Sun rises at 5:36am
Sun sets at 6:43pm
Lunar phase: 3rd quarter waning gibbous
Moon sets at 8:39am, Saturday
Moon rises at 10:43pm, Saturday
As we enter the weekend and then through to the early days of the coming week, look for the moon to grow slimmer and more crescent shaped. As the moon wanes, it will sweep by two bright planets: the golden Saturn and brilliant Jupiter. Midnight is a great time to spot the moon’s approach to first Saturn and then Jupiter. And if you are a real night owl, gaze to the western sky before dawn as the planets will beam gloriously during those “wee hours”. Use your binoculars and or backyard telescope to great effect this weekend. Focus in on each member of this awesome threesome – the moon, Saturn and Jupiter – along the path of the ecliptic, that is the path which the sun and moon travel across our sky.
Looking northward, from midnight to about 3:30am, you’ll have a fine view of Ursa Minor, aka the Little Dipper, whose handle ends in the North Star, Polaris. To the right of Polaris, look for Cassiopeia the Queen on her throne. She is recognized by the zig-zag shape, like a sideways “W” and across from Cassiopeia, you’ll find the Big Dipper (Ursa Major). These two constellations circle around the North Star like hands on a clock and in fact this is what inspired the design of analogue clocks thousands of years ago.
Those hoping to gaze upon constellations in the evening rather than the late night, or early morning hours, can search the southern horizon which offers a glimpse of the Southern Cross due south and very low just after sunset. Just behind the sun after dusk, look for the evening star, which is of course the blazing planet Venus. Mercury is so close in the sky to Venus this weekend that you might use a scope to observe both within a single view sight.
Mid evening, look overhead, more or less, to see several horoscope constellations on parade, headed to the western horizon as the evening wears old, leading the parade are the twins, Gemini followed by Cancer the Crab. High above around 8:30pm, look for Leo the Lion. Recognized by the shape of a “backwards question mark”, Leo’s mane arcs around from his eye, the star Algenubi, to his heart, the brilliant star Regulus. Behind Leo, you’ll find Virgo the Maiden and Libra, the scales. Libra is the only inanimate member of the horoscope’s population. Even so, it may be the most balanced citizen in the celestial world. Happy star- and moon-gazing!
Thank you for keeping up with the Night Sky articles designed for St. Maarten viewing. 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 is a key resource for information and images. Questions or comments? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
