Sun rises at 5:42am
Sun sets at 6:35pm
Moon phase: new moon (i.e., no moon)
Moon rises at 6:30am
Moon sets at 7:38pm
Early Evening
Look to the north to see Ursa Minor and Ursa Major, aka the Little Dipper and the Big Dipper. The Little Dipper is low on the horizon, possibly blocked by trees or houses, but the Big Dipper is high enough for good viewing, provided the sky is cloud-free.
This weekend, let’s use the tail of the Big Dipper to find and learn to identify two lesser known stars that are bright and prominent, we will use the tail or handle of the Big Dipper as our starting point. The handle of the dipper is slightly curved, so use your imagination to continue that curve across the sky. The first bright star you encounter is Arcturus in the constellation Boötes. Arcturus is actually the third brightest star in the entire night sky, after Sirius, #1, and Canopus, #2. Boötes is often imagined as a herdsman with two dogs on a leash. Another myth, Greek in origin, sees Boötes as the son of Zeus and Callisto. Hera, Zeus’ wife, retaliates against them for two-timing her. So Zeus places them in the sky to protect them.
Anyway, follow the arc to Arcturus; that is an easy way to remember the name of the star as well as how to find it. The second star for this week is Spica. Find it by continuing the same curve, but now our line is heading straight across the sky. The first bright star you encounter will be Spica in the constellation of Virgo. The maiden, Virgo, holds an ear of corn, which the star represents. In fact, the word “Spica” means “ear of corn” in Latin.
So follow the arc to Arcturus and then drive a spike to Spica. Now you can identify two more stars and their constellations. Impress your friends by identifying the stars and then telling the story of the constellation.
Late night
More or less directly overhead from 7:30 to 10:00, you’ll make out Jupiter, our largest planet. If you have a proper astronomical telescope, you might choose to zoom in on this giant and observe its larger moons, its famous red spot in its swirling atmosphere, and its other features. However, when your target is directly overhead, using an ordinary scope or binoculars can be difficult to aim, so if you don’t mind late nights, the view of Jupiter improves when it is closer to the horizon. From midnight to 2:00am Jupiter is easier to focus on, and offers good viewing possibilities. The moons of Jupiter are visible with even a basic scope and each night they are in a different configuration as the orbit around the giant planet.
Early morning
By 10:00pm, look east-southeast to see both Mars and Saturn rising together. Mars leads the way as they climb higher and higher reaching their highest point in the southern sky around 3:00am. Mars shines with a reddish light and Saturn is a brilliant white. A telescope or binoculars will provide lovely views of these two planets. Saturn’s rings are particularly worth the effort of observing. The pair will set in the western horizon around sunrise.
If you are out later on in the week, each star rises about four minutes earlier each day than written here, and the moon rises 50 minutes later.
researched and compiled by Lisa Davis-Burnett
