Skywatch Line for Wednesday and Thursday, August 28 and 29, 2024, written by Alan French

This is Dudley Observatory’s Skywatch Line for Wednesday and Thursday, August 28 and 29, 2024, written by Alan French.

The Sun rises at 6:16 A.M. on Wednesday and sets at 7:36 P.M. On Thursday it rises at 6:17 and sets at 7:34. This Thursday has 19 minutes, 06 seconds less daylight than last Thursday. We will lose just over 1 hour, 18 minutes of daylight in August.

The Moon was at last quarter this past Monday and is now headed toward new. The old Moon is now joining Jupiter and Mars in the morning sky.

At 5:00 A.M. on Wednesday morning the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter will make a lovely trio in the eastern sky. A fat crescent Moon, 29% in sunlight, will be lowest, 45 degrees above the horizon. Reddish Mars will be just 7 degrees to the upper right of the Moon. Brilliant Jupiter will be 13 degrees to the upper right of the Moon.

By Thursday morning at 5:00 A.M. the Moon will be a thinner crescent, 20% in sunlight, and 35 degrees above the eastern horizon. Friday morning will find the Moon 24 ½ degrees high and only 12% in sunlight. If you continue following the old Moon in the morning sky, it will be a slender 2.6 percent crescent, just 3 degrees high, on Sunday morning, September 1.

The Moon will reach new on Monday, September 2.