Today:
With darkness settling in by 9 o’clock or so, the Full “Flower” Moon rises in extremely close proximity to the bright red star Antares. For portions of the southeastern US and through the Caribbean and northeast South America, the Moon actually covers, or occults the star. For us, this is the closest the Moon and Antares appear for the next 20 years. Binoculars will give you a better view.
Friday:
Late this evening, near 10:30, lowering toward the northwestern horizon shines a sparkling, flashing object, with random flares of green, or red, or blue. No, it is not a UFO, but the bright star Capella. Bright stars, when they are near the horizon, have their light bent by the atmosphere, much like light going through a crystal or prism.
Saturday:
The Memorial Day weekend serves as an unofficial kick-off to summer, and the stars are doing their part. One of summer’s quintessential constellations is Scorpio, the Scorpion. The star Antares, regarded as the heart of the Scorpion, is rising in the twilight, and is due south at 1:00 AM EDT.