• Jeanna Shepard

The Moon and Pleiades

The last quarter moon rises before midnight on Sunday night. The moon is in the zodiacal constellation Taurus and not far from the bright orange star Aldebaran and the star cluster Pleiades.
If you are up really late, or if you are up well before sunrise the following morning, there is a sight to see. The moon is only five degrees from Aldebaran.

The constellation Taurus, the bull, heralds the arrival of cooler seasonal temperatures. It is a winter constellation and at this time of year Taurus is a familiar friend of late-autumn nights. The Pleiades is that star cluster that looks like a tiny dipper and resides inside the constellation. The star cluster also has the name Seven Sisters, though there are a lot more stars than seven.

Aldebaran is the brightest star in Taurus and it marks the head of the giant bull, a group of stars that shape a large “V.” That group of stars is a star cluster too, and called the Hyades.

Sunrise and Sunset
Day Sunrise Sunset
Fri., August 27 6:01 7:23
Sat., August 28 6:02 7:22
Sun., August 29 6:03 7:20
Mon., August 30 6:05 7:18
Tues., August 31 6:06 7:17
Wed., Sept. 1 6:07 7:15
Thurs., Sept. 2 6:08 7:13
Fri., Sept. 3 6:07 7:12
Temperatures and Precipitations
Day Max (Fº) Min (Fº) Inches
August 20 79 71 0.02
August 21 84 69 T
August 22 84 72 0.18
August 23 76 70 0.05
August 24 82 69 0.43
August 25 84 68 0.00
August 26 90 68 0.00

 

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 77º F

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