Near 1 o’clock tomorrow morning, night owls should look to the east-southeast, where a waning Gibbous Moon rises well to the right of our distant planetary cousin Saturn. They remain low as they climb into the southeast by 4 o’clock, as the twilight signals the end of our short night. Well to the left and even lower in the east, Jupiter returns to view for early risers.
Friday:
High in the south is brilliant star Arcturus, discovered by Sir Edmund Halley (of comet fame), to have changed its position since ancient times. This demonstrated that all stars are in motion around the center of our galaxy, though at distances so great, that the constellations look the same for thousands of years.
Saturday:
Tonight, as the twilight fades in the west, the “twin stars” of Gemini are lowering toward the horizon. Pollux on the left, and Castor a bit higher and to the right, are not actually twin stars. They are not even related. Pollux is 34 light years away, while Castor is a more distant 55 light years.