Today:
Venus, a conspicuous beacon the southwest each evening, spent most of last fall very low in the skies. Tonight, though Venus reaches its maximum separation from the Sun, known as its Greateast Eastern Elongation. That leaves it in the evening skies from sunset through 8:30. Venus’s orbit is curving it in our direction, eventually passing between us and the Sun near the Spring Equinox.
Friday:
A celestial trio forms a line in the eastern skies this evening, half way up as they appear at the last glimmer of twilight, then almost vertical, high in the south by 9:30. Anchored by the waxing Gibbous Moon, you’ll easily see Jupiter to its lower right, and continuing to the lower right shine the reddish star Aldebaran, the “eye” of Taurus, the Bull.
Saturday:
The “Winter Diamond” of four dazzling stars sits in the southeast this evening, featuring Betelgeuse at the top, its orange hue due to its tremendous size causing it to cool. The lowest star is the brightest, Sirius, the Dog Star. The other dog star, Procyon, appears on the left, while Orion’s foot, Rigel, gleams brilliantly to the right of Orion’s Belt.