Daytime Moonrise

Today at 1055 the Moon will rise at due east.  Sunlight should reflect off the edge of the Moon, which is forming a thin triangle with the Sun and the Earth.  The Earth and the Moon are like specs bound close together, rotating around the Sun which is 400x further away.  Right now the Moon is slightly in front of and beside the part of the Earth facing the Sun in its rotation, so a thin part of the bright side of the Moon is visible to Earth as a crescent.  At 1055, the Earth will have rotated enough so that Ottawa will be facing both the Sun and Moon in space.  Daytime should allow a picture! 

Jupiter and Moon in proximity, Mars and Taurus rising tonight

Tonight I’m hoping the weather will clear so I can watch the East-Northeast sky.  Just before 4am, before the morning twilight, Mars will be on the horizon in Taurus under the Pleiades; while Jupiter, the Moon and Hamal of Aries form a line in the eastern sky.  Capella, the 11^th brightest star, is risen alongside in the Northeast, as its constellation Auriga fully crests the horizon.  These bodies will hang shimmering in the sky as the other stars fade in dawn’s light. 

Just before sunrise, at about 5am, it might be possible to see Venus rise ahead of the Sun, before they are all drowned out by daylight. Hopefully the clouds and my neighbour's house will not block the view!


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