Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, looks like a brilliant star below the Moon at dawn tomorrow. The twin stars of Gemini are closer to the left and lower left of the Moon. Pollux is the brighter of the two.
Weekly Stargazing Tips
Provided by StarDate.org. Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone, and are good for the entire Lower 48 states (and, generally, for Alaska and Hawaii).
October 12: Moon and Companions
October 13: Deneb
Deneb, the brightest star of Cygnus, stands high overhead as night falls. It really is a brilliant star, shining tens of thousands of times brighter than the Sun. It's dimmed, however, by its distance, which is estimated at more than 2,600 light-years.
October 14: Big Constellations
Big constellations with big stories populate the late-evening eastern sky. About 11 p.m., look for Taurus, the bull; Cetus, the sea monster, and Eridanus, the river. They all cover large regions of the sky and include several fairly bright stars.
October 15: Moon and Regulus
Regulus, the bright star that marks the heart of the lion, will appear close below the Moon at dawn tomorrow. The distance between them will narrow as you move westward. They will be especially close as seen from Alaska or Hawaii.
October 16: Perseus
Perseus climbs the eastern sky on autumn evenings. It consists of two ribbons of stars that join at Mirfak, its leading light. Mirfak is much larger and heavier than the Sun, and several thousand times brighter, so it's visible across more than 500 light-years.
October 17: California Nebula
California is the land of the stars. It's also in the stars as the California Nebula, a cloud of gas and dust that looks like the outline of the state. It is more than 1,000 light-years away, in Perseus.
October 18: Moon and Venus
The planet Venus appears near the Moon in tomorrow's dawn sky. It is the brilliant Morning Star, outshining everything else in the night sky other than the Moon, so you can't miss it.