Today:
The still nearly-full Moon appears low in the southeast as the Sun sets, near its lowest position in the skies. Through the evening, it rides low over the southern horizon, joined about an hour later by the red star Antares, the “heart” the Scorpion, remaining even lower than the Moon as they slide past due south after midnight. The Moon is extremely close to Antares Thursday night.
Wednesday:
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.
Thursday:
The Big Dipper is high overhead in May. The middle star of the three stars on the handle, Mizar, appears as a “double star”. The brighter star is joined by a fainter companion, Alcor, known to the Arabs as the “horse and rider”, and was used as an eye test….try it!