Sunrise Sunset

Fri., Dec. 26 7:07 4:17

Sat., Dec. 27 7:07 4:17

Sun., Dec. 28 7:07 4:18

Mon., Dec. 29 7:07 4:19

Tues., Dec. 30 7:07 4:19

Wed., Dec. 31 7:08 4:20

Thurs., Jan. 1 7:08 4:21

Fri., Jan. 2 7:08 4:22

The nights ahead this weekend are moonless. New Moon is tomorrow. The moon appears only briefly on Sunday night, when it is right under the bright planet Jupiter and Mercury. All three are close to the horizon and tough to see.

More will see the moon on New Year’s Eve when it appears near Venus.

The bright planet Venus appears high in the western sky after sunset and it lingers for a few hours before setting.

Venus will appear close to the distant planet Neptune this week and Uranus late in January. To see either planet, an observer will need a pair of binoculars and a current star guide to tell the difference between the stars of the night and the faint planets.

The ringed planet Saturn rises at about midnight. Saturn is in the zodiacal constellation Virgo.

Orion

The popular winter constellation Orion, the hunter, appears low in the eastern sky after sunset. The constellation is one of the brightest and biggest constellations of winter. Three stars make up the hunter’s belt and they are the easiest to find.

The three stars in the belt point southeast to Sirius, the brightest star in the night. Sirius is one of the closest of stars. The star is nine light years away. Light coming from the distant star takes nine years to get here.

M.A.L.