Today:
As the twilight ebbs from the west from 9:30 to 10 o’clock, the First Quarter Moon appears stunningly close to the star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. The Moon’s orbital motion takes it right in front of Spica as it is about to set near 11:15, lowering into the west. This event is called an occultation, a fascinating opportunity to watch the star “disappear”.
Sunday:
The southern end of the Milky Way hosts a rich variety types of objects because it is the center of our galaxy, though binoculars or telescopes are needed. Looking at the red star Antares, due south at 9:45 PM, ordinary binoculars will show a fuzzy object farther right – a cluster of tens of thousands of stars.
Monday:
The spacecraft New Horizons passed by Pluto and its moons on this date in 2015, sending back amazing images of a surprisingly changeable surface, covered with regions of frozen nitrogen glaciers, methane craters, and water-ice mountains, as well as a thin but extensive nitrogen-rich atmosphere.