Today:
Directly overhead this evening at 7:10 PM is Deneb, the tail of the Swan, or the top of the Northern Cross. Although Deneb appears as the faintest star of the Summer Triangle, it is by far the most powerful. While Vega shines 40 times brighter than our Sun, and Altair about 10 times brighter, Deneb emits an estimated 200 thousand times more light!
Sunday:
Arcturus, the brightest star in the evening skies, still close to due west, appears less than one quarter of the way up as twilight ends, setting earlier each evening, and heads below the west-northwest horizon at 8:00 PM EDT. Arcturus owes its brilliance to its relatively close position, about 37 light years away, while it sends out 170 times more light than our Sun.
Monday:
In the last glow of twilight, a growing Crescent Moon rides low over the southern horizon, but not alone, as the Moon nestles squarely within Sagittarius. Below and to the right, the reddish Antares can be seem briefly before it dips below the horizon. Also known as “the Heart of the Scorpion.” Antares has neared the end of its evening viewing, set to return with the warmer weather next spring.