Today:
With Mother’s Day tomorrow, look to the southern skies, where you’ll find the constellation Virgo, often connected to the Greek goddess of agriculture, Demeter, and the mother of Persphone. Demeter is overjoyed each Spring as her daughter returns from the Underworld, and celebrates by bringing the natural world back to life.
Sunday:
A waxing Crescent Moon slides just to the lower right of a pair of conspicuously bright stars, almost half way up, and due west at 9 o’clock or so this evening. These are the “twins” of Gemini, the horoscope or zodiac constellation from late May through the Summer Solstice. While bright, the stars are not identical, with Pollux, on the left, brighter than Castor on the right.
Monday:
Very high in the southeast on the next clear evening, as darkness becomes complete after 10 o’clock, a bright, pale orange beacon can easily be found, the red-giant star Arcturus. This “red” giant shines brighter and hotter than most, making its color more yellow-ish orange. Arcturus is the brightest star we see through the Summer and early Fall.