Southern Cross Stargazer

SATURDAY

By nightfall, the young moon with Earthshine briefly hangs near the southwestern horizon in Capricornus. Dim, blue Neptune lies 3 degrees below bright Jupiter and its moon system in Aquarius in the southwest. They set by mid-evening. Fomalhaut (Mouth of the Southern Fish) twinkles to the lower left of Jupiter.

Blue-green Uranus floats below the Circlet in Pisces higher in the southwest and sets about 10 p.m. Cetus, Whale, swims into the southwest. Westbound Aries the Ram butts the Winged Horse (Great Square of Pegasus). Capella guides 5-sided Auriga, Charioteer, into the north. The Royal Family bows to the northwest: Queen Cassiopeia, King Cepheus, daughter Andromeda and Perseus the Hero. The Northern Cross `stands' on the northwestern horizon. The delicate Seven Sisters (500 stars in the Pleiades cluster) lead Taurus the Bull to the Zenith. Ruddy Aldebaran (red Bull's eye) winks from the V-shaped Hyades cluster (Bull's face) in Taurus. The Gemini Twins: Castor and Pollux rise in

Southern Cross Stargazer

SATURDAY

This evening, in Capricornus, bright Jupiter and its Galilean moons, closely followed by dim, blue Neptune, drift into the southwest and set before midnight. Fomalhaut twinkles left of Jupiter. Blue-green Uranus floats below Pisces the Fish in the south. The tilted Sagittarian Teapot lingers on the southwestern horizon. Aries the Ram chases the west-bound Winged Horse (Great Square of Pegasus) overhead. Vega leads the Summer Triangle into the northwest. Cygnus the Swan becomes the Northern Cross within the Triangle.

Southern Cross Stargazer

SATURDAY

Earth orbits the sun, our nearest star, on its elliptical path and cruises closest to it at 7 p.m. only 91.4 million miles distant! By nightfall, bright golden Jupiter glows in the southwest. Surrounded by its satellite moons, the King of the Planets lies about 3 degrees above dim, blue Neptune. The star Fomalhaut twinkles to the left of Jupiter. This week these planets move into Aquarius and set in the west about 9 p.m.

Blue-green Uranus lies near the Circlet in Pisces high in the southwest and sets about 11 p.m. Cetus, Whale, swims into the southwest. Mid-evening, the eastern sky is ablaze with brilliant winter constellations: the delicate Seven Sisters (Pleiades star cluster) leads Taurus, Bull, toward the Zenith; ruddy Aldebaran (red Bull's eye) winks from the V-shaped Hyades cluster (Bull's face) in Taurus; huge Orion, Hunter, climbs higher in the east followed by Procyon, Little Dog

Southern Cross Stargazer

SATURDAY

The Ice Moon is full at 1:18 a.m. This year the moon drifts closest to Earth at 4 a.m. today. Only 221,600 miles distant, abnormal high tides and shoreline flooding are possible. About sunset, the largest full moon rises in the east-northeast, directly below Mars. The moon will lie 3 degrees lower right of the Beehive star cluster in Cancer. They lead Leo the Lion across the sky all night and set in the northwest at dawn.

SOUTHERN CROSS STARGAZER

SATURDAY

By twilight, Saturn's rings become ``invisible'' from our Earthly view. The first time since 1996 the icy rings are completely edge-on -- an event due to the periodic tilt of the planet. Saturn descends to 11 degrees above the setting sun. Mercury twinkles to the upper left of Saturn low in the west. They set early. Use binoculars during twilight not before sunset.