Today:
Arcturus now settles lower in the west by dark. The second brightest star seen in the northern latitudes, Arcturus is due west at 8:00, and sets tonight in the northwest shortly after 11 o’clock. Its brightness is a combination of distance – relatively close at 37 light years away – and its size, some 26 times the diameter of our Sun.
Monday:
The Moon rises about a half hour before sunset this evening, one day before it becomes exactly Full, the “Harvest Moon” as it’s known. This is the first of three days in which the Moon appears full, and remains in the sky all night long. The Full Moon appears opposite from the Sun, as was Saturn last week. That’s why you’ll see Saturn just to the Moon’s left as the evening progresses.
Tuesday:
The Moon is Full each month as it reaches a position exactly opposite the Sun, so tonight’s Full “Harvest” Moon rises as the Sun sets, and then sets as the Sun rises tomorrow morning. The Moon’s light extended the hours of harvesting, often through the night when necessary, hence its name. This timing can vary due to the Moon’s tilted orbit, about 5 degrees compared to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.