Sun rises at 6:04am
Sun sets at 5:53pm
Lunar phase: 3rd quarter, waning half moon
Moon rises at 10:05pm, Saturday
Moon sets at 11:07am, Sunday
This weekend, several planets join the moon in its dominance of the night sky. The western sky after sunset shows Mars and Mercury. At the same time, look to the east to see the ringed planet Saturn rising up.
By the time that Saturn is at its highest point, about 10:00pm on Saturday, you can see the moon rising into the darkened skies. The moon is currently waning towards a crescent phase, but this weekend it’s slightly gibbous, very close to a half-moon in appearance. This will be a nice week to observe the moon shrinking and rising later and later each night. By next weekend, the moon will be a thin crescent as we enter the new moon phase. That’s when it will rise and set close to the sun.
Seasons are shifting, and the skies tell the tale. For instance, the constellation Orion the Hunter, normally thought of as a winter friend, is already showing up, flexing his stuff. You can see Orion rising up from the eastern horizon at 10:30pm. Later this month, we should see the Orionid meteor shower, shooting stars which will be flying out in all directions from his upward raised arm.
Want to find something new? Did you know three little birds are waiting for you, not outside your doorstep exactly, but maybe, if your doorstep faces south and you look about 9:00pm. There you can find Grus, Tucana, and Phoenix. Grus is a crane, a long-legged bird similar to an egret or heron. Tucana is a Toucan (like the “Froot Loops” bird). Phoenix is of course a mythical bird that rises up from the ashes. These three birds sit low on the southern horizon, but this weekend they sit below Saturn – a chance to sky hop from the known celestial bodies to the ones you haven’t yet learned. Good luck!
Thank you for keeping up with the Night Sky articles, backyard (or beach) astronomy designed for St. Maarten sky viewing. FYI: If you are out later on in the week, note that 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.
