• Nightfall in Menemsha.
  • Timothy Johnson

Moon and Planets

Early Sunday morning, when most are still asleep, a thin crescent moon appears near the planet Jupiter. The two are low in the southeastern sky, an hour before sunrise. The red planet Mars can also be seen just underneath.

If you miss the scene on Sunday, try again Monday morning. The moon will be lower, just under Mars.

There is a third planet low in the eastern sky, but don’t get your hopes up. Mercury is so low and so close to the horizon, it is almost invisible.

But if you look Tuesday morning at the same time, you’ll see an even thinner crescent moon appearing right under Mercury. Visibility has to be perfect, though, because both are so close to the horizon. 

The three planets, Jupiter, Mars and Mercury, nearly form a line. Mars is in the middle, Mercury is underneath Mars and to the left and Jupiter is to the right.

Saturn and Venus

The ringed-planet Saturn and Venus are our evening planets. Venus is low in the southwestern sky after sunset. Saturn appears high above it. These two planets will get closer together in the weeks ahead.

A thin crescent moon appears near Venus on the evening of Saturday, August 10.

 

Sunrise and Sunset
Day Sunrise Sunset
Fri., August 2 5:36 7:58
Sat., August 3 5:37 7:57
Sun., August 4 5:38 7:56
Mon., August 5 5:39 7:55
Tues., August 6 5:40 7:54
Wed., August 7 5:41 7:52
Thurs., August 8 5:42 7:51
Fri., August 9 5:43 7:50
Temperatures and Precipitations
Day Max (Fº) Min (Fº) Inches
July 26 68 64 1.64
July 27 76 63 0.16
July 28 79 69 0.31
July 29 83 67 0.02
July 30 83 66 0.01
July 31 83 61 T
August 1 81 65 0.00

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 77º F.

 

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 77º F

Comments

Comment policy »

YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS

Subscribe or become a Friend of the Vineyard Gazette and receive our free newsletters and free and discounted tickets to Gazette events along with our award-winning news and photography.