Download PLANET VISIBILITY Appearance of the planets

PLANET VISIBILITY
July 2016 – June 2017
The following diagrams show, in graphical form, when the five “naked-eye” planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and
Saturn are visible in the night sky during the period July 2016 – June 2017.
In addition to the planet information, the diagrams show the time of sunset and sunrise as well as the end and start of
astronomical twilight which is the time when the Sun is 18° below the horizon. The shaded area of each diagram
indicates the range of dates/times that the planet is visible in the night sky.
Appearance of the planets
Unless they are near to the horizon, planets can be distinguished from the twinkling stars by their more steady
appearance. Twinkling is caused by turbulence in the atmosphere which has a greater effect on the light coming from
point sources (stars) than on the light from much closer planets which are not point sources. Another pointer to
identifying planets is that they are usually one of the brightest of the objects in the night sky.
Mercury is the most difficult to see of the bright planets; due to its close proximity to the Sun it is seldom seen in fully dark
skies. Venus is readily identified by its brightness – being exceeded by only the Sun and Moon. Venus is often referred to
as either the Evening Star (when visible in the west after sunset) or the Morning Star (in the east before sunrise). Mars is
notable for its orange-red appearance and is popularly known as the Red Planet. Jupiter’s white light always outshines all
of the stars whilst pale yellow Saturn is usually the least conspicuous of the five naked-eye planets.
MERCURY
08:00
04:00
CU
02:00
LIG
HT
BE G
ER
M
T WI
ER
SUN RIS E
RY R I SES
M
ER
INS
C U RY
RI
SE
S
06:00
S
M
06:00
I
C U RY R
SE
04:00
02:00
00:00
00:00
22:00
M
ER
M
S
20:00
Y
CUR SET
E
U
RC
S
RY
ETS
TW I L I G H T E
NDS
22:00
18:00
16:00
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
2016
Dec
Jan
20:00
MERCURY
SE
TS
SUNSET
Feb
Mar
Apr
RY
CU
ER ETS
M S
May
Jun
New Zealand Standard Time
08:00
New Zealand Standard Time
ASTRONOMICAL
Each diagram spans the hours of darkness, covering the period from 16:00 to 08:00 with midnight being represented by
the central line across the diagram. For a given date, time runs from the bottom to the top of the diagram. Times are shown
in terms of New Zealand Standard Time; one hour must be added when New Zealand Daylight Time is in force. Each
diagram is plotted for Wellington, time differences at other locations in New Zealand will generally not exceed an hour.
18:00
16:00
2017
MERCURY is the most difficult of the bright planets to see as it always appears in close proximity to the Sun. This means
it is visible only in the twilight sky towards the horizon. The best period to see Mercury in the morning sky will occur
during May when the planet rises before twilight begins. Other morning appearances during late September to October
and January – February are less favourable as Mercury rises during the dawn period. The best time to see Mercury in
the evening will during August when it will set after twilight has ended. Other evening appearances during November
– December and late March are less favourable as Mercury sets before twilight ends. During the last week of August
locating Mercury will be made easier as it will be near, and south of, brighter Jupiter and much brighter Venus.
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ASTRONOMICAL INFORMATION | New Zealand Nautical Almanac 2016 – 17
VENUS
06:00
06:00
SUN RISE
04:00
VE
NU
T W I L IG H T B EGI NS
02:00
04:00
S RISES
02:00
00:00
00:00
22:00
V
20:00
U
EN
SS
ET
S
TW
22:00
ILIG
HT
S U N SE T
END
20:00
S
18:00
16:00
18:00
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
2016
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
16:00
2017
VENUS will be visible as a bright object in the western sky from mid-August when it will set at the end of twilight.
Its visibility will gradually increase so that during November Venus will set 3 hours after the Sun. During the rest of
summer, Venus will appear to draw closer to the Sun and from February it will set during evening twilight. During May
Venus will be very prominent in the early morning sky as it rises 4 hours ahead of the Sun.
MARS
08:00
06:00
06:00
S UN R ISE
04:00
04:00
02:00
MA R
S SE
TS
TW IL
02:00
IG HT B E GINS
00:00
00:00
22:00
22:00
T WI L
20:00
END
IG H T
S
20:00
S UN SE T
18:00
16:00
New Zealand Standard Time
New Zealand Standard Time
08:00
18:00
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
2016
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
16:00
2017
MARS will set shortly after 4 am at the beginning of July – by the start of December the red planet will be setting at
midnight. At the end of February Mars will set at the end of twilight and over the following four months it will set
during the twilight period. Mars will set half an hour after the Sun at the end of June.
ASTRONOMICAL INFORMATION | New Zealand Nautical Almanac 2016 – 1719
ASTRONOMICAL
08:00
New Zealand Standard Time
New Zealand Standard Time
08:00
JUPITER
08:00
06:00
TW I L
04:00
IGH
T B
EG
JU
00:00
JU
20:00
PIT
ER
SE
JU
INS
02:00
22:00
06:00
S U N R ISE
T W IL
TS
IGH
D
T EN
PI
TE
R
RI
SE
PI
TE
R
SE
04:00
TS
00:00
S
22:00
S
20:00
SUNSE T
18:00
16:00
02:00
New Zealand Standard Time
ASTRONOMICAL
New Zealand Standard Time
08:00
18:00
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
2016
Apr
May
Jun
16:00
2017
JUPITER sets before 11 pm at the beginning of July, but by the end of August it will set at the end of twilight.
By mid-September Jupiter will be lost from sight in the glare of the Sun. During October the giant planet will reappear
in the eastern sky ahead of sunrise and by late November the planet will be rising as twilight commences. Jupiter will
rise progressively earlier during the night until early April when it will be rising at sunset and be visible throughout the
night. Jupiter will then begin setting earlier – by the end of June this will occur at 1 am. Jupiter will draw within 0.1°
of Venus towards the end of August.
SATURN
SA
TU
SE RN
TS
06:00
S U N R IS E
04:00
SA
TU
02:00
TW
RN
SE
I LIG
06:00
04:00
HT
BEG
INS
02:00
TS
SA
TU
00:00
RN
GH T E N D S
T W IL I
22:00
20:00
RI
SE
00:00
S
22:00
20:00
S UNSET
18:00
16:00
08:00
New Zealand Standard Time
New Zealand Standard Time
08:00
18:00
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
2016
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
16:00
2017
SATURN will set shortly before twilight begins at the beginning of July and at midnight by late-September. Over the
following months Saturn will set gradually earlier in the evening. By mid-November the ringed planet will set as twilight
ends and by early December Saturn will be lost from sight in the glare of the Sun. Late in December Saturn will appear in
the east shortly before sunrise. From mid-January Saturn will rise before twilight begins. Saturn will then rise progressively
earlier during the night until mid-June when it will rise as the Sun sets and be visible throughout the night, setting at
sunrise. At the end of October Saturn will be 3° north of much brighter Venus.
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ASTRONOMICAL INFORMATION | New Zealand Nautical Almanac 2016 – 17