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The year is off to a good start with a full moon on the first night of 2018. Steve Cariddi has some viewing suggestions for this week. A "supermoon" occurs Monday night. As with all supermoons, the difference between the Moon's size on Monday and the average apparent size of a full Moon is not that dramatic, but it's a great excuse to get out and look at our nearest celestial neighbor. The full Moon on Monday will be among the stars of Gemini, so look for bright Castor and Pollux (the twins) to the Moon's left. The other big news this week is the very close conjunction of Mars and Jupiter in the morning sky. The two rise around 3am local time and are a little more than 3° apart when the week begins, but on the mornings of January 6th and 7th, the two are less than half a degree apart! They are easily visible about 30° up in the southeastern sky about 45 minutes before sunrise. This is one of the nicest planetary conjunctions of the year, so don't miss it! Sky & Telescope created a chart to show you what to expect. Here is Sky & Telescope's chart of the Mars/Jupiter conjunction.
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Jane Houston Jones of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab tells about what's up in the January sky. There's video and a transcript of the video.
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EarthSky's Deborah Byrd reminds us that there's a beautiful planetary conjunction coming up tomorrow (Sunday). Mars and Jupiter have been getting closer to each other this week in the pre-dawn sky, and tomorrow they'll be about half a moon-diameter apart. To see Jupiter and Mars together before dawn, you need to be looking southeast. Jupiter will be very bright. Once you've seen it, look nearby for reddish - but much fainter - Mars. Also watch out for Antares, a bright reddish star, lower in the sky. And the star Zubenelgenubi. Here is a view of Jupiter and Mars taken by Chirag Upreti. Although Antares and Zubenelgenubi aren't included, you can see the 4 largest moons of Jupiter. (They can't be seen with the unaided eye.) The photographer says Jupiter (and its moons) and Mars seen close together from Bronx, NYC. The cold temperatures here cause instant white plumes of exhaust to form from heating vents, the light pollution from the city illuminates this with the orange tinge.
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I've had a long spell of overcast skies, so I was surprised a few nights ago to see something bright - could it be an actual star? - through the kitchen window. Even with the kitchen lights reflected in the window, this was bright and twinkly. Decided it must be Sirius. From another room, which has a window I can open and lean out, I had a good look. Besides being the brightest star in the sky, Sirius is twinkly and tends to change color. This is because it's low in the sky and therefore its light comes farther through more of the atmosphere, and the atmosphere affects the steadiness. If you think you're seeing Sirius, you can check it out by looking for Orion. For most people, only the Big Dipper is easier to find than Orion. There's a bright reddish star - that's Betelgeuse, one of Orion's shoulders. And one foot is a bright blueish star - that's Rigel. Orion's belt is three evenly-spaced stars which point towards Sirius. If you find Orion and Sirius, you can spot the Winter Triangle. Since you already have 2/3 of it, it should be obvious where Procyon has to be to complete the triangle. You may think, from the picture, that it'll be hard to find these stars, because there's so much else there. I rarely find myself anywhere with really dark clear skies. Most of the time it's easy to pick out constellations and asterisms, because they're made up of fairly bright stars, and without binoculars or a telescope, you can't see the many dim ones.
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Steve Cariddi has some pointers for some easy skywatching that needs only your eyes! But if you have binoculars, you might be surprised at the extra detail you can see. A new lunar month begins on Tuesday. By Thursday, you should be able to see an increasingly thicker crescent in the southwestern sky each night at sunset. While the Moon holds your attention in the early evening sky, you'll have to turn to the predawn southeastern sky to see some planets. About half an hour before sunrise, look for Mars and Jupiter (brighter) about halfway up in the south-southeastern sky, while Mercury (brighter) and Saturn are very low in the southeast.
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February's issue of Cosmic Pursuits has a lunar eclipse time lapse from Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California and lots of pointers on looking at the sky this month. And reminds us that one special sky sight will be missing this month - there's no full moon in February.
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The Sky this Week from Steve Cariddi The waning Moon is prominent in the predawn sky this week. Watch it pass by Jupiter and Mars on the mornings of the 7th, 8th, and 9th. Here is a good finder chart from Sky & Telescope to show you what to expect. About half an hour before sunrise, look for Saturn about 30° to the lower left of Mars, close to the southeastern horizon.
