Sunrise Sunset

Fri., March 28 6:32 7:02

Sat., March 29 6:30 7:03

Sun., March 30 6:28 7:04

Mon., March 31 6:26 7:05

Tues., April 1 6:25 7:06

Wed., April 2 6:23 7:07

Thurs., April 3 6:21 7:08

Fri., April 4 6:20 7:09

The moon visits with a bright red star and two of the brightest planets in our southeastern sky in the week ahead.

The moon rises late tonight and is in the zodiacal constellation Scorpius, not far from the red star Antares. On Sunday night, the moon is near the bright planet Jupiter and in the zodiacal constellation Sagittarius.

A thin crescent moon appears low in the southeastern sky next Friday morning. Right under it is the bright planet Venus. A clear unobscured view of the eastern sky is essential to enjoying these two.

The moon is two days from the new moon phase. Say goodbye to Venus. The planet is getting too close to the sun to be seen easily and won’t reemerge until evening in mid-summer.

Extreme Spring Tides

The week ahead will offer extreme high and low tides. The change will be noticeable next weekend, when the moon is both in the new moon phase and in perigee.

The drama begins in the days and nights ahead. The tide will rise higher than normal at all Island beaches and six hours later be lower than normal. The extreme is caused by the moon’s stronger than normal gravitational pull on the Earth’s oceans. The moon is both close and lined up with the sun and thus they have greater pull.

M.A.L.