Sun rises at 6:05am
Sun sets at 6:26pm
Moon phase: first quarter, crescent waxing
Moon rises at 10:00am
Moon sets at 11:00pm
This weekend, look for the moon and Mars snuggling up inside the Winter Circle. The Winter Circle stars are closer to the western horizon at sunset than we have seen in months, due to the “westering” of the stars that we studied last weekend.
This weekend, the moon and the planet Mars will sit among the stars of the Winter Circle, a special treat for star gazers. Look for our guidepost Orion with his tell-tale three-star belt and follow the lasso of brilliant stars around the moon and Betelgeuse, the star at Orion’s shoulder which is always inside the circle. Orion’s toe is marked by Rigel. Sirius and Procyon, the dog stars form the top of the circle. Capella is the lead star in Auriga the goat herder constellation.
Aldebaran is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull, while Pollux and Castor are the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini, the Twins.
Right now, you should observe the Winter Circle at dusk because those stars that loom low at nightfall will sink below the horizon by early evening.
The Winter Circle stars aren’t the brightest star-like objects in the sky on these April 2017 evenings. Instead, the brightest “star” in the evening sky is actually the planet Jupiter. The king planet will be hard to miss, because Jupiter ranks as fourth-brightest celestial body to light up the heavens, respectively, after the sun, moon and the planet Venus. But throughout April, Venus sits in the glow of the dawn and is only briefly visible before sunrise.
Not much chance of mistaking the stars of the Winter Circle for Jupiter, though. At nightfall, tonight’s moon and the Winter Circle are found in the western sky, whereas Jupiter shines in the opposite direction and quite close to the eastern horizon. To really appreciate the largest planet in our solar system, wait a while. Jupiter climbs higher in the sky throughout the evening, finding its zenith (or high point) just after midnight.
If you’re up late, another planet may catch your eye: Saturn. This gorgeous ringed planet is rising just after 2:00 on Sunday morning. A telescope will reveal all her bling-y rings and some moons as well. But the best planet viewing is perhaps the tiniest planet of all.
This is prime time for viewing the planet Mercury. Just look over the sunset point on the western horizon, starting around 45 minutes after the sun goes down. Mercury, the innermost planet of the solar system, often hides in the sun’s glare. But this weekend, Mercury swings farthest east of the setting sun that it can reach. Although Mercury can be seen by the eye alone, binoculars always come in handy for any Mercury search. Mercury goes to bed early, about 7:30pm, when she dips below the horizon for the night.
Thank you for keeping up with the Night Sky articles. If you are out later on in the week, each star rises about four minutes earlier each day than written here, and the moon rises 50 minutes later. Night Sky is researched and compiled by Lisa Davis-Burnett. Earthsky.org and Stardate.org are key resources for information and images.
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