Today:
Ursa Major, better known as the Great Bear, is settling very low along the northern horizon during the evenings. The best known stars here are the Big Dipper, with the “bowl” of the Dipper part of the Bear’s body, and the “handle” his long, bushy tail. The Bear reaches his lowest point, due north, near 10 o’clock this evening.
Thursday:
From now through the weekend, Venus shares its corner of the heavens with a star making its last appearances of the year, the “heart” of the Scorpion, Antares. You’ll need a low, level view to the southwest, and maybe a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope, to scan the horizon from 6:25 to 6:35. The much fainter Antares flickers to the lower left of Venus tonight, and below Venus by Sunday night.
Friday:
Night owls at 3:30 tomorrow morning will see a waning Crescent Moon due east, accompanied by the royal star Regulus, the “heart” of Leo, the Lion. If that’s too early, they climb higher into the southeast, about two thirds of the way up from the horizon as twilight creeps into the morning skies from 6:15 to 6:45 AM.