Today:
Due west at 9:00 this evening, well above the bright star Arcturus, a semi-circle of stars, with a bright one in middle, forms the constellation Corona Borealis, or the Northern Crown. The middle, somewhat brighter star goes by the name Gemma, Latin for “gem” or Alphecca, Arabic for “one in the dish”.
Sunday:
Arcturus now settles lower in the west by dark. The second brightest star seen in the northern latitudes, Arcturus is due west at 8:00, and sets tonight in the northwest shortly after 11 o’clock. Its brightness is a combination of distance – relatively close at 37 light years away – and its size, some 26 times the diameter of our Sun.
Monday:
The Moon rises about a half hour before sunset this evening, one day before it becomes exactly Full, the “Harvest Moon” as it’s known. This is the first of three days in which the Moon appears full, and remains in the sky all night long. The Full Moon appears opposite from the Sun, as was Saturn last week. That’s why you’ll see Saturn just to the Moon’s left as the evening progresses.