• Mark Alan Lovewell

Gibbous Moon and the Lion

Sunday night's gibbous moon appears close to the bright star Regulus in the zodiacal constellation Leo. This is another sign that the season is changing. We associate this constellation with spring and warmer weather ahead.

Leo is a large constellation. The head and forward profile of the lion is a mirrored question mark. Regulus is the bottom of the question mark. The top of the head of the lion is easy to make out. In some places the head of the lion is referred to The Sickle. A sickle is a farmer's semi-circular grass cutting tool.

For astronomers, the best part about Leo goes beyond the bright stars. When you gaze at Leo you are peering through the Milky Way. With a pair of binoculars, many of the faint stars beyond aren't stars at all, but galaxies. In just one area there are hundreds of thousands of distant galaxies

 

Sunrise and Sunset
Day Sunrise Sunset
Fri., April 12 6:07 7:18
Sat., April 13 6:05 7:19
Sun., April 14 6:03 7:20
Mon., April 15 6:02 7:21
Tues., April 16 6:00 7:22
Wed., April 17 5:59 7:24
Thurs., April 18 5:57 7:25
Fri., April 19 5:56 7:26
Temperatures and Precipitations
Day Max (Fº) Min (Fº) Inches
April 5 51 34 0.00
April 6 52 36 0.17
April 7 52 36 0.17
April 8 55 45 0.06
April 9 52 37 0.42
April 10 48 35 0.12
April 11 49 35 0.00

 

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 49º F

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