Today:
I know talking about Mercury is problematic, but assuming that one could see it within a few minutes after sunset, there’s then quite a string from there through Regulus, Mars, The Moon, and Spica. But then again, the projection of the sky that’s done via Stellarium probably gives an exaggerated notion of being able to draw a straight line across a large portion of the sky.
Wednesday:
As the twilight ebbs from the west from 9:30 to 10 o’clock, the First Quarter Moon appears in the southwest, to right of the star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. The Moon’s motion will take it lower toward toward the west-southwest, where in will set at about 12:30 AM. Spica will follow the moon throughout, with Spica also setting in the west-southwest, a little before 1:00 AM.
Thursday:
Today finds the Earth at aphelion – its greatest distance from the Sun – at 94,502,714 miles. Yes, July is the hottest month of the year on average, but it is our tilted axis, angled toward the Sun in summer, and not our distance, that gives us longer days and more direct sunlight, increasing the temperatures.