Moon and Venus
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.
Lacerta
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.
New Moon
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.
High and Low
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.
Zodiacal Light
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.
Cetus
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 at Opposition
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.
Little Arrow
Sagitta, the arrow, is a small constellation lodged in a prominent part of the sky, between Aquila, the eagle, and Cygnus, the swan. It is high in the southeast as night falls and shoots over to the west as the evening goes on.
51 Ophiuchi
Some stars spin so fast that they are shaped more like lozenges than balls. An example is 51 Ophiuchi, in Ophiuchus, which is in the south and southwest at nightfall. The star spins more than 100 times faster than the Sun, causing it to bulge at the equator.
Last-Quarter Moon
The Moon reaches last quarter at 9:37 p.m. At last quarter, half of the side that faces Earth is bathed in sunlight, while the other half is in darkness. When the Moon is at last quarter it is leading Earth in our planet’s orbit around the Sun.