Today:
The Summer Triangle has survived into Winter! Its three bright stars still offer an excellent view, one third to half way up in the west, with the star nearest the horizon being Altair, setting tonight at 8:00 PM EST, Vega much brighter, close to the same height but much farther right, and Deneb, fainter, and well above Vega.
Tuesday:
One of the outstandingly bright stars in the skies passes nearly overhead tonight. Capella is dazzling in the east-northeast, about half way from the horizon to the zenith at 6:30 PM. By 11:00 PM, the 4th brightest star we can see from the northern hemisphere is almost straight above.
Wednesday:
Christmas’s connection to astronomy dates back to our earliest European ancestors, knowing that the longest nights of the year would slowly give way to increasing amounts of light and warmth from the Sun. Numerous stone structures, including Stonehenge, tracked the Sun carefully, to help mark the date. Such alignments were incorporated into Mayan buildings in Central America as well.