• Mark Lovewell

Moon and Planets

 

A thin crescent moon will appear in the morning sky near the planet Saturn this weekend and near Venus next week. Much has changed in our evening sky. Just a few weeks ago, the moon and Venus appeared together low in the southwestern sky after sunset. But Venus has shifted from being a late afternoon, early evening planet to being an early riser.
 
In the weeks ahead Venus will appear higher in the east before sunrise.
 
Tomorrow morning the moon appears right next to the ringed planet Saturn. You’ll see the two high in the east at an hour or more before sunrise. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Libra and will appear almost side by side close together. 
 
The early morning sky is loaded with planets. It is possible to see Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Venus.
 
While Venus is rising in the east and appears amid the light of dawn, the bright planet Jupiter is on the exact opposite side of the sky to the west. It sets before sunrise.
 
The red colored planet Mars is high in the southeast at dawn. Its reddish color makes it easy to find amid a field of many stars. Mars is near Spica, the brightest star in the zodiacal constellation Virgo. 
 
Night Sky
 
The bright planet Jupiter is high in the eastern sky after sunset. There is not a star in the sky that comes close in brightness to this large distant planet. Jupiter is in the middle of the zodiacal constellation Gemini and by midnight it is almost overhead.
 

 

  

Sunrise and Sunset
Day Sunrise Sunset
Fri., Jan. 24 7:01 4:46
Sat., Jan. 25 7:00 4:48
Sun., Jan. 26 6:59 4:59
Mon., Jan. 27 6:58 4:50
Tues., Jan. 28 6:57 4:51
Wed., Jan. 29 6:57 4:53
Thurs., Jan. 30 6:56 4:54
Fri., Jan. 31 6:55 4:55
     
Temperatures and Precipitations
Day Max (Fº) Min (Fº) Inches
Jan. 17 42 36 0.00
Jan. 18 47 30 0.00
Jan. 19 43 31 0.11
Jan. 20 41 32 0.00
Jan, 21 47 23 0.00
Jan. 22 27 18 *0.49
Jan. 23 21 6 *0.01

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 35º F.

 

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 35º 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.