Today:
The Milky Way is showing off in the dark, moonless evening skies, arching from southeast and into the south, climbing above Orion and nearly overhead. It then shimmers down toward the northwestern horizon. During March, the Milky Way, and Orion, ease lower into the southwest.
Tuesday:
Tonight’s New Moon will facilitate the detection the most distant object human eyes can see, the Andromeda galaxy, a faint smudge of light, one half of the way above the west-northwest horizon, as twilight ends after 7:00 PM. It appears at the hip of the constellation Andromeda, on the side toward her mother, Cassiopeia. A pair of binoculars will help.
Wednesday:
The planet Mercury presents a challenge to see, even when it’s at its best. Tonight, though, the slender Crescent Moon acts as an excellent guide to our elusive, inner-most planet. With the twilight ebbing between 5:45 and 6 o’clock, look low in the west-southwest, where a low, level view of the horizon welcomes the Moon. Just above the Moon, a bright spark of light appears – the planet Mercury reflecting the nearby Sun.