
This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 12 – 20
Saturn is at opposition, the Perseids contend with moonlight, and once the Moon is gone from the evening sky, the summer Milky Way arches high.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 5 – 13
The Moon and Saturn come to opposition this week, showing us their full sunlit faces. Jupiter looms big late in the night, Vega attains the zenith, and we cross the midpoint of summer. The Perseid meteors get partly mooned out.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 29 – August 6
As the Big Dipper dips and the Guardians of the Pole align one over the other, Saturn looms low in the southeast and the False Comet teases at its highest.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 22 – 30
Bright Arcturus is still pretty high after dark, but as summer progresses, it moves down the western side of the evening sky. Its pale ginger-ale tint always helps identify it.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 15 – 23
The waning Moon says hi to late-night Saturn, the Teapot starts tilting, the Great Square thrusts up, and the Milky Way arches high.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 8 – 16
July is Scorpius season. Maybe you know of the Cat's Eyes in the Scorpion's tail, but how about the Little Cat's Eyes in the Scorpion's body? The Sagittarius Teapot follows not far behind.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 1 – 9
The Moon waxes across the evening sky from Leo to Scorpius. The five-planet lineup in the dawn is now four. And amateur astronomers plan to be recording as Saturn's hazy moon Titan occult a star about as bright as Titan itself for most of North America.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 24 – July 2
The crescent Moon returns to the evening, crossing Leo. The five-planet lineup continues at dawn; catch it while you still can. And for skywatchers at northern latitudes, we're entering noctilucent cloud season.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 17 – 25
The five naked-eye planets form a diagonal line in the dawn this week — in order of their distance from the Sun, no less. And the waning Moon visits each one in turn, day by day.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 10 – 18
The waxing gibbous Moon shines with Spica, then occults Delta Scorpii. Meanwhile, all seven planets other than Earth are forming into a diagonal line across the east to southeast at dawn.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 3 – 11
For three nights running, the waxing Moon will pose equidistant from the two brightest stars of Leo. The Cassiopeia W lies exactly level in the north. And for that to happen, Kochab has to be straight above Polaris.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 27 – June 4
The crescent Moon passes Pollux and Castor in the western twilight. Jupiter aligns with Mars in the dawn, then they edge apart. And a strong new meteor shower will either happen or it won't!

This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 20 – 28
The advancing spring sends Vega high and Capella low. The Coma Berenices cluster glitters shyly way up, big and dim. Glance up anytime to check on changing Beta Lyrae. And now in the dawn, Jupiter aligns with Mars.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 13 – 21
The Moon becomes totally eclipsed, Corvus eyes Spica, Draco eyes Vega, and the last star of the rising Summer Triangle clears the horizon.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 6 – 14
The Moon aligns with Pollux and Castor – but how precisely for you? Three zero-magnitude stars form a far-flung spring triad. And with Libra and Bootes up, the two oldest things you will ever see await your binoculars or scope.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 29 – May 6
Mercury passes the Pleiades at dusk. Jupiter passes Venus in the dawn as Mars and Saturn watch. And can you name the three brightest stars of these spring nights? Hint: They're all magnitude zero.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 22 – 30
Arcturus, Spica, and Corvus put on their spring show. The Pointers point straight down at nightfall, which means Leo walks the high south and the Arch of Spring spans the west.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 15 – 23
Orion descends, Leo walks sideways, the Dog Stars stand up straight, the Moon wanes past full, and at dawn, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn form a diagonal straight line.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 8 – 16
The gibbous Moon passes through Leo and Virgo as it waxes toward full, forming new Moon-and-stars "lunarisms" (patterns) each evening. Mercury begins a new apparition in the sunset. At dawn, Jupiter emerges to join the lineup of Venus, Mars, and Saturn.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 1 – 9
The evening Moon climbs toward the Arch of Spring, then through it. Orion's Belt levels, the Leaps of the Gazelle cross the zenith, and Saturn and Mars conjoin near brilliant Venus in early dawn.