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What to look out for this week? Steve Cariddi gives us the basics. Venus is emerging into the early evening sky this week. Look for it bright and very low in the west, less than half an hour after sunset. I'm delighted to have Venus back in the evening sky, as I'm not an early morning person. But for those that are: Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn are easily seen in the predawn southern sky. Look for Jupiter highest and brightest, due south around 6 AM local time. About 20° to its lower left is reddish Mars, not to be confused with the star Antares, which is similar in brightness and color but about 5° below Mars.
It's interesting to note that Antares means "rival to Mars" or "equal to Mars" in ancient Greek, and it's easy to see how this star, the brightest in the constellation Scorpius, has long been considered Mars's double.
About 25° to the lower left of Mars, Saturn is visible in the southeastern sky.
The Moon will be new on Thursday, marking the start of a new lunar month.
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I don't tend to consider the Express a newspaper, but this list of meteor showers for 2018 is good. And although they seem typically possessive, calling them "UK meteor showers", they're not just for for Britain, but generally for the northern hemisphere.
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Jane Houston Jones tells us What's up in March?. There's a short video (with transcript) about some of the highlights of the March sky.
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Steve Cariddi tells us where to see the Moon and planets this week: The Moon is on the wane this week, reaching third quarter on Friday the 9th. The early evening sky will be moonless as the Moon rises later each evening, so this is a good week to look for the Moon in the south or southwest sky on your way to work or school in the morning. Bright Venus and dimmer Mercury are low in the western sky at dusk. Jupiter is rising before midnight and is well placed in the southwest before sunrise. Mars rises around 2:00 AM, and Saturn about an hour later. Look for the waning crescent Moon to be between Mars and Saturn on the morning of the 10th about an hour before sunrise in the southeastern sky.
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What might you see in the night sky over the next few months? The graphic gives a few highlights. Viewed as a clock face centered at the bottom, sky events in March fan out toward the left, April toward the top, and May toward the right. Objects relatively close to Earth are illustrated, in general, as nearer to the cartoon figure with the telescope at the bottom center -- although almost everything pictured can be seen without a telescope. Sky highlights this season include a bright Venus in the evening sky during March, the Lyrids meteor shower during April, and Jupiter entering the evening sky during May. As true in every season, the International Space Station (ISS) can be sometimes be found drifting across your sky if you know just when and where to look . Illustration Credit & Copyright: Universe2go.com Description: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
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Deborah Byrd reminds us that Mars will be a special treat this year. Remember Mars in 2003? That was the year the red planet came closer to Earth than it had been in some 60 thousand years. Mars can be a bright planet. It can outshine most stars. But, in 2003, for a few months, Mars was exceedingly spectacular in our sky, outshining all the stars and planets except brilliant Venus. In 2018, Mars won’t be quite as bright as it was in 2003. But nearly!
It’ll dramatically brighten over the coming months to appear as a red dot of brilliant flame in our sky around July, 2018.
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Steve Cariddi's sky hints for this week The moon is waning this week, having turned full on March 31. It will reach last quarter on Sunday, April 8. This is the week when it's easy to spot the Moon in the south or southwestern sky in the early morning, on your way to work or school. In the western sky after sunset, Venus is bright and hard to miss. Jupiter is rising around 10 or 11pm local time. By 3am it reaches its highest point in the south. Before dawn it's in the southwestern sky. Also before dawn, look for Mars and Saturn, which are 1-2° apart any morning this week. They are a beautiful sight, especially on Saturday morning, when the waning gibbous Moon is right next to Saturn. Although nearly equal in brightness, the planets are easy to tell apart because Mars has a distinctly red-orange hue compared to more yellow-white Saturn.
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I've recently come come across the site Our Wide Sky and they're offering a "Naked Eye Checklist". You can download it from as a pdf. It's a guide to things you can see without binoculars or telescope. Could be a good way for you to start observing.
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Steve Cariddi's quick guide for this week: The Moon is a waning crescent this week and it will be new on Sunday, making this a good week for watching the sky in relatively moonless conditions. Look for Venus after sunset, shining bright and low in the western sky. Jupiter is rising around 10 pm local time, so it's well placed for viewing in the south at around 3 am. By dawn it is shining low in the southwest sky. Jupiter will reach opposition next month, when it will be visible all night long. Also before dawn, Mars and Saturn are close together in the southeast sky among the stars of Sagittarius. They begin the week 3° apart, and by week's end they have doubled that distance.
