Today:
At sunset, the Crescent Moon will appear, nearly due south. The Moon is within the handle of the Teapot in Sagittarius, just barely visible above the southwest horizong by 5:30 PM. Sagittarius is finishing its annual display, settling below the horizon, just as the Moon does, by 6:30 PM this evening.
Monday:
By 5:45 PM, and high in the southwest flies Aquila, The Eagle, its feathers and quills headed up by its brightest and highest star, Altair. Even higher, slightly toward the west but nearly overhead, it another feathered friend, Cygnus, The Swan; it’s head is marked by its own bright star, Deneb.
Tuesday:
Later this evening in the northwestern skies, the constellation Cygnus, the Swan is low in the northwest about 9:45 PM. It is also called the Northern Cross, in part a reference to the Southern Cross – a bright constellation seen only from the tropics southward. The brightest star in the group is at the top of the cross, known as Deneb, which means “the tail” of the Swan in Arabic.