• The gibbous moon appears close to Jupiter next week.
  • Mark Lovewell

Ice Moon and Morning Planets

Saturday’s Ice Moon, a full moon, appears between the zodiacal constellations Gemini and Cancer. The moon is in an area of the night sky where there are only a few bright stars. In the nights ahead, however, this will change. The moon advances along the zodiac and appears near the bright star Regulus, in Leo, on Monday night.

On Wednesday night the gibbous moon appears close to the brilliant planet Jupiter, both are in the zodiacal constellation Virgo. You can’t miss this event. The two rise together a few hours after sunset and command the sky for the rest of the evening. The only way you can avoid this appearance is to not go outside that night.

Jupiter is impressive and in the weeks ahead will be easier to spot as it rises earlier in the evening. It is also getting both closer and bigger and thus brighter.

Jupiter is about 465 million miles away and a month from now will be 418 million miles.

Morning Planets

Venus and Saturn remain fairly close, appearing low in the southeastern sky before sunrise. Venus is the brighter of the two. Higher up in the sky there is the red planet Mars. If you are looking early in the morning for these three, take a look towards the west. Jupiter will be setting.

  

Sunrise and Sunset
Day Sunrise Sunset
Fri., Jan. 22 7:02 4:44
Sat., Jan. 23 7:01 4:45
Sun., Jan. 24 7:01 4:46
Mon., Jan. 25 7:00 4:48
Tues., Jan. 26 6:59 4:49
Wed., Jan. 27 6:58 4:50
Thurs., Jan. 28 6:57 4:51
Fri., Jan. 29 6:57 4:53
Temperatures and Precipitation
 
Day Max (Fº) Min (Fº) Inches
Jan. 15 35 23 *0.04
Jan. 16 45 35 0.78
Jan. 17 46 33 0.30
Jan. 18 37 29 0.43
Jan. 19 30 20 0.00
Jan. 20 28 22 0.00
Jan. 21 35 25 0.00

*melted precipitation

 

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 37º F

Comments

Comment policy »

YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS

Subscribe or become a Friend of the Vineyard Gazette and receive our free newsletters and free and discounted tickets to Gazette events along with our award-winning news and photography.