Today:
To the left of Orion’s belt, the brilliant star in the southwest is Sirius, known as the Dog Star, and the brightest star in the sky. As it lowers closer to the horizon, notice that as it twinkles, it flashes many colors. Its light is bending on its way through our atmosphere, giving us pin-point glimpses of its spectrum or rainbow, one color at a time.
Monday:
A good view to the north gives a terrific chance to see the Queen Cassiopeia’s chair or throne lowering toward the northern horizon. She is facing to the right, looking at her husband, King Cepheus. In six months, her throne will be high above, but upside-down.
Tuesday:
The northern sky this evening contains none of the brightest stars. Its centerpiece Polaris appears prominent, mainly due to the lack of brighter stars. To see a bright star farther west, you need to look far afield before glimpsing Capella, about a third of the way up in the northwest at 10 PM. A little closer toward the east there are the coming attractions of Deneb, low in the north-northeast, and Vega, a little higher in the northeast – both will join with Altair to form the Summer Triangle.