Today:
Winter Solstice occurs early this morning at 4:21 EST, with our shortest day and longest night of the year. On this longest night, you’ll need to wait until midnight to see the waning Gibbous Moon emerge from the eastern horizon. But the Red Planet Mars rises much earlier, in the east-northeast at around 8 PM, and will travel high across the southern sky throughout the night.

Sunday:
Tonight’s half Moon, or Last Quarter, rises in the east at midnight, pushed just ahead of the constellation Virgo. The Moon will ride across the southern sky during the predawn hours. Through mid-morning, it will remain visible in the west-southwest, before setting in the west at around noon tomorrow.

Monday:
The Summer Triangle has survived into Winter! Its three bright stars still offer an excellent view, one third to half way up in the west, with the star nearest the horizon being Altair, setting tonight at 8:00 PM EST, Vega much brighter, close to the same height but much farther right, and Deneb, fainter, and well above Vega.