Saturn at Opposition
The planet Saturn is putting on its best showing of the year this week. It’s low in the southeast as night falls and looks like a bright gold star. It arcs across the south later on, and remains in view all night.
Messier 5
The star cluster Messier 5 stands high in the southeast at nightfall, far to the lower left of Arcturus, a bright yellow-orange star. Through binoculars, M5 looks like a fuzzy star. Small telescopes reveal some of its individual stars.
On the Move
Earth orbits the Sun at about 67,000 miles per hour. The solar system, in turn, orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at about 500,000 mph. And the Milky Way is moving toward a giant cluster of galaxies at 1.3 million mph.
Moon and Saturn
The just-past-full Moon has a bright companion tonight: the planet Saturn. They are low in the southeast at nightfall, with Saturn close to the right or lower right of the Moon. The solar system’s second-largest planet looks like a bright star.
Moon and Companions
A bright triangle highlights the southern sky tonight: the full Moon, the star Antares, and the planet Saturn. As night falls, Antares stands to the lower right of the Moon, with brighter Saturn about the same distance to the lower left of the Moon.
More Moon and Antares
Antares, the heart of Scorpius, stands directly below the Moon as darkness falls tonight. It is one of the biggest, brightest stars in the galaxy, and is fated to end its life with a titanic explosion known as a supernova.
Moon and Antares
Antares, the brightest star of the celestial scorpion, perches far to the lower left of the Moon tonight, and closer below the Moon tomorrow night. The star shines with a distinctly orange hue.
Libra
The Sun, Moon, and planets move in front of the zodiac, the “pathway of animals.” The only inanimate member of the zodiac is Libra, the scales of justice. Libra arcs across the southern sky this evening. Its four main stars form a lopsided square.
Moon and Spica
Spica, the leading light of Virgo, stands close to the lower right of the Moon as night falls this evening. The brilliant planet Jupiter is to their upper right, completing a beautiful triangle.
Moon and Jupiter
The planet Jupiter is in great view tonight. It stands just a couple of degrees from the Moon. The planet looks like a brilliant star. For the hours they are in view, in fact, nothing outshines Jupiter except the Moon.