This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 29 – June 7
Venus and Jupiter grab your eyes in the west in late twilight. The Summer Triangle marks the dark in the east. So will the subtler Milky Way once the glary Moon is gone.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 22 – 31
Venus and Jupiter — the Evening Star and the False Evening Star — draw closer together in the western twilight and point down to Mercury. The waxing Moon shows off its rich telescopic detail.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 15 – 24
The Moon, Venus, and Jupiter — the three brightest celestial objects after the Sun — will form up beautifully in twilight this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 8 – 17
Jupiter, shining high the western dusk, inches down day toward brighter Venus. Venus, meanwhile, creeps toward the horntip stars of Taurus and stands between them on May 13th.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 1 – 9
Venus hangs in place in the western twilight while Aldebaran and the Pleiades continue their downward slide behind it. And if Venus is the Evening Star, then bright Jupiter, high to its upper left, counts as the False Evening Star.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 24 – May 3
The Moon occults Regulus in twilight or bright afternoon for most of North America. Venus lines up between Aldebaran and the Pleiades. Sirius nears its heliacal setting.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 17 – 26
The waxing Moon this week visits Venus, the Pleiades, and the Jupiter-Pollux-Castor triangle, then occults Regulus in a bright sky.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 10 – 19
A thin crescent Moon points the way to super-difficult Mercury and Mars low in the dawn, then the opposite crescent plays with bold Venus and the Pleiades in evening twilight.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 3 – 12
Arcturus, the Spring Star, is on its way up in the east. Vega, the Summer Star, rises later in the evening. Jupiter shines high toward the southwest.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 27 – April 5
Winter's gone, but the Winter Hexagon remains (for now). Trace out this gigantic asterism right after dark before it sinks. Jupiter glares inside its top.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 20 – 29
The waxing Moon grows along the horns of Taurus, then passes first quarter as it bunches up with Jupiter and the heads of the Gemini twins.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 13 – 22
A rare, near perfect young-Moon challenge awaits North Americans after sunset on March 19th. Jupiter rules the evening from on high in central Gemini.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 6 – 15
Bright Jupiter highlights the Gemini stick-figure twins standing on either side of it. Down below, the Winter Triangle balances on its Sirius point.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 27 – March 8
Jupiter forms a T with the Moon, Pollux, and Castor on Friday February 27th. Low in the western twilight, Saturn and Venus close in on each other. And can you catch the total lunar eclipse on the morning of March 3rd?
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 20 – March 1
Three of the five naked-eye planets emerge in the fading afterglow of sunset. The first-quarter Moon Tuesday passes as close to straight up as you may ever see it. And can you try for Sirius B?
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 13 – 22
Three planets await you in the western twilight, though low Venus is a toughie. The crescent Moon passes them and, for the lucky, occults Mercury. Dog and Hare accompany Orion. And can you find Kemble's Cascade?
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 6 – 15
The Winter Hexagon encompasses the brightest winter stars. Near Orion, the Big Dog prances and the Hare crouches. And the moonless dark this week opens telescopic deep-sky depths.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 30 – February 8
The dazzling Moon occults Regulus Monday night while Regulus is busy announcing February. Betelgeuse turns the Winter Hexagon into the Heavenly G.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 23 - February 1
The waxing Moon marches east across the evening sky. It says hello to binary Gamma Arietis on Saturday, then occults some of the Pleiades for Europe on Tuesday. But it's past them by nightfall in North America.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 16 – 25
This winter the biggest planet is the brightest. The brightest star pins the Winter Triangle. And did you know Capella and Rigel march in step?
