Sunrise Sunset

Fri., August 5 5:39 7:55

Sat., August 6 5:40 7:53

Sun., August 7 5:41 7:52

Mon., August 8 5:42 7:51

Tues., August 9 5:43 7:50

Wed., August 10 5:44 7:48

Thurs., August 11 5:45 7:47

Fri., August 12 5:46 7:46

Tonight’s first quarter moon appears in the zodiacal constellation Libra. The moon is low in the southwestern sky after sunset. Tomorrow night, the moon is even farther south and closer to the horizon. The moon will be in the zodiacal constellation Scorpius.

For those who plan to look for the Perseid meteor shower that peaks next week, the moon is an uninvited friend. The shower coincides with the moon being full, so only expect to see the very brightest of meteors this time around.

The moon is the earth’s nearest natural neighbor; only 225,000 miles away, it will always have the final word on dark stargazing nights.

The planet Saturn is now low in the western sky after sunset, only viewable for a few hours. It resides in the zodiacal constellation Virgo.

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, rises in the east before midnight. The planet is in the zodiacal constellation Aries, and above the constellation Cetus, the whale. These two constellations mark the start of autumn, which although hard to imagine is only two months away.

The red planet Mars rises around 3 a.m. Mars is still a morning planet, but soon it will take on more brilliance. By next spring, the planet will be considerably brighter and easier to spot.

M.A.L.