Crescent Moon

You won’t see the moon this coming week unless you are a very earlier riser. It rises in the east around 3 a.m. in the zodiacal constellation Leo. The brilliant planet Jupiter is nearby.

On Tuesday morning, the crescent moon appears alone, low in the eastern sky before sunrise. The moon will then be in the zodiacal constellation Virgo, a constellation we associate with spring.

Starry Nights

The stars shining in the night sky in autumn are calling out for our attention. With so much daylight lost with the changing season, stargazing can begin a good deal earlier than a month ago. The brightest stars start showing up at 7 p.m. The Milky Way which is nearly overhead can be seen by 8 p.m.

The Big Dipper which appeared high in the sky in summer has shifted position dramatically. You’ll find it low in the North sky, behind the tree line. If you are looking from the North Shore or from State Beach, it appears right over Cape Cod. The Dipper is positioned to hold water.

The bright stars of winter are rising in the east. The brightest star in the east, Capella, rises just above the northeastern horizon by 9 p.m. Capella is in the constellation Auriga.