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The Astronomy Club of Akron

Astronomical Observing from the ACA Observatory
	     Saturday, 4/17/2010 at 8:30pm

    Observe galaxies in the Virgo Cluster and the most distant
          object within reach of our observatory telescope...
         Quasar 3C273 at a distance of 2.4 billion light-years!

 


                    Sunset: 8:11pm
       Civil twilight ends: 8:37pm
    Nautical twilight ends: 9:11pm
Astronomical twilight ends: 9:48pm
Moon Phase: 12.88% illuminated (waxing crescent)
      Rise: 8:12am
       Age: 3d 12h 43m 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 4/17/2010
    at 9:11:25pm - 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      2.0     Ari     07:07   21:32
Venus       -3.9     Ari     07:44   22:10
Mars         0.5     Cnc     13:02   03:47
Saturn       0.7     Vir     17:29   05:57
Moon        -7.8     Tau     08:12   00:00
BELOW HORIZON:
Object       Mag    Const     Rise     Set
Sun        -26.7     Psc     06:41   20:11
Jupiter     -2.1     Aqr     05:22   17:01
Uranus       5.9     Psc     05:38   17:38
Neptune      7.9     Aqr     04:25   15:06
Pluto       14.2     Sgr     01:03   11:02
Sun data:
            Rise: 6:41am
         Transit: 1:25pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 8:11pm
   Constellation: Pisces
        Distance: 1.00401689 AU = 150,198,789 km = 93,329,202 miles = 8.36 light-minutes
       Magnitude: -26.7
   Apparent size: 31.86 arcminutes in angular diameter
          Civil twilight ends at: 8:37pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon )
       Nautical twilight ends at: 9:11pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon )
   Astronomical twilight ends at: 9:48pm ( 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 4/17/2010 at 9:11:25pm the Sun will be 12° below the west-northwest horizon
Moon data:
            Rise: 8:12am
         Transit: 4:04pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 0:00am - Apr 18
   Constellation: Taurus
           Phase: 12.88% illuminated (waxing crescent)
        Distance: 0.00252676 AU = 377,998 km = 234,877 miles = 1.26 light-seconds
       Magnitude: -7.8
   Apparent size: 31.60 arcminutes in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 41.97° (morning sky)
             Age: 3d 12h 43m since last New Moon
     Prior Phase: New Moon on Wednesday Apr 14, 2010 at 8:29am
      Next Phase: First Quarter on Wednesday Apr 21, 2010 at 2:20pm
   Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT
   On 4/17/2010 at 9:11:25pm the Moon will be 27° above the west horizon
The Moon will appear like this:


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: 7:07am
         Transit: 2:20pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 9:32pm
   Constellation: Aries
           Phase: 12.74% illuminated
        Distance: .67938512 AU = 101,634,567 km = 63,152,793 miles = 5.66 light-minutes
       Magnitude: 2.0
   Apparent size: 9.90 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 15.00° (evening sky)
   Next maximum elongations...
         Morning: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 (25° 07' 48")
         Evening: Saturday, August 7, 2010 (27° 22' 00")
   On 4/17/2010 at 9:11:25pm Mercury will be 2.6° 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:   7:44am
         Transit:   2:56pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 10:10pm
   Constellation: Aries
           Phase: 91.67% illuminated
        Distance: 1.52172207 AU = 227,646,381 km = 141,452,905 miles = 12.67 light-minutes
       Magnitude: -3.9
   Apparent size: 10.97 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 23.35° (evening sky)
   Next maximum elongations...
         Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59")
         Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24")
   On 4/17/2010 at 9:11:25pm Venus will be 9.3° 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: 1:02pm
         Transit: 8:25pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 3:47am - Apr 18
   Constellation: Cancer
           Phase: 90.20% illuminated
        Distance: 1.16848228 AU = 174,802,461 km = 108,617,215 miles = 9.73 light-minutes
       Magnitude: 0.5
   Apparent size: 8.01 arcseconds inangular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 99.73° (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 4/17/2010 at 9:11:25pm Mars will be 67.4° above the south-southwest 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:   5:22am
         Transit: 11:12am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set:  5:01pm
   Constellation: Aquarius
           Phase: 99.63% illuminated
        Distance: 5.74744372 AU = 859,805,342 km = 534,258,277 miles = 47.87 light-minutes
       Magnitude: -2.1
   Apparent size: 34.30 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 36.85° (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 18, 2010 at 1:33am (The Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes)
            GRS longitude: 143.4
   Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): None
   On 4/17/2010 at 9:11:25pm Jupiter will be 44.7° below the northwest horizon

Saturn data:
            Rise:   5:29pm
         Transit: 11:43pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set:   5:57am - Apr 18
   Constellation: Virgo
           Phase: 99.94% illuminated
        Distance: 8.61468392 AU = 1,288,738,371 km = 800,784,908 miles = 1.2 light-hours
       Magnitude: 0.7
   Apparent size: 19.29 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 151.27° (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 4/17/2010 at 9:11:25pm Saturn will be 38.6° above the east-southeast horizon
   and will appear like this:

   Note: Computer-generated graphic of Saturn was created to 1/2 scale so the moons would fit on this page

Uranus data:
            Rise:  5:38am
         Transit: 11:38am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set:  5:38pm
   Constellation: Pisces
           Phase: 99.98% illuminated
        Distance: 20.962259 AU = 3,135,909,311 km = 1,948,563,732 miles = 2.91 light-hours
       Magnitude: 5.9
   Apparent size: 3.36 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 29.59° (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 4/17/2010 at 9:11:25pm Uranus will be 38.5° below the west-northwest horizon
Neptune data:
            Rise: 4:25am
         Transit: 9:45am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 3:06pm
   Constellation: Aquarius
           Phase: 99.98% illuminated
        Distance: 30.51523308 AU = 4,565,013,892 km = 2,836,568,160 miles = 4.24 light-hours
       Magnitude: 7.9
   Apparent size: 2.24 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 59.72° (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 4/17/2010 at 9:11:25pm Neptune will be 60.7° below the north-northwest horizon
Pluto data: (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340)
            Rise:  1:03am - Apr 18
         Transit:  6:03am - Apr 18 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
             Set: 11:02am - Apr 18
   Constellation: Sagittarius
           Phase: 99.98% illuminated
        Distance: 31.42201048 AU = 4,700,665,860 km = 2,920,858,386 miles = 4.36 light-hours
       Magnitude: 14.2
   Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 112.43° (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 4/17/2010 at 9:11:25pm Pluto will be 44.2° below the east-northeast horizon


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