Key Takeaways:
The Moon passes 0.6° south of Scorpius’ alpha star, Antares, at 2 P.M. EDT and sits just to the left of the red giant in the southwest an hour after sunset. You’ll have another hour after that of clear viewing, before the pair starts sinking low on the horizon.
The waxing Moon is lit from its eastern side as sunrise creeps along the nearside. Even the darkened portion of the surface, however, may be visible thanks to earthshine. This glow occurs when sunlight bounces off the illuminated portion of Earth to cast light on the Moon.
Some 3° to the right of the Moon as the pair sets is magnitude 1.1 Antares. This aging sun is in its red giant phase, meaning it has cooled off but swelled up many times its original size. Astronomers estimate that if Antares were plopped down into the center of our solar system, it would swallow all the inner planets and reach out into the main asteroid belt.
Note that because of its color and brightness, Antares is often mistaken for Mars in the sky. But the Red Planet is located in Virgo and sets within about an hour of the Sun, making it tricky to spot. Give it a try with binoculars shortly after sunset — it’s about 6.5° high in the west 30 minutes after the Sun disappears. Mars appears to the far lower right of the Moon and Antares and is currently slightly fainter than the star, glowing at magnitude 1.6.
Sunrise: 6:53 A.M.
Sunset: 6:48 P.M.
Moonrise: 12:45 P.M.
Moonset: 9:35 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (29%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.
