Today:
Tomorrow morning, early risers can see the Moon pass in front of the bright star Spica, temporarily obscuring it. This occultation starts at 5:40 AM, lasting slightly more than one hour. However, the Moon’s progression finally makes it past Spica at 6:50, when the twilight will make the star difficult to see. A pair of binoculars should help. Look toward the top edge of the Moon for the star’s reappearance.
Wednesday:
The planet Mars will again rise within the constellation Cancer this evening at around 9:30. Mars has been getting brighter and brighter this month, en route to its opposition from the sun on January 16th, when Mars will reach its maximum brightness.
Thursday:
On Thanksgiving, as we celebrate the harvest and the riches of the soil, look along the northern horizon, where a low and level view shows the Big Dipper. In the British Isles, it is imagined as a plough, with the bowl of the Dipper forming the blade, almost appearing to turn over the ground along the northern horizon.