The brilliant gibbous moon will not be alone tonight when it rises more than an hour after sunset. It appears near the bright planet Saturn. The two celestial objects are in the zodiacal constellation Libra. The moon is two days past full moon and will look brilliant rising in the eastern sky.

The moon begins in the zodiacal constellation Scorpius, as far south in the zodiac as it gets. On Wednesday, the moon is last quarter and near the distant Pluto.

Comet PanSTARRS

What happened to Comet PanSTARRS? Well, it is still out there. More and more Vineyarders have spotted the comet since it passed close to the sun two weeks ago. It ha become easier to see, but is a disappointment to anyone who has seen a readily visible comet. Comet PanSTARR is barely perceptible low in the northwestern sky after sunset.

The only reports we’ve had are from observers who used binoculars to see the comet. Comet PanSTARRS is only visible for a short time in the early evening, before it gets too close to the horizon and sets. The sky has to be especially clear in the northwest. When using a pair of binoculars, the comet appears as a fuzzy star with a faint tail pointing away from the sun.

In the weeks ahead the comet will be even fainter, appearing more northward and higher above the horizon, but moving away from the sun.