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With the new moon tonight (April 15/16), you might be able to see a sliver of a new crescent soon after sunset Monday evening - look below Venus. (Venus is the very bright object you can see in the sunset sky.)
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The Sky This Week from Steve Cariddi: The Moon is waxing this week, and you should be able to see it as a crescent in western sky after sunset, growing fatter and moving farther east (left) each night. On Tuesday night it will be near bright Venus, low in the western sky at sunset. On Wednesday night it will be among the stars of the Hyades cluster in Taurus. Jupiter rises about an hour after sunset, and it is visible most of the night. It is best placed for viewing around 2 am , when it will be moderately high in the southern sky. Mars and Saturn are rising around 1 am local time, and before dawn you can seen them among the stars of Sagittarius, low in the southeastern sky. The separation between the two planets will increase each night, from about 7° to 10° during the week. Saturn is on the right and whiter; Mars is on the left and noticeably redder.
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Meteor shower has begun.Bruce McClure of EarthSky reports: The annual Lyrid meteor shower is starting! It’s active each year from about April 16 to 25. In 2018, the peak of this shower – which tends to come in a burst and usually lasts for less than a day – is expected to fall on the morning of April 22, with little or no interference from the waxing moon.
No matter where you are on Earth, expect the greatest number of meteors to fall during the few hours before dawn.
All in all the Lyrid meteor shower prospects look pretty good for 2018, though meteor showers are notorious for being fickle and not totally predictable.
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EarthSky tells us: On April 27 and 28, 2018, you’ll find the moon in front of the constellation Virgo and close to Spica, Virgo’s brightest star. Spica serves as a prime example of a 1st-magnitude star; in other words, it’s one of the brightest stars in our sky. You’ll have no trouble picking it out, even in the glare of the waxing gibbous moon, over these next few nights.
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Amoeba
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Amoeba
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This should be beautiful.
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Spaceweather.com charts a wonderful conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter. (conjunction = they'll appear close together in the sky). Jupiter is approaching Earth for a close encounter in early May, making the giant planet extra big and bright. On Sunday night, April 29th, the Moon will turn full just as it glides past the brightening gas giant. It adds up to a display of rare brilliance in the midnight sky. Here are three sky charts showing the Moon and Jupiter converging over three nights in the constellation Libra. April 28April 29April 30
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What to see this week, from Steve Cariddi: The Moon is waning this week, having just turned full on Sunday and heading toward third (last) quarter. This means the Moon starts the week rising just after sunset, and will rise about an hour later each night. In the early evening twilight, look for Venus shining brightly in the west, On Monday night, Jupiter will appear about 6° west (right) of the nearly full Moon. All week, Jupiter will be visible for most of the night as it approaches opposition next week. Saturn and Mars are rising around 1 and 2 am local time, respctively. Before dawn, they are at their highest in the south. Look for Saturn on Friday morning, and Mars on Sunday morning. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower will also peak before dawn on Sunday, but the waning gibbous Moon will wash out many of the meteors.
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Chimpanzee
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Chimpanzee
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Mona, I tried to keep my eye on the sky while we were traveling through the SW National Parks. However, after a full day of climbing and sight-seeing, I would fall asleep and not wake up until morning. However, twice I did check out the beautiful night sky and saw twinkling stars so many more than I ever see here at home.
Can you recommend an app that helps a person orient them self as they look at the night sky?
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Angie, I've never used one of these apps, so I asked for suggestions. Here are three that are free. If you have an iPhone you can get SkyView Lite. (lots of high ratings from users) From Google Play, there's Star Walk 2 (contains ads), and Sky Safari 5. (Sky Safari had lots of ratings, the page doesn't include any for Star Walk.) You can probably find user assistance on all of them by doing a search. I find that there are people online that are much more helpful than the providers about using devices and software! If none of these suits, I have three more that aren't very expensive. Let me know how if any of them work out for you. That would be a help for other people too.
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Jane Houston Jones tells us What's up in May. There's a short video and a transcript.
