Today:
The star Spica, due south at 10:50 this evening, will help guide you to the stars of Corvus, the Crow. Well to the lower right of Spica, look for an odd shaped “box” of stars. The lower left star is the tail of the Crow, while the three other stars form his head, flanked by out-stretched wings.
Tuesday:
The thinning Crescent Moon greets early risers tomorrow morning, best viewed from 4:15 to 4:45, in order to also see Saturn, which is fainter, rising in the east, and soon to be overwhelmed by the gathering dawn. Rising at 4:30 will be Mars, presently unable to compete with the morning light, at least to the naked eye, but this is soon to change.
Wednesday:
Late this evening, near 10:00, lowering toward the northwestern horizon shines a sparkling, flashing object, with random flares of green, or red, or blue. No, it is not a UFO, but the bright star Capella. Bright stars, when they are near the horizon, have their light bent by the atmosphere, much like light going through a crystal or prism.