The moon passes by two brilliant stars this weekend. After sunset, the first quarter moon appears high in the sky tonight, near the bright star Regulus. Regulus is the principal star in the zodiacal constellation Leo.
On Sunday night, the gibbous moon appears farther east, close to Spica, the principal star in the zodiacal constellation Virgo.
Spica is distant and light reaches us after a 262 year journey. Regulus is a good deal closer at 77 light years away.
Light travels 182,000 miles per second. Regulus is 77 light year away and Spica is 262 light years from us. It only takes two seconds for light to reach us from the moon.
Jupiter and Venus
The two brightest planets, Jupiter and Venus are low in the southwestern sky. Jupiter is higher and relatively easy to spot. Venus is closer to the horizon and only appears for a short time before it sets.
During Memorial Day weekend, Jupiter and Venus will form a close pair, with a third planet, Mercury. All three will be in a tight triangle and hug the horizon just after sunset.
Extreme Tides
There will be extreme high and low tides during the Memorial Day weekend. The moon will be full on Saturday, May 25 and in perigee, very close, on Sunday, May 26, creating one of the highest astronomical tides of the year.
| Day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., May 17 | 5:20 | 7:56 |
| Sat., May 18 | 5:19 | 7:56 |
| Sun., May 19 | 5:18 | 7:57 |
| Mon., May 20 | 5:17 | 7:58 |
| Tues., May 21 | 5:16 | 7:59 |
| Wed., May 22 | 5:16 | 8:00 |
| Thurs., May 23 | 5:15 | 8:01 |
| Fri., May 24 | 5:14 | 8:02 |
| Day | Max (Fº) | Min (Fº) | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 10 | 69 | 52 | T |
| May 11 | 75 | 55 | 0.01 |
| May 12 | 65 | 55 | 0.98 |
| May 13 | 62 | 38 | 0.01 |
| May 14 | 59 | 44 | 0.00 |
| May 15 | 60 | 42 | 0.00 |
| May 16 | 64 | 51 | 0.00 |
Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 60º F.
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