In the Sky This Month

Cassiopeia, the queen, glistens in the northeast at nightfall and wheels high across the north later on. The queen’s five brightest stars form the shape of the letter W.

Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system. It’s 11 times the diameter of Earth, and more massive than all the other planets and moons combined. And it is in great view tonight. The planet is quite close to the crescent Moon as night falls.

The Moon forms a beautiful triangle with two brilliant planets this evening. Venus, the “evening star,” is close to the lower left of the Moon, with fainter Jupiter farther to the upper left.

Look for the Moon just above the western horizon at sunset. It’s a beautiful thin crescent. And it has a beautiful companion: the planet Venus. It is the brilliant “evening star,” to the left of the Moon.

If you have clear, dark skies, away from most of the glow of city lights, look for Lacerta, the lizard, about half way up the northeastern sky at nightfall. It’s between W-shaped Cassiopeia, to the lower left, and Cygnus, the swan, to the upper right.

The Moon is “new” at 1:01 p.m. CDT today. That is the moment it crosses between Sun and Earth. Since it appears so close to the Sun, it is lost in the Sun’s glare. It will return to view as a thin crescent low in the west early tomorrow evening.

The curving body of Scorpius, the scorpion, and the teapot shape of Sagittarius hunker low in the south and southwest at nightfall. Cygnus, the swan, soars high overhead. And W-shaped Cassiopeia is about a third of the way up the northeastern sky.

A faint pyramid of light, formed by sunlight reflecting off of dust grains scattered through the solar system, stands up from the eastern horizon before dawn at this time of year. You need a dark observing site to see it.

The constellation Cetus is entering the late-evening sky. Early star maps depict it as a fish with the head of a dragon or lion. Cetus had an appetite for young ladies, but when he tried to devour the princess Andromeda, he was slain by Perseus.

Neptune, the fourth-largest planet in the solar system, is putting on its best face this week. It is in view all night and it shines brightest for the year. Unfortunately, though, you still need a telescope to see it.