This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 10 – 18
Comet Leonard switches from low in the dawn to low in the dusk this week; you'll need those binocs. The Venus-Saturn-Jupiter line slides westward. And the high full moon of December rides across the sky in Taurus, at the top of the ecliptic.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 3 – 11
The crescent Moon at dusk hangs under Venus, then Saturn, then Jupiter. Comet Leonard is at its best before dawn. And welcome in, Orion!
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 25 – December 4
While the Jupiter-Saturn-Venus line keeps shrinking, all kinds of deep-sky sights, naked-eye to telescopic, show themselves on these moonless evenings.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 19 – 27
Orion now rises in the east around 8 p.m. Will Betelgeuse or Rigel be the first of his bright stars to come up? That depends on your latitude; Los Angeles and Atlanta are balance points. The Pleiades and Aldebaran watch this scene from high above.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 12 – 20
Venus, Jupiter and Saturn highlight the dusk. Mercury and Mars are a dawn challenge. And get ready for the barely-almost-total eclipse of the Moon.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 5 – 13
In the evening sky the waxing Moon walks up past Venus, then Saturn and Jupiter day by day. And we're in the season of the Summer Triangle Effect.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 29 – November 6
The moonless evenings this week offer three bright planets and deep-sky riches as deep as you can go. Meanwhile, the waning crescent Moon meets Mercury and Spica low in bright dawn.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 22 – 30
As fall proceeds, Jupiter and Saturn shift westward and tilt ever more steeply. Venus gets a little higher and brighter. The waning Moon passes the Pleiades. And as Halloween approaches, Arcturus becomes the Ghost of Summer Suns.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 15 – 23
The gibbous Moon shines under Jupiter and Saturn, then waxes to full under the Great Square of Pegasus. Cassiopeia stands on end high in the northeast, as Capella glitters far below.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 8 – 16
The crescent Moon returns to the evening sky, passing Venus, then the Saturn and Jupiter pair. Venus itself passes Delta Sco and then Antares. Auroras may shimmer, the Draconids may sputter; the sky never ceases to call.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 1 – 9
Venus shines in twilight; watch Antares and the head of Scorpius slide toward it. Check out Jupiter, and hop from Saturn to two binocular double stars. The evenings are dark for deep-sky observing; the waning Moon crosses Leo before dawn.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, Sept. 24 – Oct. 2
Jupiter and Saturn shine in the south-southeast at dusk, Venus low in the southwest. They're all close to the ecliptic, so a straight line from Jupiter through Saturn points almost exactly to Venus. Don't believe it? Stretch a string tightly between your hands wide apart, hold it up to the three planets, and see for yourself!
This Week's Sky at a Glance, September 17 – 25
The waxing gibbous Moon shines with Jupiter and Saturn on its way to full. And as summer turns to fall, Deneb replaces Vega as the zenith star after dusk.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, September 10 – 18
The evening Moon steps eastward over Scorpius as it waxes through first quarter. All four giant planets await your telescope in early to late evening.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, September 3 – 11
Spica glimmers demurely under showy Venus in the western twilight. Try for Mercury way down to their lower right. Jupiter and Saturn dominate the evening south.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, Aug. 27 – Sept. 4
Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are all getting a little higher in early evening. Vega passes the zenith soon after dark; Deneb does so two hours later. Andromeda is up in the east.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 20 – 28
Jupiter and Saturn are just past opposition, so they dominate the sky all night. They inhabit dim Capricornus, which pushes Sagittarius westward. Venus, even showier, owns the western twilight but sets by full darkness.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 13 – 21
The Moon waxes from first quarter to gibbous in the evening sky, offering some of its most interesting telescopic aspects. Venus grows more insistent in the western twilight. And Jupiter and especially Saturn pose well in the southeast to south by late evening.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 6 – 14
It's Perseid meteor week! Venus lights the western twilight. Saturn and Jupiter are up in the southeast by mid-twilight and await your telescope later at night. And explore the deep-sky glories of Sagittarius before moonlight returns.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 30 – August 7
Saturn is at opposition this week, and Jupiter is soon to follow. Will your scope show the Seeliger effect of Saturn's opposition rings? Venus continues to haunt the low west in twilight. And in the south, Sagittarius starts nudging Scorpius aside.