it next rises
      Rise: 4:49am on Saturday 4/10/2010 and at 5:12am on Sunday 4/11/2010
       Age: 26d 4h 4m since last New Moon

All times are shown in EDT (Eastern Daylight Time (UT-4)) as seen from Akron, Ohio
Longitude: W 81 33' 39.0"
 Latitude: N40 58' 11.3"
 Altitude: 314m

The following Sun, Moon and planet detail was calculated as it will be on Saturday 4/10/2010
    at 9:02:38pm - the time of nautical twilight - when the Sun is 12° below the horizon.

Data source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com

ABOVE HORIZON:
Object       Mag    Const     Rise     Set
Mercury      0.4     Ari     07:27   21:46
Venus       -3.9     Ari     07:48   21:53
Mars         0.4     Cnc     13:17   04:09
Saturn       0.7     Vir     17:59   06:25

BELOW HORIZON:
Object       Mag    Const     Rise     Set
Sun        -26.7     Psc     06:52   20:03
Jupiter     -2.1     Aqr     05:46   17:21
Uranus       5.9     Psc     06:04   18:04
Neptune      7.9     Aqr     04:52   15:33
Pluto       14.2     Sgr     01:31   11:30
Moon        -7.6     Aqr     04:49   16:35

Sun data:
            Rise: 6:52am
         Transit: 1:27pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 8:03pm
   Constellation: Pisces
        Distance: 1.00204641 AU = 149,904,010 km = 93,146,035 miles = 8.35 light-minutes
       Magnitude: -26.7
   Apparent size: 31.92 arcminutes in angular diameter
          Civil twilight ends at: 8:29pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon )
       Nautical twilight ends at: 9:03pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon )
   Astronomical twilight ends at: 9:38pm ( When the Sun is 18° below the horizon )

     Spring began at the Vernal Equinox which occurred on Saturday Mar 20, 2010 at 1:33pm
     Summer begins at the Summer Solstice which will occur on Monday Jun 21, 2010 at 7:29am

     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 4/10/2010 at 9:02:38pm the Sun will be 12° below the west horizon

Moon data:
            Rise:  4:49am
         Transit: 10:38am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set:  4:35pm
   Constellation: Aquarius
           Phase: 11.83% illuminated (waning crescent)
        Distance: 0.00272406 AU = 407,514 km = 253,217 miles = 1.36 light-seconds
       Magnitude: -7.6
   Apparent size: 29.31 arcminutes in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 40.14° (morning sky)
             Age: 26d 4h 4m since last New Moon
     Prior Phase: Last Quarter on Tuesday Apr 6, 2010 at 5:37am
      Next Phase: New Moon on Wednesday Apr 14, 2010 at 8:29am
   Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT
   On 4/10/2010 at 9:02:38pm the Moon will be 45.3° below the northwest horizon

The Moon will appear like this when it rises on Sunday morning at 5:12am:


   Note: Computer-generated graphic of the Moon was created to 1/30 scale, compared to planet images, to fit on this page

Mercury data:
            Rise: 7:27am
         Transit: 2:36pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 9:46pm
   Constellation: Aries
           Phase: 32.88% illuminated
        Distance: .82700088 AU = 123,717,570 km = 76,874,535 miles = 6.89 light-minutes
       Magnitude: 0.4
   Apparent size: 8.13 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 19.13° (evening sky)
   Next maximum elongations...
         Morning: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 (25° 07' 48")
         Evening: Saturday, August 7, 2010 (27° 22' 00")
   On 4/10/2010 at 9:02:38pm Mercury will be 6.6° above the west horizon
   and will look like this:

   Note: All computer-generated graphics of planets are created to the same scale, except the Moon & Saturn

Venus data:
            Rise: 7:48am
         Transit: 2:50pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 9:53pm
   Constellation: Aries
           Phase: 92.93% illuminated
        Distance: 1.55025247 AU = 231,914,469 km = 144,104,972 miles = 12.91 light-minutes
       Magnitude: -3.9
   Apparent size: 10.76 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 21.64° (evening sky)
   Next maximum elongations...
         Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59")
         Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24")
   On 4/10/2010 at 9:02:38pm Venus will be 7.9° above the west horizon
   and will look like this:

   Note: All computer-generated graphics of planets are created to the same scale, except the Moon & Saturn

Mars data:
            Rise: 1:17pm
         Transit: 8:43pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 4:09am - Apr 11
   Constellation: Cancer
           Phase: 90.63% illuminated
        Distance: 1.10470404 AU = 165,261,372 km = 102,688,657 miles = 9.2 light-minutes
       Magnitude: 0.4
   Apparent size: 8.47 arcseconds inangular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 104.35° (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.

   No, Mars was *not* "...as big as a Full Moon on August 27!"
   Please click the following links for more information about this annual 'Mars Hoax'
         Sky&Telescope
         Snopes
         Hoax-Slayer
         UniverseToday
   On 4/10/2010 at 9:02:38pm Mars will be 70° above the south horizon
   and will look like this:

   Note: All computer-generated graphics of planets are created to the same scale, except the Moon & Saturn

Jupiter data:
            Rise:  5:46am
         Transit: 11:33am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set:  5:21pm
   Constellation: Aquarius
           Phase: 99.72% illuminated
        Distance: 5.8083693 AU = 868,919,680 km = 539,921,664 miles = 48.38 light-minutes
       Magnitude: -2.1
   Apparent size: 33.94 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 31.53° (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
   Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Sunday Apr 11, 2010 at 0:44am (The Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes)
            GRS longitude: 143.3
   Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): None
   On 4/10/2010 at 9:02:38pm Jupiter will be 40.9° below the west-northwest horizon

Saturn data:
            Rise: 5:59pm
         Transit: 0:12am - Apr 11 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 6:25am - Apr 11
   Constellation: Virgo
           Phase: 99.96% illuminated
        Distance: 8.5654553 AU = 1,281,373,874 km = 796,208,822 miles = 1.19 light-hours
       Magnitude: 0.7
   Apparent size: 19.40 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 158.57° (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 4/10/2010 at 9:02:38pm Saturn will be 32.5° above the east-southeast horizon
   and will appear like this:

   Note: Computer-generated graphic of Saturn was created to 1/3 scale so the moons would fit on this page

Uranus data:
            Rise:  6:04am
         Transit: 12:04pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set:  6:04pm
   Constellation: Pisces
           Phase: 99.99% illuminated
        Distance: 21.01331405 AU = 3,143,547,038 km = 1,953,309,595 miles = 2.92 light-hours
       Magnitude: 5.9
   Apparent size: 3.35 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 23.10° (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 4/10/2010 at 9:02:38pm Uranus will be 33.3° below the west-northwest horizon

Neptune data:
            Rise:  4:52am
         Transit: 10:12am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set:  3:33pm
   Constellation: Aquarius
           Phase: 99.98% illuminated
        Distance: 30.61374115 AU = 4,579,750,489 km = 2,845,725,057 miles = 4.25 light-hours
       Magnitude: 7.9
   Apparent size: 2.23 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 53.02° (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 4/10/2010 at 9:02:38pm Neptune will be 57.9° below the northwest horizon

Pluto data: (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340)
            Rise:  1:31am - Apr 11
         Transit:  6:30am - Apr 11 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 11:30am - Apr 11
   Constellation: Sagittarius
           Phase: 99.98% illuminated
        Distance: 31.53139063 AU = 4,717,028,898 km = 2,931,025,907 miles = 4.38 light-hours
       Magnitude: 14.2
   Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 105.57° (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 4/10/2010 at 9:02:38pm Pluto will be 50.7° below the northeast horizon

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