Today:
Spanning from the west to northwest this evening, a large collection of bright objects should get your attention. Lowest but brightest as twilight fades after 9 o’clock is Venus, flanked to the upper right by the brilliant Capella, and the upper left by Procyon. Higher up shines Jupiter, within the constellation Gemini.
Thursday:
Stretched through the east and southeast by 10 o’clock, the brilliant stars Arcturus, two-thirds of the way up in the southeast, and Vega, well to its lower left, and one third of the way above the eastern horizon, help you to locate a faint semi-circle of stars between them, the Northern Crown, closer to Arcturus.
Friday:
Very high in the southeast on the next clear evening, as darkness becomes complete after 10 o’clock, a bright, pale orange beacon can easily be found, the red-giant star Arcturus. This star’s evolution to a red giant means it has exhausted its core hydrogen supply, leading to expansion and cooling. It is early in this process, making its color more yellow-ish orange. Arcturus is the brightest star we see through the Summer and early Fall.