Today:
High in the southern sky by 6:30 PM, you can view the First Quarter Moon, well to the right of the brilliant Jupiter, somewhat subdued by our orbiting companion. Higher, but toward the east, one of the brightest stars in the heavens, Capella, heads to the very zenith near 8 o’clock this evening. This bright star’s position keeps it above the horizon throughout the year.
Thursday:
Jupiter’s pairing with the waxing Gibbous Moon this evening, cresting high in the south near 7:10 PM, brings up some interesting details about Jupiter and its own moon. Jupiter hosts an astounding 95 moons by last count, most of which were named for Jupiter’s (and his Greek counterpart Zeus) lovers. While they were many, recent discoveries necessitated expanding the names to his daughters as well.
Friday:
Orion boasts a fine collection of bright stars, including the bluish-white beacon to the lower right of his three belt stars. Rigel, meaning “left foot”, is classified as a blue supergiant, estimated to be 860 light years, and emitting approximately 200 thousand times more light than the Sun.