Tag Archives: Lyra

In the Sky This Week – December 15, 2020

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This entry is part 175 of 185 in the series In the Sky This Week

Jupiter and Saturn appear in the southwestern sky at dusk, getting closer getting closer to the Dec. 21 conjunction with each passing day! The waxing crescent Moon joins the pair of planets on Dec. 16 & 17. Venus appears in the southeastern predawn sky all week, getting closer to the horizon with each passing day. Mars, Uranus, the Pleiades star cluster and the bright star Aldebaran appear in the east-southeastern sky after sunset this week. The constellation Lyra, with the bright star Vega appear above the western horizon after sunset this week. The Moon is a waxing crescent- visible toward the southwest in early evening. The first quarter Moon occurs on Dec, 21st – visible high in the southern sky in early evening. If you click on the Moon image above, or click this link, you will go to NASA’s Moon Phase and Libration, 2020 page – it will show you what the Moon looks like right now. If you … Continue reading →

In the Sky This Week – June 5, 2018

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This entry is part 47 of 185 in the series In the Sky This Week

The Moon joins Mars and Saturn in the southern sky before sunrise. Jupiter is very close to the double-star Zubenelgenubi II (Alpha Librae) after sunset on June 5th – so close you might be able to get the double-star and Jupiter with its moons in the same view through a telescope! Venus aligns with the stars Pollux and Castor on June 10th shortly after sunset. The Moon The Moon is a waning gibbous, and will be at third quarter on June 6th. The Moon will be a waning crescent after the 6th, visible low in the eastern sky before dawn. Observing Target: M57 The constellation Lyra is high in the eastern sky after sunset; the boxed area in the image below is the location of M57 – the Ring Nebula: M57 is a planetary nebula – expanding shells of luminous gas expelled by stars at the ends of their lives. Planetary nebulae can be some of the most beautiful objects in … Continue reading →

In the Sky This Week – June 22, 2017

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This entry is part 8 of 185 in the series In the Sky This Week

The planet Venus appears high in the eastern morning sky; the bright star Capella, to the northwest, is the last star to fade with the oncoming dawn. The waning crescent Moon will vanish amid the morning haze to the east, to reappear in the west as a waxing crescent after dusk on June 25th. The Summer Triangle is an asterism formed from the three stars Altair, Deneb, and Vega, the brightest stars in the three constellations of Aquila, Cygnus, and Lyra. They can be see in the eastern sky before midnight. Jupiter is high in the southwestern sky after dusk, and sets in the west around 1:30 AM. Saturn appears high in the southeastern sky after dusk, is at its highest around midnight, and sets in the southwest just before dawn. Directly overhead, the Milky Way flows through the constellations Cygnus and Aquila (if you live in a city – trust me, it’s really there… drive out of the city … Continue reading →