Today:
Orion continues to “stand tall”, high in the south at 10 o’clock this evening. Looking below his characteristic belt of three stars, you’ll find a string of three lesser stars, suggesting a sword or scabbard. The middle star of this trio, rather than a star, this is the Great Orion Nebula – a glowing area of gases, and a nursery for new stars.
Monday:
Take a look below the feet of Orion, where a relative unknown constellation appears – Lepus, the Hare. At 10 o’clock, when Orion and the Hare are due south, look below Orion’s feet for the face of Lepus, looking to the left, with faint, tallish ears above him. Directly left of Lepus sparkles Sirius, the Dog Star. He appears to chase this hare across the southern skies.
Tuesday:
Tomorrow, early risers can look to the southeast and see the waning Crescent Moon just below the right-hand claw of Scorpius. The red star Antares, known as the heart of the scorpion, rises just to the left of the Moon, and barely below it. Antares will rise at around 4:45 AM, and will remain visible until the glow of the twilight overwhelms it, at around 6:15 AM.