Today:
Corona Borealis, or the Northern Crown, rises into the east-northeast, one third of the way from the lower left of Arcturus, and to the upper right of Vega, just rising in the northeast. Its middle star, alternatively named Alpheca or, more appropriately Gemma, is the jewel in the crown, and highlights the semi-circle of stars.
Saturday:
The First Quarter Moon makes its monthly appearance near the Twins of Gemini, but this month enjoys the added feature of the planet Mars, the bright, orange object below the Moon. The Twins stars Pollux, on the left, and Castor, on the right, mark the heads of the twins, starting the evening near 8:30 PM, very high in the west-southwest. The entire celestial group drifts lower, still about half way up in the west near 10 o’clock.
Sunday:
Rising in the east-southeast as twilight yields to darkness, a steely-blue star rises in the east-southeast, the brightest star in Virgo, the Virgin, Spica. One way to find it is to follow the “arc” of the Big Dipper’s handle, high in the northeast, down and right to the bright, pale orange star “Arc”-turus. Then continue to the lower right, and “spike” to Spica.