Moon and Companions
The Moon will pose low in the southeast at first light tomorrow. Venus, Jupiter, and Antares will arc to the upper right of the Moon, with Venus, the “morning star,” the brightest of the three.
Moon and Venus
Venus huddles close to the Moon before and during dawn tomorrow. The “morning star” is the brightest point of light in the night sky, so you can’t miss it.
Moon and Planets
The giant planet Jupiter will stand near the Moon at first light tomorrow. It looks like a bright star to the lower left of the Moon. The brighter planet Venus — the “morning star” — will stand farther along the same line.
Daytime Moon
The Moon is the most dominant object in the night sky, yet it spends just as much time in the daytime sky. At sunrise tomorrow, for example, it will be in the south. It will arc low across the southwest during the morning, and set in early afternoon.
Medusa Nebula
The Medusa Nebula, a colorful bubble of gas that represents the last gasp of a dying star, is on the edge of Gemini. The constellation is in the east at nightfall. It’s marked by its brightest stars, Pollux and Castor.
The Twins
The twins of Gemini climb high across the evening sky at this time of year. Pollux and Castor are well up in the east at nightfall, with Castor standing a little above its brighter “twin.”
Moon and Spica
The star Spica, the leading light of the constellation Virgo, will stand to the lower right of the Moon as they climb into good view after midnight tonight, and closer to the upper right of the Moon tomorrow night.
Venus and Jupiter
The planets Venus and Jupiter, the brightest points of light in the night sky, will stand side by side in the southeast at dawn tomorrow. Venus is the brighter of the two, with Jupiter to its left. The star Antares is farther along the same line.
Milky Way Mapping
Textbook views of the Milky Way show a bar of stars in the middle with several spiral arms wrapping around it. But that picture is incomplete. In fact, astronomers are still trying to develop a complete and accurate diagram of our home galaxy.
Moon and Regulus
The star Regulus stands just a whisker away from the Moon tonight. They climb into good view by about 8:30 or 9 p.m., with the lion’s bright heart to the right of the Moon.