In the Sky This Month

The beautiful galaxy M101 stands near the handle of the Big Dipper. A telescope reveals the face-on spiral, which is similar to our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

Cygnus, the swan, rises in the northeast this evening. Its body appears parallel to the horizon. To find the swan, look for its brightest star, Deneb, low in the northeastern around 10 or 11 p.m.

Beta Scorpii, a system of at least six stars, is at the left side of a row of stars that represents the head of Scorpius. It’s low in the southeast at nightfall, above Antares, the scorpion’s bright orange heart.

Ceres, the largest member of the asteroid belt, puts in its best appearance of the year this week. It lines up opposite the Sun so it’s in the sky all night. It’s brightest for the year, too, although you need binoculars to find it.

Cepheus, the king, is low in the north at nightfall. The constellation’s brightest stars form a shape that resembles a child’s drawing of a house.

The Moon will be at last quarter tomorrow, indicating that it is three-quarters of the way through its monthly cycle of phases. Sunlight will illuminate half of the lunar hemisphere that faces Earth.

Omega Centauri contains millions of stars packed into a ball a few dozen light-years across. It is bright enough to see with the eye alone, but only from the southern third of the U.S. It is quite low in the south about 11 p.m. and looks like a fuzzy star.

Some of the brightest stars of winter are dropping from the evening sky. Low in the west at nightfall, look for bright white Procyon in Canis Minor, the little dog. The “twins” of Gemini, Pollux and Castor, are well to the upper right of Procyon.

Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, wheels high across the south tonight. It’s not that much to look at — only a few modest stars climbing above the scorpion.

Look for the Moon and a bright companion the next couple of mornings. The planet Saturn will be close to the upper left of the Moon at first light tomorrow, and closer to the right of the Moon on Thursday.