There is plenty going on in the zodiacal constellation Leo this weekend. It would be interesting to hear what astrologers are offering in the form of advice to those born between July 23 and August 22, those who are in the sign of Leo, the lion.

If you are thinking this has been a wet year, you’re right. With two months left in the year, we’ve already hit our annual average of 45 inches. If there is not another rain cloud overhead, if it doesn’t rain even a little bit between now and the end of the year, the Vineyard has already received enough.

In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, the Leonid meteor shower fell short of impressive. Some thought the shower was going to produce a hundred or more meteors in an hour of watching. This observer saw about three meteors in ten minutes.

The Leonid shower gets its name from where ancient astronomers believed it originated: the meteors appear to radiate from the zodical constellation Leo. Modern-day astronomers know the meteors only appear to come from the constellation. These small particles of debris entering our atmosphere and burning up are in orbit around the sun; much closer than the distant stars of Leo.

The gibbous moon will dominate the sky over the coming weekend. The moon is in the zodiacal constellation Aries over the weekend and slips into the zodiacal constellation Taurus early in the week. The moon is full on Tuesday and has the seasonal name Holly Moon.

Meteors, also known as shooting stars, sometimes grace our evening sky. They can come from any direction and at any time. Some are brilliant fireballs and some are so faint they are barely visible.

Mars is brightening. The planet glows low in the eastern sky, well after sunset. The gibbous moon appears near the red planet Sunday night for a pleasant view. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Cancer, and are easy to spot after 10 p.m.

A thin crescent moon appears low in the southwestern sky tonight, after sunset. The moon will be low in twilight. More Vineyarders will see the moon tomorrow and thereafter as the moon appears a good deal higher in the sky.

For those willing to brave the cold night, there is a ruby red planet rising in the east after 10 p.m. Mars is a perfect example of how a planet gets significantly brighter when it is closer.

Sunrise Sunset

Fri., Oct. 30 7:10 5:39

Sat., Oct. 31 7:12 5:38

Sun., Nov. 1 6:13 4:36

Mon., Nov. 2 6:14 4:35

Tues., Nov. 3 6:15 4:34

Wed., Nov. 4 6:16 4:33

Thurs., Nov. 5 6:18 4:31

Fri., Nov. 6 6:19 4:30