Look at the moon tonight.
The moon over the next several days is a good pointer to Jupiter, the Pleiades and Taurus.
Tonight the moon rises at 8:04 p.m. and will be 20 degrees above the eastern horizon by 10 p.m. It is in a waning gibbous (more than half-lit) phase moving toward last quarter Tuesday.
The moon is always special, but what makes it particularly special tonight and Friday night is its closeness to Jupiter.
Jupiter rises at 8:39 tonight, and by 10 p.m. it will be slightly more than 15 degrees above the eastern horizon, and about 5 degrees below the moon. Friday night the moon will have moved east and will be to the north (left) of the Jupiter and closer to the horizon.
On Saturday night the moon will be just south (right) of the Pleiades star cluster, the Seven Sisters.
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If you look toward the east at 11 p.m., you will be rewarded with the 20-day-old moon right next to the Pleiades and directly above Taurus the Bull sitting along the horizon. The bright moon will dim the Pleiades. Taurus will be faint because of the moon and its low position on the horizon, but it will be rewarding to explore this area with binoculars, as will viewing these objects after midnight as they get higher.
On Sunday night right before midnight, the moon will be low against the eastern horizon and just north (left) of Taurus.
Taurus and the Pleiades are now beginning to make an appearance in our evening skies, becoming more prominent later in the fall.
The Earth's yearly tour around the sun means we are constantly saying goodbye to old friends setting in the west and welcoming back new friends rising in the east.
Contact Tim Hunter at skyspy@azstarnet.com