Today:
First becoming visible in the east-southeast at sunset, the planet Jupiter will rise nearly overhead by midnight. Tonight Jupiter will reach opposition, directly opposite the Sun as the Earth’s faster orbit takes us between them. By midnight, Jupiter will receive no competition from Moon, which will set at around 11:15 PM.

Sunday:
Look for the First Quarter Moon more than one third of the way above the horizon, due south at 6 o’clock this evening, which is the direction in which the First Quarter Moon always appears. Because the Moon is one “quarter” of the way through its monthly orbit around the Earth, a quarter of that circle would be half way between the western and eastern horizon. The moderately bright star to the right of the Moon is no star, but the planet Saturn, home to 146 moons of its own!

Monday:
Mars continues to arrive a little ealier in our evening skies, rising by 7:30, but easier to view in the east-northeast by 9 o’clock. A curious patch of stars is hidden by Mars’ brightening salmon-pink color, a very faint star cluster called the Beehive. A pair of binoculars or a spotting scope will bring them into view as a “swarm” of numerous faint stars.