Today:
The early arrivals of winter’s bright stars are found in the east. Look in the east-northeast at 8:15 to find the twins stars of Gemini easing up into the sky. Castor leads the way, followed by his brother Pollux. This year they play host to our rusty red neighbor, the planet Mars. By waiting until 9:30, Mars rises well below the Twins, 3 to 5 times brighter. Mars tracks toward them through January, getting quite close early next year.
Tuesday:
This month’s second minor meteor shower finds its peak activity over the next few nights, though, like the southern Taurid Meteor Shower early last week, the Northern Taurids tonight are a long-lasting shower, active through October into December. The numbers will be fairly low, 5 to 10 per hour, but the rocky fragments are larger than average, creating a few larger, brighter fireballs, a challenge with the bright moonlight.
Wednesday:
The mid-winter stars rise earlier each evening, as the Earth makes its appointed journey around the Sun. By 9 o’clock, the familiar stars of Orion are in the east, and are joined by the bright star Procyon, just rising at 9:00 PM EST. This is the dominant star in the constellation Canis Minor, the Little Dog.