Orion is now very low in the western skies, by the end of twilight, his feet along the horizon by 9:00 PM, with his belt only visible with a perfect view to the west and southwest. Orion’s stars are among the brightest in the sky because they are relatively close by. Our Sun is among millions in a minor band of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy called the Orion Spur.
Tuesday:
A wide Crescent Moon joins our neighboring planet, Mars, high in the west-southwest about a quarter of 9 o’clock. They will lower to due west an hour later. Looking above this pair, a celestial pair should catch your attention, the “twin” stars of Gemini, Pollux on the left, and Castor on the right. They’re twins in name only, as they are more than 10 light years apart.
Wednesday:
The Moon is one day from its First Quarter this evening, as it makes its monthly appearance next to the Twins of Gemini, the stars Pollux, on the left, and Castor, on the right. They start the evening near 8:30 PM, very high in the west-southwest, and are still about half way up in the west near 10 o’clock.