Today:
Low in the south at 9:00 PM EDT, a waxing Gibbous Moon sits within the constellation Sagittarius, the Centaur, and more specifically within the pattern known as the “teapot”, with a handle on the left, and a spout on the right hand side, perhaps pouring on the tail of the Scorpion.
Monday:
Climbing into the east-southeast just after sunset, the golden-hued Saturn reaches opposition – its closest point to the Earth, 814.6 million miles away, as we pass directly between Saturn and the Sun. Well to the right of Saturn, the waxing Gibbous Moon also rises as twilight fades to night.
Tuesday:
Below Saturn, with the waxing Gibbous Moon to the right, a bright star rises in the southeast near 10 o’clock, and crests due south just after 1 o’clock tomorrow morning, the lesser-known Fomalhaut. Even though Fomalhaut is the 13th brightest star we can see from our northern latitudes, its rather low, brief appearance often goes unnoticed.