The best nights of stargazing are upon us.

The stars of night and especially the Milky Way were unavailable this week. The Vineyard along with much of the country is under a high altitude cloud obscuring the faint objects of the night.

Even the moon in the last few nights looks like it is locked in sunset mode. The sky is so different. This is not the summer night sky we remember of weeks ago. Fog is a challenge but it comes and goes with changing weather patterns.

This is a wonderful time of year to be looking up at the stars.

On Sunday night take a look towards the western sky about a half hour after sunset.

The Earth’s two closest neighboring planets, Mars and Venus, will look so close together in the nights ahead.

You can see them both low in the southwestern sky after sunset and only for a short time. The two are just above the horizon. Venus is the brighter of the two. Mars is faint enough against the light of twilight to be difficult to see. Binoculars will help.

In the nights ahead, the two will get closer and closer. By the middle of July, the two will be less than one degree apart.

Late Monday night the gibbous moon appears right under the bright planet Saturn, low in the southeastern sky.

Tides will get extreme in the coming week.

Tomorrow night’s western sky will host two planets and a thin crescent moon. All three are fairly close to each and close enough to make a show.

The moon appears between the planets Venus and Mars. Venus is the brighter of the two and closest to the horizon. A much fainter Mars is above and slightly to the south of the moon. Venus and the moon are in the zodiacal constellation Gemini. Mars is in the zodiacal constellation Cancer.

Another view is Sunday night, when the moon appears above and really close to Mars.

If you wanted an easier way to find the Big Dipper, Friday is your night.

Tides will continue to be extreme through the coming weekend.