Sunrise Sunset

Fri., Feb. 26 6:21 5:28

Sat., Feb. 27 6:20 5:29

Sun., Feb. 28 6:18 5:30

Mon., Mar. 1 6:17 5:31

Tues., Mar. 2 6:15 5:32

Wed., Mar. 3 6:13 5:34

Thurs., Mar. 4 6:12 5:35

Fri., Mar. 5 6:10 5:36

The full moon, the Mud Moon, appears next to the bright planet Saturn on Monday night. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Virgo, and there could not be a better pair to open a new month and herald the approach of spring.

While spring is still officially a month away, if you step out at night as Saturn is rising in the east, the stars overhead tell the gazer that warmer months are imminent.

Orion, the hunter, a constellation we associate with the depths of winter, is now appearing close to the western sky a few hours after sunset. By midnight, the constellation sets in the west.

High in the east, the large constellation Leo, the lion, commands the sky. Between Virgo and Leo, astronomers can point their telescopes at hundreds of distant galaxies.

The coming of spring brings a whole new group of constellations and reveals new areas of the sky for stargazing.

Bootes, the shepherd, a constellation marked with the bright orange star Arcturus, rises in the east at 10 p.m.

Planets

The bright red planet Mars appears high in the east after sunset. Mars is in the zodiacal constellation Cancer, not far from the Beehive star cluster, and can be seen overhead at about 11 p.m.

M.A.L.