Sunrise Sunset

Fri., August 24 5:58 7:28

Sat., August 25 5:59 7:26

Sun., August 26 6:00 7:25

Mon., August 27 6:01 7:23

Tues., August 28 6:02 7:22

Wed., August 29 6:03 7:20

Thurs., August 30 6:05 7:18

Fri., August 31 6:06 7:17

Planets

Welcome to the skies of September. Our nights begin with two viewable planets. Night ends with two planets to view. Mars and Saturn are low in the southwestern sky after sunset, with Saturn being closer to the horizon. Mars, the red planet, has moved away from Saturn and appears slightly higher and more southerly in the sky. Saturn resides in the zodiacal constellation Virgo. In just the last several weeks, Mars has moved from Virgo into the zodiacal constellation Libra.

A thin crescent moon will appear low in the southwestern sky on Monday night. The moon is three days old; only those with an unobstructed view of the southwest will see it soon after sunset.

Tomorrow is an important time in the summer for those who love to look up at night. The Perseid meteor shower takes place, with the best viewing after midnight. It is possible to see a lesser number of meteors from that shower throughout the weekend, including tonight.

The gibbous moon will rule the night sky through the weekend and into next week. The full moon is Wednesday, August 1.

A gibbous moon dominates the evening sky this weekend and well into the coming week. The moon rises tonight soon after sunset. The moon is two days past full moon, and still a bright night-time object.

A gibbous moon will interfere with this weeks Orionid meteor shower. The best part of the shower is this weekend, after midnight. The moon’s brilliance will interfere, so only the brightest of meteors can be seen.

Last night’s full moon, the Hunter Moon, was the closest full moons of the year. A close full moon always brings extreme high and low tides. This weekend tides are highest near noon and midnight and low around sunrise and sunset. Boaters should be wary when tides are at extreme low tides, especially in inshore waters.

The moon passes by three planets in the week ahead, the first tomorrow morning.

A thin crescent moon appears low in the southwestern sky on Monday evening, under the bright planet Jupiter. Both celestial objects are in the zodiacal Scorpius. The two will look nice amid the light of twilight.