Tonight's gibbous moon appears in the zodiacal constellation Leo. The moon is near the main star Regulus. The two rise together before midnight. Look tomorrow night and the last quarter moon appears right under Regulus.
Use these early nights to enjoy the brilliance of the stars and planets without the moon. Venus is low in the southwestern sky right after sunset. It is easy to spot and looks like an airplane approaching with landing lights on.
Farther south and more southwest is the ringed planet Saturn. The planet is pretty bright, though no match for the other planets.
We call tonight's full moon the Bay Scallop Moon. Take a look and you'll see the moon right next to the brilliant planet Jupiter. The two will be an impressive sight.
In many mainland communities the full moon is called The Beaver Moon. That doesn't make much sense here since we don't have, or have ever had as far as we know, beavers. But we've got plenty of bay scallops. And the story of our love for bay scallops is not to be matched.
Tomorrow night's first quarter moon appears in the zodiacal constellation Libra, the constellation of justice. It is an odd mythological object in the sky. Most constellations overhead depict creatures, animals and people and even fish. Libra is depicts an old-fashioned scale for measuring weights. In this case it is a scale, balancing justice as held by the Astraea, goddess of justice.
Mythological constellations were used as reminders not only of the greatness of the Gods but also the many stories of the time that were retold over and over again.
The brightest planet in the western sky, Venus now appears near Antares, the brightest red planet in the zodiacal constellation Scorpius. The two are in the southwestern sky right after sunset. You'll have no trouble seeing Venus, it is so bright. Antares is right nearby.
Say goodbye to Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. The comet is now so faint you'll need a pair of binoculars just to see it. The comet is now higher in the western sky after sunset, more easily placed for viewing. However, you'll need some optical help to get a view. A time exposure with a steady camera might render it.
Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS C/2023 A3 is now visible an hour or more after sunset in the west. The comet is faint and is easier to see with the help of a pair of binoculars. We and a lot of Vineyarders were able to watch the comet last Tuesday night, and a few saw it the previous night.
The night skies this week included a rare phenomena. Northern Lights, usually associated with the arctic and Northern New England observable sites were visible on the Cape and Islands. Photographers posted pictures on social media and from Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
One particular sighting took place last Sunday night. There was a post of Northern Lights being seen from Aquinnah. Another sighting was seen from Inkwell Beach in Oak Bluffs on the same night. We wandered late at night along East Chop Drive trying to get a good view.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is so hard to see. This past week we were blessed with clear morning skies, but despite our best efforts the comet was not bright enough for us to see.
Wait a week. The next opportunity to try and see this faint comet will be when it appears low in the western sky after sunset beginning next Thursday night and subsequent nights. We think this comet is going to be hard to see, binoculars will help at best.
Astronomers are watching a comet now in our early morning sky. You may see it starting this weekend and through the coming week. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was discovered back in January of 2023. Ever since, astronomers have gathered data and speculated on whether it will be bright enough for us to see without a telescope or binoculars.
If it is as bright as some optimists are hoping, you won't have any trouble finding it low in the east southeastern sky about an hour or less before sunrise.
