More than nine years after plans for a huge wind farm in Nantucket Sound were first revealed, the final regulatory approvals for Cape Wind have been granted.

The exhaustive review process began in 2001. It ended last Friday, with granting by the Environmental Protection Agency of a permit relating to potential effects on air quality of emissions from vessels engaged in operations to do with construction and operation of the 130-turbine development on Horseshoe Shoal.

Tomorrow night’s gibbous moon appears in the zodiacal constellation Taurus. The moon is right beside Hyades, one of the most visible and largest star clusters in the night sky. The star cluster appears to most in the shape of a large V.

Temperature: Precip.

Day Max. Min. Inches.

Fº Fº

Jan. 7 34 18 .00

Jan. 8 38 30 Trace*

Jan. 9 40 28 .24

Jan. 10 34 25 .00

Jan. 11 34 25 .00

Jan. 12 42 27 .76

Jan. 13 39 29 .04*

*Melted precipitation

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 39º F.

Future Farmers Unite

Calling all future farmers. The Farm Institute is beginning its farmers-in-training program, the winter edition.

This program is designed for young people 11 years or older, with or without prior experience, who want to learn more about what it takes to be a farmer.

The cost is $15 per session or $110 per season. It meets from 3 to 5:30 p.m. on Fridays beginning Jan. 14 and running through March 18.

To register call 508-627-7007, ext. 104 or come by the farm.

Some proudly define them as one of a kind, others say that they are just too flaky. Both are correct when it comes to snowflakes.

Snowflakes are not frozen rain, but the conglomeration of many single crystals of ice that grow individually when water vapor in the clouds condenses and freezes. One ice crystal measures only .04 to .08 inches, but can have as many as a billion billion (10 to the 19th) water molecules.