In the Sky This Month

Venus and the Moon, the two brightest objects in the night sky, barely peek into view in the evening twilight tonight. Venus is the brilliant Evening Star. Both bodies set well before it gets dark.

The star Gamma Cephei forms the peak of the northern constellation Cepheus, the king. The constellation looks like a child’s drawing of a house, with Gamma Cephei at the point of the roof. The system consists of two stars and at least one planet.

Arcturus, a bright yellow-orange star, is in the west this evening. To make sure you have the right star, look for the Big Dipper, in the northwest. Follow the curve of its handle away from the bowl until you reach the first bright star, which is Arcturus.

Two paths intersect on the eastern and western horizons at nightfall now: the ecliptic and the celestial equator. The ecliptic marks the Sun’s path across the sky. The equator is the projection of Earth’s equator, dividing the sky into northern and southern halves.

The planet Mercury is creeping into the dawn sky. It looks like a fairly bright star, but it’s so low that you need a clear horizon to spot it. Mercury will be a bit easier to see tomorrow because it will perch close to the crescent Moon.

The Beehive star cluster buzzes to the right or upper right of the Moon before and during dawn tomorrow. Under dark skies, the cluster looks like a hazy patch of light. Binoculars will bring it into sharper view.

The stars that represent the twins of Gemini appear near the Moon early tomorrow. Pollux, the brighter twin, stands above the Moon at first light, with Castor a little farther to the upper left of the Moon.

From the handle of the Big Dipper, you can arc to Arcturus. In other words, follow the curve of the handle away from the dipper until you come to the bright yellow-orange star Arcturus, which is well up in the west as night falls.

Look for the planet Mars before and during dawn now. It looks like a bright orange star. Tomorrow, it stands to the upper right of the crescent Moon, with the brilliant planet Jupiter above them.

The Moon and three bright lights form a diamond in tomorrow’s dawn sky. Clockwise from the Moon, the diamond’s points are the planet Jupiter, the brightest of the three; the planet Mars; and the star Elnath. Aldebaran, the eye of the bull, is well to the right of the Moon.