SUNSET: 
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, February 7 – 15
Venus is the bright "star" shining in the southwest during and after twilight. Fainter Mercury is far down to its lower left as twilight fades.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, Jan. 24 – Feb. 1
Betelgeuse remains dim. The red supergiant Betelgeuse in Orion's shoulder has always been slightly variable, but for the last month or so it's been in an unusually low dip. As of January 22nd it was still about visual magnitude +1.5 instead of its more typical +0.5, It's clearly fainter than similarly-colored Aldebaran, magnitude +0.9, with which it's often compared and normally outshines quite obviously.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, January 17 – 25
Is your sky dark enough for you to see the winter Milky Way? In mid-evening now it runs vertically up and across the zenith: from Canis Major low in the southeast, up between Orion and Gemini, through Auriga and Perseus almost straight overhead, and down through Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and Cygnus to the northwest horizon.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, January 10 – 18
Venus, shining at magnitude –4.0 in Capricornus, dominates the southwest during and after twilight, higher each week. It will shine as the grand "Evening Star" all winter and into the spring.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, January 3 – 11
Astronomy? Skywatching? Daily sky sights for the unaided eye, binoculars, and telescopes, from Sky & Telescope magazine.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, Jan. 31 – Feb. 8
Betelgeuse remains dim. The red supergiant Betelgeuse in Orion's shoulder has always been slightly variable, but for the last month or so it's been in an unusually low dip. Now magnitude 1.6!
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, December 27 – January 4
Want to become a better amateur astronomer? Learn your way around the constellations. They're the key to locating everything fainter and deeper to hunt with binoculars or a telescope.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, December 20 – 28
Have you ever watched Sirius rise? Watch for Sirius about two fists below Orion's vertical Belt. When a star is very low, it tends to twinkle slowly and often in vivid colors.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, December 13 – 21
Venus shines in the southwest in evening twilight, a little higher each week now. It's on its way up to a grand, high "Evening Star" apparition this winter.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, December 6 – 14
This week, Jupiter is disappearing deep into the sunset, while Venus, having ditched Jupiter, is on its way to flirt with Saturn.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, Nov. 29 – Dec. 7
In the southwest at dusk, Jupiter is going bye-bye and Venus, having ditched Jupiter, is closing in on Saturn.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, November 22 – 30
Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets, shine in the southwest during bright twilight. Venus is the brighter one.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, November 15 – 23
The waning gibbous Moon is in Gemini Nov. 16, with Pollux to its left and Castor above Pollux.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, November 8 – 16
In early evening, look high above the Moon for the Great Square of Pegasus through the moonlight. It's standing on one corner.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, November 1 – 9
Friday, Nov. 1 • The waxing crescent Moon shines in the south-southwest at dusk, with Saturn glowing 4° or 5° to its upper left (for North America) as shown here. Look much farther lower right, by nearly 20°, for Jupiter. Saturday, Nov. 2 • Saturn shines right of the Moon…
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, October 25 – November 2
The W of Cassiopeia now stands vertically on end in the evening, high in the northeast. Look to its right for Andromeda and the Great Square of Pegasus.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, October 18 – 26
Friday, Oct. 18 • Vega is the brightest star high in the west after dark. To its lower right by 14° (nearly a fist and a half at arm's length), look for Eltanin, the nose of Draco the Dragon. The rest of Draco's fainter, lozenge-shaped head is a little farther…
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, October 11 – 19
Friday, Oct. 11 • Soon after dark, you'll find zero-magnitude Arcturus low in the west-northwest at the same height as zero-magnitude Capella shining in the northeast. When this happens, turn to the south-southeast, and there will be 1st-magnitude Fomalhaut at the same height — if you're at latitude 43°…
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, October 4 – 12
Friday, Oct. 4 • The waxing Moon this evening shines between Saturn, to its left or upper left, and Jupiter farther to the Moon's lower right (off the center-right of the chart here). Saturday, Oct. 5 • It's both International Astronomy Day and International Observe the Moon Night! The Moon…
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, September 27 – October 5
The starry W of Cassiopeia stands high in the northeast after dark this week. The right-hand side of the W, the brightest, is tilted up.
