Today:
If you’re up and around during the predawn hours tomorrow, you’ll note a bright spark of light, low in the east-northeast near 5 o’clock, the giant planet Jupiter, making its return to the skies, though relegated to the early mornings until later this fall. Well above are the twin stars of Gemini, while the star Procyon shines well right of Jupiter. Above Procyon, and right of the Twins, Mars rests with the feet of Gemini.
Saturday:
Low in the failing southwestern twilight between 8:45 and 9:15 PM, you will find the bright, bluish-white star Spica nearing the end of its viewing for the year. Although Spica ranks just outside the top-ten brightest stars, at 250 light years away, actually outshines the Sun by 15 thousand times!
Sunday:
The Big Dipper has settled into the northwestern skies, about one third of the way up from the horizon at 9:00 this evening. Use the handle of the Big Dipper to “arc” westward to Arcturus, a brilliant orange-white star almost the same height, but in the west. Arcturus is the brightest star in the skies this month (because Sirius is too low in the sky when re-appearing at month’s end?).