One month past the autumn equinox, our experience of day and night is radically changed from summertime’s seeming timeless bathing in sunshine. Even as Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) prevails—until November 2—we are adapting to early morning and evening darkness. After initial bewilderment, waking up in the dark prompts expanding morning horizons to include contact, however cursory, with the presence and movements of celestial bodies. Without the necessity of adjusting daily routines to allow for stargazing when nightfall is late, as in summer, now it is easier to include children in both morning and evening “eyes to the sky.”
To bid farewell to the Scorpion, arrive at a dark-sky location with a view to the southwest horizon before Antares sets: 7:22 p.m. on the 25th, 7:18 p.m. the 26th, 7:15 p.m. the 27th .
Moonset, southwest 7:50 p.m. on the 25th, 8:51 p.m. the 26th, 9:51 p.m. the 27th, 10:57 p.m. the 28th, and 12:06 a.m. the 30th.
Sunrise is later every day, sunset earlier.
Sunrise
25th: 7:09 | 26th: 7:10 | 27th: 7:11 | 28th: 7:12
Sunset
25th: 5:48 | 26th: 5:46 | 27th: 5:45 | 28th: 5:44
Sunrise
November 1: 7:17 a.m. EDT | Time Change, November 2: 6:19 a.m. EST
Sunset
November 1, 5:38 p.m. | Time Change, November 2: 4:38 p.m.
From now, October 25, through November 1, is a particularly opportune time for morning viewing.
Brilliant planet Venus (-3.93 magnitude) rises at 5:47 a.m. on the morning of the 26th; on the 27th, 5:50 a.m.; on the 29th, 5:55 a.m. Venus is visible even as the sky brightens.
Arcturus, 0.07m, rises in the east-northeast at 5:34 a.m. on the 26th and 5:30 a.m. on the 27th.
Arcturus sets in the west-northwest at 8:08 p.m. on the 25th and 8:04 p.m. on the 26th.
EDT ends Sunday, November 2, at 2 a.m., when clocks fall back one hour, mornings become lighter, and evenings become darker.
Full moon rises in the east-northeast at 4:19 p.m. on November 5.
