Today:
The bright, bluish-white star Vega is due west and very high at 7:00 PM EDT. Vega is one of the nearer stars to us, at a distance of 26 light years. This young star is tinted blue because it is very hot, burning up its fuel much faster than our Sun.
Monday:
As Hallowe’en approaches, look for the star Algol, the “ghoul” that marks the head of the hideous monster Medusa, a great Hallowe’en costume! Look northeast at 7:30, where the brightest star in Perseus, Mirfak appears (not to be mistaken for the brighter Capella below). To the right of Mirfak, a little lower, shines the spooky Algol.
Tuesday:
October opens with a waning Gibbous Moon climbing into the east-northeast, followed quickly by the giant planet Jupiter at 8 o’clock. They’ll climb to due east, more than one quarter of the way up at 10 o’clock. The Moon’s orbit brings it around to another meeting with Jupiter on the 28th, the Moon shining as the Full Hunter’s Moon.