On Topic: Astro News

Friday, December 2

The red long-period variable star R Pegasi, off the
southwest corner of the Great Square of Pegasus, should
be nearing its maximum brightness (about 8th magnitude).

Saturday, Dec. 3

During twilight, look far to the lower right of bright
Venus for the thin crescent Moon.

Sunday, Dec. 4

Don't miss the Moon-Venus conjunction in the western dusk
this evening. Think photo opportunity!

Monday, Dec. 5

The crescent Moon is now to the Venus's upper left -
thickening every day as it moves farther from our line of
sight to the Sun.

Tuesday, December 6

This week Orion rises into view as early as about 7 or 7:30 p.m.
Look for it low in the east far below Aldebaran and the Pleiades.

Wednesday, December 7

Earliest sunset of the year.

Thursday, December 8

First-quarter Moon.

This Week's Planet Roundup

Mercury is emerging into a fine showing in the dawn, rapidly
brightening to magnitude 0 by late in the week as shown here.

Venus is the dazzling white "Evening Star" in the southwest during
and after dusk. Venus is currently the highest and brightest it will
appear in the evening sky during 2005 and 2006! In a telescope,
Venus is now a thick crescent.

Mars shines yellow-orange in the east at dusk and is high in the
south around 9 p.m. But it's shrinking and fading, as Earth pulls
farther ahead of it in our faster orbit around the Sun. In a
telescope Mars is now about 16 arcseconds wide.

Jupiter shines brightly in the southeast during dawn. Fainter Spica
is off to its upper right, and Mercury is down to its lower left.

Saturn rises in the east-northeast around 9 p.m., below Castor and Pollux.

Uranus and Neptune are still in view in the southwest just after dark.

Pluto is hidden in the glare of the Sun.




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The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
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