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Chimpanzee
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Chimpanzee
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Great info; thanks, Mona. Angie, I've never used one of these apps, so I asked for suggestions. Here are three that are free. If you have an iPhone you can get SkyView Lite. (lots of high ratings from users) From Google Play, there's Star Walk 2 (contains ads), and Sky Safari 5. (Sky Safari had lots of ratings, the page doesn't include any for Star Walk.) You can probably find user assistance on all of them by doing a search. I find that there are people online that are much more helpful than the providers about using devices and software! If none of these suits, I have three more that aren't very expensive. Let me know how if any of them work out for you. That would be a help for other people too.
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Bruce McClure of EarthSky: These next several mornings – May 4, 5 and 6, 2018 – the bright waning gibbous moon will be putting a damper on the predawn Eta Aquariid meteor shower. But this bright moon will show you Saturn and Mars in the starry sky. Saturn and Mars are easily as brilliant as 1st-magnitude stars, so you should have no trouble seeing them in the moon’s glare. The only requirement (besides a clear sky) will be to stay up very late, or to rise before the sun on these mornings. Saturn and Mars will be the two brilliant “stars†near the moon.
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Lisa Harvey reminds us to watch out for Jupiter at opposition - it's coming on May 9th. These are some things to look out for:
When a planet, the Earth and the Sun are in line, with the Earth in the middle, this is called opposition. Only the superior planets, those whose orbits are further from the Sun than Earth, have this kind of opposition. This is the best time to view one of these planets because they are close to us, and their full face is lit by the Sun.
These are some things to look out for:
The planet will rise as the Sun sets. This means it will be perfectly viewable in the evening, without having to stay up late or get up early.
It will be at -2.5 magnitude and the brightest object in the evening sky on that date.
This opposition will see Jupiter at 45 arc seconds in size. This isn't the biggest we can see it. It is biggest at 50 arc seconds. This change in size is due to the shapes of the orbits. When Jupiter's orbit is closest to the Sun, and at opposition, we get the best view. This will happen in 2023.
This is the perfect time to observe Jupiter with small telescopes or binoculars. You'll certainly see moons. Look closely at the shape of the planetary disk. It will be not quite round.
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Skywatching hints for this week from Steve Cariddi: The Moon is a waning crescent this week, generally being visible in the predawn sky. Venus is bright and easily seen in the western sky at sunset. Jupiter is at opposition on Tuesday, when it will rise at sunset and be visible all night. It shines brightly among the faint stars of Libra and is highest in the south around 1am local time. Saturn rises around 1am local time; Mars rises about an hour later. Both are best seen in the predawn southern sky, among the stars of Sagittarius.
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Here is Brian Ventrudo's guide to observing Jupiter. If you have access to a telescope, you'll be able to see a lot of interesting things, but decent binoculars will also be helpful.
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The sky this week from Steve Cariddi: The Moon is new on Tuesday, the start of a new lunar month. Look for our nearest celestial neighbor a few nights later, low in the west or southwest sky after sunset. Each night it will move farther east (left) and get a bit higher and fatter, but every night this week it will be a crescent (less than half illuminated). On Thursday night, look for the Moon a few degrees to the east (left) of Venus, which is very bright in the western sky after sunset. By the time night falls, you should be able to see Jupiter (in the constellation Libra) shining bright and low in the east. It is just past opposition, so it will be visible most of the night, being at its highest point around midnight. Saturn is also rising around midnight (in Sagittarius), followed by Mars (in Capricorn) about an hour later. The two planets will be at the highest in the south just before dawn.
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Astronomy magazine gives some tips for observing the night sky from the 18th to the 25th of May. Some things you'll be able to see without optical aids. For others, even if you don't have a telescope, binoculars can be helpful.
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Reminder from Bruce McClure of EarthSky:
Tonight – May 21, 2018 – the half-lit first quarter moon passes 1.5 degrees (3 moon-diameters) north of Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion. Nearly everyone worldwide can use the moon to find the star Regulus on this night.
Just look for the moon in the evening sky. The nearby bright star will be Regulus.
There’s little chance of mistaking another star for Regulus, because Regulus is the only bright object within a stone’s throw of the May 21 moon.
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Which planets are visible from your location? What time do they rise and set tonight? Here you have the information you need about planets visible in the night sky in New York City. But most of us don't live in or near New York City! Just fill in your own location on the page, and it will give you your local information.
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EarthSky says Before daybreak on June 1 to 3, watch for the moon near Mars and Saturn. Because the moon moves eastward in front of the constellations of the zodiac at the rate of about 1/2 degree (one moon-diameter) per hour, or about 13 degrees per day, look for the moon to change its position from day to day. It’ll be closest to Saturn on the morning of June 1, approximately between Saturn and Mars on June 2, and closest to Mars on June 3.
