Sunrise Sunset

Fri., Dec. 2 6:49 4:11

Sat., Dec. 3 6:50 4:11

Sun., Dec. 4 6:51 4:11

Mon., Dec. 5 6:52 4:11

Tues., Dec. 6 6:53 4:11

Wed., Dec. 7 6:54 4:11

Thurs., Dec. 8 6:55 4:11

Fri., Dec. 9 6:56 4:11

A large gibbous moon and brilliant Jupiter appear together as a pair, a spectacle high in the eastern sky on Tuesday night. Both are in the small zodiacal constellation Aries.

On Thursday night, an even brighter and bigger moon, nearly full, appears under the star cluster Pleiades. The Pleiades is a small version of the Big Dipper. It appears like a small kettle with a handle. The Pleiades is also known as Seven Sisters, although there are more than seven stars in this big cluster, which has at least a thousand stars! The cluster is 425 light years away and resides in the zodiacal constellation Taurus, the bull.

Continuing its trek across Taurus, the moon is full on Saturday, Dec. 10.

The brightest planet in our sky is Venus, low in the western sky after sunset. It appears for a short time before setting.

We saw Venus on Thanksgiving evening shining amid the orange-red western sky. Twilight had just started. Driving from Katama we saw it hanging over Herring Creek Farm. We saw it again above the tree line as we passed by the Martha’s Vineyard Airport on Barnes Road. The planet gains more altitude in the weeks ahead, and will be nicely placed in the west around Christmas.

M.A.L.