If you are up really early in the morning, you've got a chance to see two bright planets in the eastern sky. Both the planets Mars and Jupiter are in the zodiacal constellation Gemini right now. On Monday, well after 1 a.m. you will be able to see the waning crescent moon nearest the bright Mars, a red planet. The moon is enroute to visiting with the even brighter planet Jupiter and that can be seen on Tuesday morning.
The time to look on both mornings is at least by 4 a.m. Gemini is a constellation we associate with the coldest period of the year, winter. Right now you can see it well before sunrise. It rises in the East with the old favorite constellation Orion, another winter constellation.
Just for comparison. If you look at these two constellations at 4 a.m. in the morning, you'll get an advance view of what they will look like at 8 p.m. around Christmas time.
| Day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Sept. 4 | 6:10 | 7:10 |
| Sat., Sept. 5 | 6:11 | 7:08 |
| Sun., Sept. 6 | 6:12 | 7:07 |
| Mon., Sept. 7 | 6:13 | 7:05 |
| Tues., Sept. 9 | 6:14 | 7:03 |
| Wed., Sept. 10 | 6:15 | 7:02 |
| Thurs., Sept. 11 | 6:16 | 7:00 |
| Fri., Sept. 12 | 6:17 | 6:58 |
| Day | Max (Fº) | Min (Fº) | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 28 | 81 | 68 | 0.00 |
| August 29 | 83 | 66 | 0.00 |
| August 30 | 75 | 58 | 0.00 |
| August 31 | 81 | 65 | 0.00 |
| Sept. 1 | 77 | 64 | T |
| Sept. 2 | 71 | 59 | 0.22 |
| Sept. 3 | 75 | 62 | 0.64 |
This article appears in September 4, 2026.
I really love this column for its content but also the wonderful writing style! Well done, Mark!