Sunrise Sunset

Fri., Sept. 9 6:15 7:02

Sat., Sept. 10 6:16 7:00

Sun., Sept. 11 6:17 6:58

Mon., Sept. 12 6:18 6:56

Tues., Sept. 13 6:19 6:55

Wed., Sept. 14 6:20 6:53

Thurs., Sept. 15 6:21 6:51

Fri., Sept. 16 6:22 6:49

The moon dominates our night sky this weekend and will be full on Monday. Call this full moon the Harvest Moon, for it is the closest full moon to the first day of autumn. On Monday, autumn is only 11 days away.

The Harvest Moon resides in the zodiacal constellation Pisces and is in close proximity to the celestial equator. Coincidentally, the moon is also near the distant planet Uranus, a planet that is only slightly too dim to see without the help of a pair of binoculars or a telescope and a star chart which includes the planet’s location.

Planets

The easiest planet to spot rises in the eastern sky late at night. The planet Jupiter, outshining all the stars in the area, rises in the east at around 10 p.m. The best time to look is an hour later when it is higher in the sky. Jupiter is getting closer and will look only slightly brighter. Astronomers estimate Jupiter is 409 million miles away at the start of this month. By the end of September, the planet is 30 million miles closer.

The red planet Mars rises in our eastern sky early in the morning. The planet appears above the horizon at 4 a.m., too early in the morning for most.

Venus and Saturn appear too close to the sun to be seen. Late in September, Venus slips into our evening sky and appears above the glare of twilight in our western sky. Saturn slips into our morning sky.

M.A.L.