BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Brad Klein reviews upcoming astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy,’ Marty McGuire.
This week, a look at several striking objects that are visible in the evening sky after sunset.
If you can find a spot with a clear view of the southern and western night sky, there are several eye-catching objects that should be in view this week.
One is a temporary alignment of three bright objects in the southern sky. It’s temporary, since one is the planet Mars which changes position each night relative to the stars.
The other two are the brightest stars in the constellation Gemini, Pollux and Castor, named for the children of Leda in Greek and Roman mythology.
To find them, look high in the southern sky. Reddish Mars is to the left, then Pollux, then Castor to the right in a conspicuous line.
“And there's a couple other bright objects to look at at the same time,” McGuire said. “Just to the left of Orion is the bright star Sirius, the dog star. And off to the right of the Orion constellation is the planet Jupiter.”
Jupiter is currently the brightest star-like object in the evening sky. That giant planet is named for the Roman god who, by the way, fathered Pollux while in the guise of a swan.