Sunrise Sunset

Fri., August 19 5:53 7:36

Sat., August 20 5:54 7:34

Sun., August 21 5:55 7:33

Mon., August 22 5:56 7:31

Tues., August 23 5:57 7:29

Wed., August 24 5:58 7:28

Thurs., August 25 5:59 7:26

Fri., August 26 6:00 7:25

Tomorrow morning’s last quarter moon rises in the eastern sky at close to midnight. The moon is in the zodiacal constellation Taurus.

Taurus, the bull, is a constellation in the zodiac we most often associate with winter. The constellation hovers overhead in December and January in the early evening; it rises in our late summer sky after midnight.

The moon advances through Taurus in the nights ahead.

By Wednesday morning the moon is up early and appears near the bright red planet Mars. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Gemini. For those looking to see Mars for the first time, this is a good chance. Use the moon as a guide on Wednesday morning. The red planet appears above the thin crescent moon.

Mars will play a much larger role in the night skies in the months ahead as it becomes closer, brighter and easier to find.

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, rises in the evening sky a few hours after sunset. The planet is the brightest “star” in the east and hard to miss. A small telescope is a useful tool for looking at the planet. If the optics on your scope are good, you will see at least two or three of the planets’ moons nearby. There are four moons that can be seen easily.

M.A.L.