2025, December 12: Vega’s Double Play: Morning Rise, Evening Set, and Deneb’s Long Trek Across Late Autumn Skies

December 12, 2025: Vega and Deneb make a double appearance each day, rising before sunrise and lingering after sunset. Learn why these bright stars dominate the late autumn sky, how long they remain above the horizon, and where to find them before dawn and after nightfall. Photo Caption - Mercury and the crescent moon, June … Continue reading 2025, December 12: Vega’s Double Play: Morning Rise, Evening Set, and Deneb’s Long Trek Across Late Autumn Skies

2023, June 17: Seasonal Signals, Bright Planets

June 17, 2023: The stars’ places before sunrise and after sundown are signals that the season is changing.  Jupiter and Saturn are visible before sunrise, while brilliant Venus and Mars are in the west after sundown.

2023, March 22: Morning’s Brightest Stars, Lunar Crescent Meets Jupiter

March 22, 2023: A half dozen bright stars in the sky before sunrise.  After sundown, the thin lunar crescent is near Jupiter and below the Evening Star.

2023, January 21: New Moon Signals Lunar New Year, Venus-Saturn Conjunction Eve

January 21, 2023: The lunar New Year starts at the New Moon.  One evening before their conjunction, Venus closes in on Saturn.  Two famous triangles are visible after sundown.

2022, October 20: Morning Lunar Occultation, Evening Bright Stars

October 20, 2022: The moon covers or occults Eta Leonis in the eastern sky before sunrise.  In addition to Jupiter and Saturn, the Summer Triangle – Vega, Altair, and Deneb – stands overhead.