Astronomical Observing from the ACA Observatory
	     Saturday, 3/20/2010 at 8:00:00pm

                    Sunset: 7:41pm
       Civil twilight ends: 8:06pm
    Nautical twilight ends: 8:38pm
Astronomical twilight ends: 9:11pm

Moon Phase: 24.52% illuminated (waxing crescent)
      Rise: 9:28am
       Age: 5d 3h 36m since last New Moon
AND it will be RIGHT NEXT to the Pleiades!

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 3/20/2010
    at 8:38:00pm (nautical twilight).

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

ABOVE HORIZON:
Object       Mag    Const     Rise     Set
Venus       -3.9     Psc     08:10   21:01
Mars        -0.1     Cnc     14:14   05:20
Saturn       0.5     Vir     19:29   07:51
Moon        -8.8     Tau     09:28   01:04

BELOW HORIZON:
Object       Mag    Const     Rise     Set
Sun        -26.7     Psc     07:26   19:41
Mercury     -1.6     Psc     07:45   20:11
Jupiter     -2.0     Aqr     06:57   18:19
Uranus       5.9     Psc     07:24   19:21
Neptune      8.0     Cap     06:13   16:52
Pluto       14.2     Sgr     02:53   12:52

Sun data:
      Rise: 7:26am
   Transit: 1:33pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
       Set: 7:41pm
   Constellation: Pisces
   Distance: .99603714 AU = 149,005,035 km = 92,587,437 miles = 8.3 light-minutes
   Magnitude: -26.7
   Apparent size: 32.11 arcminutes in angular diameter
          Civil twilight ends at: 8:06pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon )
       Nautical twilight ends at: 8:38pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon )
   Astronomical twilight ends at: 9:11pm ( 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 3/20/2010 at 8:38:00pm the Sun will be 12° below the west horizon

Moon data:
      Rise: 9:28am
   Transit: 5:13pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
       Set: 1:04am - Mar 21
   Constellation: Taurus
   Phase:  24.52% illuminated (waxing crescent)
   Distance: 0.00254271 AU = 380,384 km = 236,360 miles = 1.27 light-seconds
   Magnitude: -8.8
   Apparent size: 31.40 arcminutes in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 59.24° (evening sky)
   Age: 5d 3h 36m since last New Moon
   Prior Phase: New Moon on Monday Mar 15, 2010 at 5:01pm
    Next Phase: First Quarter on Tuesday Mar 23, 2010 at 7:00am
   Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT
   On 3/20/2010 at 8:38:00pm the Moon will be 45° above the west-southwest horizon

and will appear like this:
     

Mercury data:
      Rise: 7:45am
   Transit: 1:57pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
       Set: 8:11pm
   Constellation: Pisces
   Phase:  97.01% illuminated
   Distance: 1.29857326 AU = 194,263,795 km = 120,709,927 miles = 10.82 light-minutes
   Magnitude: -1.6
   Apparent size: 5.18 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 6.45° (evening sky)
   Next maximum elongations...
      Evening: Thursday, April 8, 2010 (19° 21' 01")
      Morning: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 (25° 07' 48")
   On 3/20/2010 at 8:38:00pm Mercury will be 6.1° below the west horizon

Venus data:
      Rise: 8:10am
   Transit: 2:35pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
       Set: 9:01pm
   Constellation: Pisces
   Phase:  96.02% illuminated
   Distance: 1.62086785 AU = 242,478,379 km = 150,669,081 miles = 13.5 light-minutes
   Magnitude: -3.9
   Apparent size: 10.29 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 16.50° (evening sky)
   Next maximum elongations...
      Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59")
      Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24")
   On 3/20/2010 at 8:38:00pm Venus will be 3.3° above the west horizon

Mars data:
      Rise: 2:14pm
   Transit: 9:47pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
       Set: 5:20am - Mar 21
   Constellation: Cancer
   Phase:  92.86% illuminated
   Distance: .92113234 AU = 137,799,437 km = 85,624,602 miles = 7.67 light-minutes
   Magnitude: -0.1
   Apparent size: 10.16 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 120.57° (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 3/20/2010 at 8:38:00pm Mars will be 66.9° above the southeast horizon

Jupiter data:
      Rise:  6:57am
   Transit: 12:38pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
       Set:  6:19pm
   Constellation: Aquarius
   Phase:  99.93% illuminated
   Distance: 5.93787736 AU = 888,293,809 km = 551,960,190 miles = 49.46 light-minutes
   Magnitude: -2.0
   Apparent size: 33.20 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 15.64° (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: Saturday Mar 20, 2010 at 10:17pm
      (the Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes)
   GRS longitude: 142.9
   Jupiter satellite events (during darkness):
      None
   On 3/20/2010 at 8:38:00pm Jupiter will be 27.1° below the west horizon

Saturn data:
      Rise: 7:29pm
   Transit: 1:40am - Mar 21 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
       Set: 7:51am - Mar 21
   Constellation: Virgo
   Phase:  100.00% illuminated
   Distance: 8.50392149 AU = 1,272,168,547 km = 790,488,897 miles = 1.18 light-hours
   Magnitude: 0.5
   Apparent size: 19.54 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 177.22° (morning sky)
   Dates of Opposition (when Saturn is closest to Earth)
      Previous: Sunday Mar 8, 2009 at 3:44pm
          Next: Sunday Mar 21, 2010 at 8:28pm
   On 3/20/2010 at 8:38:00pm Saturn will be 11.8° above the east horizon

Uranus data:
      Rise: 7:24am
   Transit: 1:22pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
       Set: 7:21pm
   Constellation: Pisces
   Phase:  100.00% illuminated
   Distance: 21.08977081 AU = 3,154,984,806 km = 1,960,416,695 miles = 2.93 light-hours
   Magnitude: 5.9
   Apparent size: 3.34 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 3.58° (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 3/20/2010 at 8:38:00pm Uranus will be 15.6° below the west horizon

Neptune data:
      Rise:  6:13am
   Transit: 11:32am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
       Set:  4:52pm
   Constellation: Capricornus
   Phase:  99.99% illuminated
   Distance: 30.85375149 AU = 4,615,655,525 km = 2,868,035,412 miles = 4.28 light-hours
   Magnitude: 8.0
   Apparent size: 2.21 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 32.90° (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 3/20/2010 at 8:38:00pm Neptune will be 42.9° below the west-northwest horizon

Pluto data: (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340)
      Rise:  2:53am - Mar 21
   Transit:  7:53am - Mar 21 (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
       Set: 12:52pm - Mar 21
   Constellation: Sagittarius
   Phase:  99.98% illuminated
   Distance: 31.87578115 AU = 4,768,548,986 km = 2,963,039,006 miles = 4.43 light-hours
   Magnitude: 14.2
   Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter
   Elongation from Sun: 84.97° (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 3/20/2010 at 8:38:00pm Pluto will be 65.4° below the north-northeast horizon

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