• Come Friday, the sky above the bandstand will be full of color.
  • Mark Lovewell

Firecracker Astronomers

High above the crowds in Oak Bluffs Friday night, there will be rockets with red, blue and yellow glare. It will be a royal display. But higher than the fireworks, the stars of summer will still be shining. There is color in these objects, too.

Early in the evening the planets Mars and Saturn will appear close together, low in the southwestern sky. Mars has a reddish tint, and Saturn has a slight yellowish tint.

Rising high in the east is the bright star Vega, in the constellation Lyra. Vega is blueish-white and is one of the brightest and nearest stars. Vega is 26 light years away, which is close for a star. Nearby is Altair in the constellation Aquilla. And completing the triangle is Deneb, the principal star in the constellation Cygnus. Altair is southeast of Vega. Deneb is northeast of Vega.

To the west, there is Arcturus, an orange-colored star in the constellation Bootes. Early in the evening, Arcturus is high in the west.

Low in the northwestern sky is the Big Dipper, also called Ursa Major. The constellation depicts both a giant bear and a kitchen implement. If you are looking for the bowl in the dipper, it is positioned to scoop the water out of the sea. The handle is high, the bowl is below it.

Look due south for the bright reddish star Antares. Antares is the principal star in the constellation Scorpius. Antares is the heart of the scorpion. It is a celestial giant. If Antares were to take the place of our sun, the Earth’s orbit would be within the star, and our planet would be cooked.

But on Friday, no star is as brilliant as the fireworks.

Sunrise and Sunset
Day Sunrise Sunset
Fri., August 22 5:56 7:31
Sat., August 23 5:57 7:29
Sun., August 24 5:58 7:28
Mon., August 25 5:59 7:26
Tues., August 26 6:00 7:25
Wed., August 27 6:01 7:23
Thurs., August 28 6:02 7:22
Fri., August 29 6:03 7:20
Temperatures and Precipitations
Day Max (Fº) Min (Fº) Inches
August 15 77 58 0.08
August 16 77 56 T
August 17 78 64 T
August 18 79 57 0.00
August 19 77 53 0.00
August 20 78 54 T
August 21 76 65 0.00
       

 

 

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 75º F

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