Today:
The Big Dipper is beginning to rise into the northeast. The two stars on the end of the “bowl” of the Dipper, known as the “pointer stars”, can serve to form a line, extending to the left where they guide you to Polaris, the North Star.
Saturday:
Early risers tomorrow will enjoy the combination of a waning Crescent Moon edging up into the southeast, greeting a preview of summer in the depths of winter. Well to the Moon’s left, the planet Venus beams above the red star Antares, the “heart” of the Scorpion. By 6 o’clock, Venus and Antares are low in the southeast, sliding a bit higher for your best views near 6:20, when the brightening twilight causes the star to fade.
Sunday:
The thinning Crescent Moon again joins Venus and the red star Antares, but this time appears just to the right of the red star from 5:45 until 6:30, when the twilight overwhelms the scene. To their lower left, even closer to the horizon, the planet Mercury makes one of its better morning appearances of the year through the rest of the week.