In Tonight’s Sky

If you live in the Americas take a few moments to step outside tonight after sunset and see if you can spot a crescent Moon next to a couple of bright, shiny objects in the west-southwest that you might mistake for stars, but are really the planets Venus and Jupiter. It should be quite a sight if you have a clear sky. (If you live elsewhere, you should be able to see the two planets, at least.)

The view to the WSW from my place (East Coast). Your view may vary. Made with TheSky, by Software Bisque.

I’ve been fiddling around with sky charts and views using a software program called TheSky (made by Software Bisque) and came up with what the program thinks my sky will look like from my location (on the East Coast of the U.S.).

Of course, the program assumes a crystal-clear sky, which is wonderfully heartening!  However,  it will be snowing, or at least cloudy, from my location. So, I might not get to see this lovely sight.

Update: the skies have cleared! So, we will likely get to see this sight tonight from where I live!

So, if you have clear skies, remember what they say in the cruise commercials: get OUT there!!

Oh, and if you live someplace chilly, dress warm. Take along a warm beverage, and a pair of binoculars to scan the sky for other interesting sights!  Make a night of it!

By the way, the program assigned colors to these two planets. They really won’t be blue and yellow… but look  more like bright, shiny starlike objects.  But, in order to differentiate them from the stars in the larger sky view that I took this image from, it’s easier to put a little color on the planets.  In other words, they’re just there to show you where to look near the Moon.  Just step outside and look to the west-southwest and you’ll get an eyefull!