Today:
While Orion’s Belt stands out as it rises higher into the southeast during the evenings, more impressive might be the stars themselves. Each of these stars is a stellar powerhouse, the two outer stars more than 100 thousand times brighter than our Sun, and the middle star perhaps 500 thousand times brighter!
Wednesday:
Due east at 8:10 this evening, about half-way up from the horizon, the twin stars of Gemini mark the heads of Castor, above, and Pollux, below. The twins have a rich collection of mythology, often as sons of Leda, but having different fathers – Zeus and Tyndareus. Strange? Well, just remember it’s a myth.
Thursday:
As the twilight ebbs from the western skies, Jupiter enjoys a rendezvous with the waxing Gibbous Moon, just one day past its First Quarter. The pair are quite high in the southeast near 5:15 PM, and crest due south an hour later, two-thirds of the way up from the horizon, as darkness becomes complete.