Sunrise Sunset

Fri., March 9 6:04 5:41

Sat., March 10 6:02 5:42

Sun., March 11 7:02 6:43

Mon., March 12 6:59 6:44

Tues., March 13 6:57 6:45

Wed., March 14 6:55 6:46

Thurs., March 15 6:54 6:47

Fri., March 16 6:52 6:48

A gibbous moon appears near the bright planet Saturn on Saturday night. The two rise in the eastern sky after 9 p.m. The bright star Spica, in the zodiacal constellation Virgo, is nearby. The three celestial objects form a triangle. The moon is roughly 225,000 miles away, Saturn is 837 million miles away and Spica is over 250 light years away.

Spica is one of several of the brightest stars in the night sky.

It takes light from the Moon more than a second to get us. It takes light from Saturn about an hour and 15 minutes to get to us. It light from Spica 250 years for light to reach us.

On Wednesday morning the moon stays low in the southern sky and is near the bright red star Antares, in the zodiacal constellation Scorpius. The two rise in the eastern sky after 2 o’clock.

Antares is a bright red star and is 520 light years away, more than twice as far away as Spica. We think of Scorpius as a summer constellation; for in summer, it is more readily visible soon after the sun sets.

Daylight Saving Time

On Saturday night, set your clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Saving Time. We’ll get an hour less sleep, but our afternoons ahead will have more daylight.

M.A.L.