Tonight affords us a chance to compare the progress of the Moon from last week. If you had a chance to take note of its position before the storms came in, you'll see how far eastward it's moved. If nothing else you'll almost certainly notice how much later it rises!

Let's check on one of our nearest neighbors in the Solar System, Venus. Tonight and for the next week or so you'll see the planet very near one of the most stunning open clusters in the night sky, the Pleiades (in case it looks familiar, this is the star cluster featured in the current banner on our Facebook page!).

Looking West after sunset, Venus is the brightest object in this region of the sky, in fact visible during the earlier phase of twilight. Around 8:30 pm when the Sun is sufficiently below the horizon to darken the sky, look just below and to the right of Venus to spot the Pleiades, a grouping of seven stars nicknamed the Seven Sisters. Some observers say it resembles a miniaturized Big Dipper pattern, with the "handle" pointing roughly back towards Venus.

The accompanying images show how to locate this pairing of Venus and the Pleiades. Each night you'll be able to see Venus' slow movement against the background stars, using the Pleiades cluster as a reference will help to identify the small change each night. By the end of the week it'll noticeably have moved away, this is a great way to hone your visual observing skills (sketching on paper can help greatly).

Locate Venus on its journey through Perseus

Comment with questions or reach us directly at contact@standleylakestargazing.com!

Check back each weekday at 5 pm for new observing guides, and as always,

Clear skies!

Venus Strolls By a Star Cluster