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Here's Brian Ventrudo's guide to The Night Sky This Month. Night by night details, suggestions, diagrams and pictures.
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CosmicPursuits gives the lowdown on the sky in July: It’s another excellent month to feast your eyes on planets. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are all easily visible in the night sky with the unaided eye. And while Jupiter and Saturn remain large and bright and beautiful in a telescope, Mars is the main event this month as the planet makes its closest approach to Earth in 15 years. The planet will be a sight to behold without optics as it hovers fat and bright in the southeastern sky an hour or two after sunset, and it will be absolutely beautiful in a telescope. Half the world will also see a long and deep lunar eclipse, and a modest meteor shower arrives near the end of July. 12 July. Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation, its largest angular distance from the Sun. The planet will now begin to move quickly each day back toward the western horizon. It will reappear in the morning sky later in August. 13 July. New Moon, 02:48 UT 15 July. Another lovely view: look for Venus, a waxing crescent Moon, and the star Regulus in the western sky after sunset. All lie within about 5º of each other. 19 July. First Quarter Moon, 19:52 UT. 20 July. The gibbous Moon forms a triangle with brilliant Jupiter and the 2nd magnitude star Alpha Librae (also called Zubenelgenubi). 24 July. The Moon makes its way along the ecliptic and checks in with the planet Saturn in the constellation Sagittarius. Saturn reached opposition in late June and continues to put on its best show of the year. The planet is located above the Teapot of Sagittarius in the southeastern sky after sunset and remains visible all night long. 27 July. Mars reaches opposition, rising in the east as the Sun sets in the west. Oppositions of Mars only happen every two years and two months, and this apparition is the best since 2003. Mars makes its closest approach to Earth on July 30-31. You can’t miss it. Look to the constellation Capricorn in the southeast (or east in the southern hemisphere), just east of Sagittarius after sunset. You will see a blazing bright planet shining with a steady ochre glow. If you have a telescope, make the effort to observe Mars. You’ll get the best view when the planet is furthest above the horizon a couple of hours after midnight this month. It rises a little earlier each night. Go have a look. Mars won’t be this close again until 2050. 27 July. Full Moon, 20:20 UT 27-28 July. Observers in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia will enjoy a total lunar eclipse. In Europe, the partial phase of the eclipse gets underway as the Moon rises on the night of the 27th. In Australia, the Moon sets on the morning of the 28th as the eclipse is in progress. This will be a long eclipse with a total of 1 hour and 43 minutes of totality. Mars, which reaches opposition tonight and shines at a brilliant magnitude -2.8, lies just 5-6º away from the Moon during the eclipse. Alas, observers in North America will miss this event. But we still have Mars! 28 July. The Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower peaks. Look for 15-20 meteors per hour, with a path that traces back to the radiant in the constellation Aquarius. This somewhat weak shower favors southern-hemisphere observers. The best view is after midnight, and you can see these meteors anywhere in the sky.
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From EarthSky: Earth will go between Mars and the sun later this week. It's Mars' best and brightest opposition since 2003. Note that the moon will be near Mars during Friday's total lunar eclipse. Start watching Mars and the moon tonight! Even if you can't see the eclipse, you can still see Mars, weather permitting. And you can see the eclipse online. Coverage from the Virtual Telescope
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Cosmic Pursuits enthuses about the delights of August skywatching: August is arguably the best month for stargazing. For northern-hemisphere observers, the weather is still warm but much of the unsettled and humid summer air dissipates and skies become, on average, drier and clearer. Observers in the southern hemisphere enjoy warmer weather as winter nears an end, and the center of the Milky Way, the starriest part of the night sky, still lies just past overhead. And of course, the Perseid meteor shower peaks this month, and the Moon will stay mercifully out of the way for this event this year. There are also plenty of planets to see in the evening sky, including Mars, which has just passed opposition and still shines brightly all month. Jupiter and Saturn remain large enough to afford good views with a telescope. And Venus slowly brightens in the western sky after sunset. Here’s what’s going on in the night sky this month.
