Today:
George Washington’s actual birthday (not the holiday) would have seen the same stars in the same places in 1732, though the planets would have been different. Thanks to modern computer calculations, we know that Venus and Saturn were amazingly close in the southwest after sunset, much like they were at start of the present month.
Saturday:
Facing south at around 7:40 reveals a host of bright objects along or near the ecliptic. In the east appears the star Regulus, within the constellation Leo. High in sky, and just east of south appears Mars, still in the company of Castor and Pollux. Just west of south appears Jupiter, with the star Aldebaran just below it. Much farther to the west is the bright but seemingly lonely Venus.
Sunday:
Retrograde motion of Mars ends tonight, which started late last year as the faster Earth passed Mars in our respective orbits. We are now far enough past Mars that its direct, west to east motion resumes. Forming a triangle with the bright Twin stars of Gemini, look left of Mars, toward the twins, where a faint star, Propus, appears, sometimes imagined as where the twins are holding hands.