Today:
Looking west early this evening, the Moon appears almost half-full, just one day shy of its First Quarter. This larger, brighter view of our silvery neighbor makes it challenging to see the faint cluster of stars just below it. Patience, and perhaps a spotting scope or binoculars should reveal the tight collection of stars called the Seven Sisters, or the Pleiades, just below our celestial neighbor.
Tuesday:
The waxing gibbous Moon floats high in the west by 9 PM, and is surrounded, though at some distance, by some of the brighter lights in the night sky. Higher and the right is Capella; even higher and to the left is Jupiter; below and to the right is Betelgeuse, and directly below is Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus. But immediately to Moon’s right is Elnath, the second brightest star in Taurus.
Wednesday:
Again high in the west at 9 PM, you’ll see the waxing gibbous Moon. Both it and nearby Jupiter appear to be “joined at the hip,” respectively, with the Gemini Twins, Castor and Pollux. Looking on from more of a distance are two bright stars: Capella, to the lower right, and Procyon, to the left.