Sunrise Sunset

Fri., May 30 5:10 8:07

Sat., May 31 5:10 8:08

Sun., June 1 5:09 8:09

Mon., June 2 5:09 8:10

Tues., June 3 5:08 8:10

Wed., June 4 5:08 8:11

Thurs., June 5 5:08 8:12

Fri., June 6 5:07 8:12

The tides will be extreme this coming weekend, as the moon is both in the new moon phase and also close to the Earth.

When the moon and the sun share the same area of the sky as they do in the days ahead, their gravitational pull together has a greater influence on the Earth’s ocean tides. Add the closeness of the moon and the pull is even greater. High and low tides are far more extreme.

The new moon is on Tuesday. On the same day the moon is also in perigee.

Evidence of the extreme tides starts this weekend and it gets more dramatic in the days ahead.

The high-tide wrack line on Island beaches will be higher than normal. Those keeping their small boats on the beach in the days ahead may need to pull them up higher. At times of low tide, shallow areas normally underwater will be exposed. Sand bars that are normally underwater may come to the surface. Navigation in shallow areas may be a little more tricky.

Tomorrow morning, the culprit, the thin crescent moon, hugs close to the southeastern sky prior to sunrise. The moon is even closer to the eastern horizon on Sunday morning.

The moon reappears early next week in the western sky after sunset beginning Thursday. Only those with an excellent view of the western sky, such as on Menemsha Beach, will see the thin moon.

M.A.L.