Today:
The star Arcturus appears near 8:15 PM, as twilight gives way to darker skies, seen about half way up in the west. It is due west at 10:30 and sets after midnight. This star owes its status as the brightest star in the summer skies because it is relatively close by at 36 light years, and it is huge, measuring 37 times the diameter of our Sun.
Sunday:
Low in the south at 9:00 PM EDT, a waxing Gibbous Moon sits within the constellation Sagittarius, the Centaur, and more specifically within the pattern known as the “teapot”, with a handle on the left, and a spout on the right hand side, perhaps pouring on the tail of the Scorpion.
Monday:
Climbing into the east-southeast just after sunset, the golden-hued Saturn reaches opposition – its closest point to the Earth, 814.6 million miles away, as we pass directly between Saturn and the Sun. Well to the right of Saturn, the waxing Gibbous Moon also rises as twilight fades to night.