Sunrise Sunset

Fri., March 6 6:09 5:37

Sat., March 7 6:07 5:38

Sun., March 8 7:05 6:39

Mon., March 9 7:04 6:41

Tues., March 10 7:02 6:42

Wed., March 11 7:00 6:43

Thurs., March 12 6:59 6:44

Fri., March 13 6:57 6:45

Our skies at night have two planetary visitors. Venus is high in the western sky after sunset, and at the same time there is the ringed planet, Saturn, rising in the east. Both are bright and easy to spot.

Venus is a short-term visitor this month. She is high in the west, visible to anyone with a good view above the horizon, but finding the planet in two weeks will be difficult.

For those with a telescope, there is an even better view. Venus appears as a thin crescent, and it is large, getting closer. Venus is so large that some astronomers have noted that they can see the crescent shape amid the glare without a telescope.

Moonlit Skies

This weekend’s gibbous moon will dominate the night sky, making deep space watching a challenge. Comet Lulin has moved into Cancer and is just too faint to see without an optical aid and a chart. The bright nearby moon will interfere. Full Moon, the Mud Moon, is next Wednesday.

M.A.L.