Sunrise Sunset

Fri., April 23 5:50 7:30

Sat., April 24 5:48 7:31

Sun., April 25 5:47 7:32

Mon., April 26 5:45 7:33

Tues., April 27 5:44 7:34

Wed., April 28 5:42 7:36

Thurs., April 29 5:41 7:37

Fri., April 30 5:40 7:39

The gibbous moon appears next to the bright planet Saturn, high in the eastern sky tomorrow night. If you haven’t yet seen Saturn in the night sky, the moon can be the guide. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Virgo.

Full moon is on Wednesday. This April full moon is called the Daffodil Moon. The moon stays low in the southern sky, in the zodiacal constellation Libra. Tides will run higher and lower than normal in the week ahead and it is all tied together by the juxtaposition of two astronomical events, a close moon and a full moon. The moon will be in perigee, closer to the earth in its 28-day orbit tomorrow. When the moon’s closeness coincides with either a full or new moon, the tides run higher and lower than normal.

Tides are created by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon on the earth’s oceans.

Spring Constellations

The constellations of spring appear overhead after sunset. The large constellation Leo, the Lion, is near the zenith. Looking farther north, overhead, the Big Dipper, also called Ursa Major, is easy to spot. The dipper is upside down, having emptied its contents.

Rising in the east is the bright orange star Arcturus in the constellation Bootes.

The brightest blueish-white star in the southeastern sky is Spica in the zodiacal constellation Virgo.

M.A.L.