December 6, 2021: Aldebaran rises at sunset. As the brilliant planet Venus and the crescent moon group in the southwest, Winter’s stars begin to crawl across the eastern horizon.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:04 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:20 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.
As the brilliant planet Venus and the crescent moon appear in the southwest this evening, Aldebaran rises in the eastern sky at sunset.
Two hours after sunset, Aldebaran is about 20° up in the east. The Pleiades star cluster may catch your eye. The stellar bunch is above Aldebaran.
Aldebaran is part of the constellation Taurus the Bull. The star marks the bull’s eye. Along with the Hyades star cluster, Aldebaran makes a “V” shape for the animal’s head. The animal’s horns, Elnath and Zeta Tauri, are to the left of Aldebaran. The Pleiades are riding the bull’s back.
Capella, about 30° to the left of the Pleiades, rose at sundown on October 17.
Other bright stars enter the eastern evening sky after sunset as winter arrives.
Here are the stars with the dates they rise at sunset:
Betelgeuse: December 31
Rigel: January 4
Pollux: January 26
Procyon: January 23
Sirius: January 28
Until the sunset rising dates, the stars rise after and can be found in the eastern sky later during the evening. 2021, December 6: Aldebaran is in the eastern sky after sundown. The star and the constellation Taurus climb higher in the eastern sky each evening.
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