Today:
The dark, moonless evenings feature the brightest section of the Milky Way due south near 10:00 PM. We are viewing into the heart of our galaxy, where the density of stars is estimated to be up to one million times more dense than our skies, 25 thousand light years from the center.
Wednesday:
A slender, waxing Crescent Moon slides low above the western horizon this evening, with the tips of its horns nearly vertical. This gives the appearance that the Moon cannot “hold water”, and therefore gives us the weather saying, “when the Moon cannot hold water, expect rain.
Thursday:
The star Arcturus appears near 8:45 PM, as twilight gives way to darker skies, seen about half way up in the west. It is due west at 10:30 and sets after midnight. This star owes its status as the brightest star in the summer skies because it is relatively close by at 36 light years, and it is huge, measuring 37 times the diameter of our Sun.