How to Use the Rise and Set Charts

Rise Az. Column
Displays the rising date, hour:minute and the Azimuth of the planet's/object's rising position for that day's revolution of the Earth. If the day listed may be the previous date. Thus, the planet/object will rise before midnight of the date whose row you are currently viewing. The times are listed in 24 hour format and are all displayed in Eastern Standard Time. Add one hour to the time if you are currently using Daylight Savings Time.

Transit Alt. Column
Displays the Date, hour:minute and Altitude above the horizon that the planet/object will cross the due south point in the sky. For example, if we take October 1, the planet Jupiter will be directly South and up 45 degrees above the horizon at 10:50pm in the evening. 45 degrees would be half the way up from the horizon to directly straight overhead. Straight overhead would be at 90 degrees.

Set Az. Column
Displays the setting date, hour:minute and the Azimuth of the planet's/object's setting position for that day's revolution of the Earth. If the day listed may be the following date. Thus, the planet/object will set after midnight of the date whose row you are currently viewing.

Azimuth
The azimuth is a compass reading in degrees in relationship to North. North would be 0 and 360 degrees. East would be 90 degrees, South would be 180 degrees and West would be 270 degrees. Take the October 1 example. Stand with your back toward the North Star or North on a compass, Extend your left arm straight out to your left. You would be pointing to the East or to 90 degrees azimuth. By moving your arm slightly to the south or towards your front you would approximately be pointing to 96 degrees azimuth. At 17:05 or 5:05pm Jupiter will rise at that point. One Note: On this date you will not see this rise because the sun will still be shining at that time in the West.

Additional Astronomical Related Terms on the BCAAS Website

Aphelion
A satellite's farthest distance to it's orbiting body.  Some aphelion distances are as follow;

Astronomical Unit (AU)
Earth's Average distance from the Sun, 93 million miles

Equinox
Point in the year when the Sun passes directly over the Earth's equator.   These are the first days of Spring and Fall depending which hemisphere that you live in.

Opposition
When an object is directly opposite the sun from the Earth in its orbit around the sun.  In other words - it would rise when the sun sets and be directly overhead at local midnight.

Perihelion
A satellite's closet distance to it's orbiting body.  Some perihelion distances are as follow;

Solstice
Point in the year when the sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator, the Tropic of Cancer, begins the first day of Summer in the northern hemisphere & first day of Winter in the southern hemisphere.  Or, the sun reaches its farthest point south of the equator, Tropic of Capricorn, begins the first day of Summer in the southern hemisphere & first day of Winter in the northern hemisphere.