A wide Crescent Moon joins our neighboring planet, Mars, high in the west-southwest about a quarter of 9 o’clock. They will lower to due west an hour later. Looking above this pair, a celestial pair should catch your attention, the “twin” stars of Gemini, Pollux on the left, and Castor on the right. They’re twins in name only, as they are more than 10 light years apart.
Wednesday:
The Moon is one day from its First Quarter this evening, as it makes its monthly appearance next to the Twins of Gemini, the stars Pollux, on the left, and Castor, on the right. They start the evening near 8:30 PM, very high in the west-southwest, and are still about half way up in the west near 10 o’clock.
Thursday:
Corona Borealis, or the Northern Crown, rises into the east-northeast, one third of the way from the lower left of Arcturus, and to the upper right of Vega, just rising in the northeast. Its middle star, named appropriately Gemma, is the jewel in the crown, and highlights the semi-circle of stars.