Sunrise Sunset

Fri., Feb. 11 6:42 5:09

Sat., Feb. 12 6:41 5:10

Sun., Feb. 13 6:40 5:12

Mon., Feb. 14 6:38 5:13

Tues., Feb. 15 6:37 5:14

Wed., Feb. 16 6:36 5:15

Thurs., Feb. 17 6:34 5:17

Fri., Feb. 18 6:33 5:18

Tonight’s gibbous moon appears in the zodiacal constellation Taurus. The moon is between the star clusters Hyades and Pleiades. The Hyades is one of the largest star clusters you can see in the night sky. It is the mythological head of Taurus, with the bull resembling the letter V. To the right of the moon is the Pleiades.

Next week the moon moves through the zodiacal constellations Gemini and Cancer.

The moon will dominate in the evening sky as the week progresses. The full moon is next Thursday night. The Old Farmer’s Almanac calls this full moon the snow moon. It is in the zodiacal constellation Leo, one we associate more with spring than winter. Right next to the moon is the bright star Regulus.

Venus, the brightest planet in our sky, rises early in the morning. Venus is high in the east just as dusk arrives. The planet is about the same distance from the earth as the sun, 93 million miles away. Other than the moon, Venus and the sun are our nearest neighbors.

Mars is caught in the glare of the sun for most of this month and is not visible. The red planet is 220 million miles away. Mars begins appearing in the early morning sky next month.

M.A.L.