1-31 August. Planets, planets everywhere! Look to the west and south after sunset to take in four dazzling planets. From right to left, look for Venus (the brightest), very bright Jupiter, Saturn, and brilliant red-orange Mars. These planets will remain in the sky all month. With your eye, binoculars, or a telescope, all these planets are a beautiful sight. And here’s some welcome news… the planet-wide dust storm on Mars is finally dying down, so hopefully we can all get a better view of the surface of the Red Planet.
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A new comet - a green one! is briefly visible in the sky tonight and tomorrow night (August 7 & 8), and maybe beyond that, if you're lucky. But by mid-August it will be too close to the Sun to be easily seen. It's name is PanSTARRS (C/2017 S3), but because of its color and size it's been nicknamed the "Incredible Hulk". Ha, ha.
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Have you seen Mars this summer? I woke up in the night and went to the window. Didn't see any Perseids, but there was a break in the clouds and Mars was as bright as a beacon. Just wow! You can see Mars on the left in Mike Killian's photo.
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Last night I went for a walk in the evening. Lots of light pollution in London, but a clear enough sky to see a very bright Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, along with the Summer Triangle. Go out and see what you can see on a nice summer evening.
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Sky & Telescope tells us what to look out for this week. What can you see?
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Jane Houston Jones tells us What's Up in September - short video and transcript. What's going on in the sky as summer eases into fall?
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EarthSky says look west after sunset to spot the crescent moon, plus the planets Venus and Jupiter. You can’t miss them if your sky is clear! The moon, Venus and Jupiter rank as the second brightest, third brightest and fourth brightest sky objects, respectively, after the sun.
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Jane Houston Jones of Cal Tech & NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab says there's lots to see in the sky in September. There's a video and a transcript where she tells us What's Up - October.
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Chimpanzee
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Hi Mona. I'll be honest, I haven't kept my eye on the sky. We were in Ireland for 12 beautiful (windy, showery weather, and rainbows) days.
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Steve Cariddi tells us what to look out for in the sky this week: This week the Moon goes from just shy of first quarter phase on Monday to waxing gibbous on Sunday, so you'll see the Moon prominent in the early evening sky all week, moving eastward (toward the left) and growing increasingly illuminated night to night. Saturn and Mars are the easiest planets to see this week. Saturn is in the south-southwestern sky after sunset, and Mars is in the south at the same time. The Moon will pass above Mars on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
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What's in the sky this week? Steve Cariddi says: This week the Moon is nearly full (officially full on Wednesday) and by week's end it is a waning gibbous, rising a few hours after sunset and visible until past sunrise. In the early evening sky, try to spot Jupiter low in the west-southwest immediately after sunset. Saturn is easier to spot about 45-minutes after sunset, a bright yellow "star" north of the Sagittarius teapot asterism, low in the southwest. As night falls, Mars is prominent in the southern sky.
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Lots to see in the sky in November. Get the lowdown from Cosmic Pursuits.
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Jane Houston Jones of from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory tells us What's Up in November. There's the usual short video plus a transcript.
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EarthSky has something to say about Venus this month: Venus is the brightest planet, beaming mightily the east before sunrise. As December 2018 begins, Venus is shining at greatest brilliancy, its brightest for this morning apparition. Although Venus will remain a fixture of the morning sky until mid-August 2019, it’ll grow dimmer, by a bit, after early December. Even so, as always, Venus will rank as the 3rd-brightest celestial body, after the sun and moon!
The waning crescent moon will join Venus in the morning sky for several days, centered on or near December 3. If you’re up before dawn, you can also see the stars Arcturus and Spica accompanying the moon and the queen planet, as depicted on the sky chart above.
At mid-northern latitudes, Venus rises about 3 1/2 hours before sunrise throughout December .
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This week's sky from Steve Cariddi: The Moon is waning this week, heading toward new Moon on Friday. This means that at the beginning of the week it will be visible just before dawn in the southeastern sky as a slim crescent, on Sunday night as a slim crescent in the southwest just after sunset. What it also means is that the Moon is "out of the way" for observing the stars and other faint objects in the sky, a prime time for deep sky observers. Just after sunset, look for Saturn very low in the southwest. The slim crescent Moon will be 1° north of it on Sunday evening. Also at nightfall, look for Mars shining brightly in the south. Just before sunrise in the southeastern sky, Venus is remarkably bright - about as bright as it ever gets. Mercury is also becoming visible by week's end, about 25° to the lower left of Venus.
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