Behind the rockets’ red glare, there is plenty to see Saturday night overhead. For those watching the fireworks Saturday, the two planets Venus and Jupiter remain a centerpiece high in the southwestern sky after sunset. The planets have been moving apart since Tuesday night, when they were less than a degree apart.

Venus, the brighter of the two, and Jupiter are in the zodiacal constellation Leo. Looking to the week ahead, you’ll be amazed how quickly these two planetary friends part company. They’ve got appointments in other parts of the sky.

On the night of the fireworks, there is a vivid brilliant moon rising in the east more than an hour after sunset. This is a waning gibbous moon, three days from full. Full moon was three nights ago, on Wednesday.

The lone planet Saturn hangs low in the southeastern sky once darkness has set in. Saturn is the brightest object in the southern sky, though the area is populated by quite a few bright stars in the zodiacal constellation Scorpius. Saturn appears above and to the west of the bright red star Antares.

Gotta Second?

For the many on the Vineyard who are complaining they don’t have a second to spare at the start of this Fourth of July weekend, they just got it. On Tuesday, the International timekeepers added a second to the year. They don’t do this very often. The last time they did it was three years ago.

The extra second was needed to match a slowing Earth in its orbit around the sun. Yes, it is slowing down. The earth’s orbit is a precise measure and almost from year to year it takes the same amount of time. According to news reports, the second was added at 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds universal time on Tuesday. That translates to 8 p.m. on Tuesday evening. The added second came before you could conceptualize its arrival. But you earned it.