Today:
The Andromeda Galaxy is the only distant galaxy we can see with our own eyes. In the next few nights look in the northeast, just below the Milky Way, and about one third of the way up from the horizon near 10:00 PM EDT. It appears as a small, oval smudge of light, enhanced by viewing through binoculars.
Thursday:
The dark skies near the New Moon reveal the splendors of the Milky Way arched over the top of the sky. Directly overhead, notice there are lighter and darker patches of light within the star fields of the Milky Way. The stars are evenly distributed, but vast regions of dust and gas block some of their light, causing the differences.
Friday:
Looking low above the southern horizon at 9 o’clock, the vapors of the Milky Way seem to steam upward, a nice connection to the teapot-shaped pattern, due south, the brighter stars of Sagittarius. Although imagined as a centaur with a bow and arrow, the triangular lid above the teapot, with a handle on the left and spout on the right is easier to see.