Today:
The Memorial Day weekend serves as an unofficial kick-off to summer, and the stars are doing their part. One of summer’s quintessential constellations is Scorpio, the Scorpion. The star Antares, regarded as the heart of the Scorpion, is rising in the twilight, and is due south at 1:10 AM EDT.
Sunday:
Gemini, the Twins, are standing on the horizon between west and northwest this evening, Castor on the right and Pollux on the left. It was near the feet of Castor, the name of the brother as well as the star, that in 1781 Sir William Herschel discovered a new planet – the one we now call Uranus.
Monday:
Between the brightest star in the skies this evening, Arcturus, high in the south at 10:30 PM, and the second brightest, Vega, slightly lower in the east, the faint stars of Hercules offer a challenge to view. Many people look for the bowtie pattern, one third of the way from Vega to Arcturus, marking his knees to the upper left, and his shoulders to the lower right.