Sun sets in the west over the Menemsha buoy.
  • Mark Lovewell

Looking for Venus

The brilliant planet Venus is making a comeback. For those who love to watch sunsets, and we’ve had plenty of beautiful ones in the last week, take another look. The bright planet Venus is unmistakably bright. You can’t miss it if visibility is right.

We know you’ll see Venus in the western sky in August and for the rest of the year, when it is higher. But when will you see it in July? It could be this weekend or later in the coming week.

The weather is a big part of the planet’s stage presence. Only one cloud lying close to the horizon can obstruct the view. Venus is really low in the sky an hour after sunset.

The last time we saw Venus was winter and early spring when it appeared in the eastern sky before sunrise.

A crescent moon will cross over the bright star Aldebaran on the morning of Friday, July 29 beginning at around 6:20 a.m. This event is for anyone with binoculars. Sunrise will have already taken place, so Aldebaran will appear as a faint star against a light blue sky. The moon appears high in the eastern sky.

Aldebaran is the brightest star in the zodiacal constellation Taurus and is an easy find when the sky is dark. Look well before sunrise and you’ll see the moon and the bright star close together. The moon is closing in on the star. Occultation after sunrise requires help from optics. Binoculars are perfect.

 

Sunrise and Sunset
Day Sunrise Sunset
Fri., July 22 5:25 8:09
Sat., July 23 5:26 8:08
Sun., July 24 5:27 8:07
Mon., July 25 5:28 8:06
Tues., July 26 5:29 8:05
Wed., July 27 5:30 8:05
Thurs., July 28 5:31 8:04
Fri., July 29 5:32 8:02
Temperatures and Precipitation
Day Max (Fº) Min (Fº) Inches
July 15 80 68 0.00
July 16 86 68 0.14
July 17 89 70 0.00
July 18 80 71 T
July 19 83 69 0.00
July 20 85 57 0.00
July 21 81 59 0.00

 

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 77º F

Comments (1)

Anthony Franchesca Emmanuella, lagos
Venus is a beautiful planet
July 22, 2016 - 6:46am

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