Sunrise Sunset

Fri., April 24 5:48 7:31

Sat., April 25 5:47 7:32

Sun., April 26 5:45 7:33

Mon., April 27 5:44 7:34

Tues., April 28 5:42 7:36

Wed., April 29 5:41 7:37

Thurs., April 30 5:40 7:38

Fri., May 1 5:38 7:39

Saturn

The ringed planet Saturn appears high in the eastern sky after sunset in the nights ahead. Saturn is under the constellation Leo. It is an easy planet to spot, the brightest of “stars” in the sky. Saturn is 781 million miles away. It takes light 70 minutes to reach the earth. It takes eight minutes for light to reach the earth from the sun.

Crescent Moon and Mercury

The thin crescent moon appears low in the southwestern sky on Sunday night. If you can spot the impressive moon, you’ve got another treat; the evasive and difficult-to-find planet Mercury is right underneath.

Because it is always close to the sun and in the glare of either dawn or dusk, Mercury is the hardest visible planet to pick out in the night sky. Sunday night offers an opportunity.

For those with binoculars there is another treat. Between the moon and Mercury lies the familiar star cluster Pleiades in the constellation Taurus.

The crescent moon appears higher in the western sky Monday night and in the zodiacal constellation Gemini on Tuesday night. M.A.L.