About 1¼ hours before sunrise on Sunday, look low in east-northeast for brilliant Venus, with the star Aldebaran, eye of Taurus, just 4 degrees to its lower right. The Arabic star name Aldebaran means "the follower," of the Pleiades star cluster 14 degrees above it.

From the latitude of East Lansing, Jupiter now passes due south, 34 degrees up, just a couple of minutes after sunset. How quickly after sunset can you find Jupiter? As soon as you spot it, inspect it through binoculars and notice it shows a disk, which at such low magnification is easier to detect in twilight than when Jupiter gleams against a dark sky. This Wednesday July 5 will provide a chance to find Jupiter at sunset, as the Moon passes nearby.

This evening, the Moon is just past First Quarter phase, so it appears a little more than half full while just over 90 degrees east of the Sun. As the sky darkens, face southwest to find the star Spica 7 degrees upper left of the Moon, and bright Jupiter in SSW, 15 degrees to Spica's upper left.

About 1½ hours after sunset, look for Spica in SW 5 degrees to Moon's right, and bright Jupiter within 11 degrees to Moon's upper left. This week, Jupiter ends retrograde 15 degrees east of Spica and just over 6 degrees west of the 3rd-magnitude star Alpha in Libra. Binoculars show the 60-mile wide crater Copernicus as a gaping hole on the lunar terminator (day-night boundary, where it is sunrise), and reveal that Alpha has a fainter companion star.

See Jupiter very near the time of sunset, or even slightly before. Find the Moon in the southern sky and, using binoculars, try for Jupiter nearly 6 degrees above. Binoculars show the spectacular Sinus Iridum (Bay of Rainbows) on the lunar sunrise terminator, and Jupiter as a tiny disk. As the sky darkens, note the nearly equilateral triangle, about 6 degrees on each side, formed by the Moon, Jupiter, and the 3rd-magnitude star Alpha Librae.

As the evening sky darkens, locate bright Jupiter 16 degrees to Moon's upper right, and Antares, heart of the Scorpion, about the same distance to Moon's lower left. Check the Moon's position again tomorrow.

At dusk, notice the first-magnitude star Antares only about 3 degrees to the left of the Moon. Follow Moon and star for the next few hours to detect our satellite's orbital motion! At 10:51 p.m. in East Lansing, the Moon passes directly south just 20 degrees up. At 3:00 a.m. Antares is just 1.5 degrees above the Moon, but by then they're just about to set.

Tonight at dusk Moon has moved 11 degrees lower left of Antares. Look for the star more than a quarter of the way from the Moon toward bright Jupiter in SSW. The Moon's passage due south at 11:49 p.m. tonight and 12:51 a.m. tomorrow night (from East Lansing) are the lowest this month, just 18 degrees above the horizon. July's southernmost moonset occurs 40 degrees S of west Sunday morning at 3:59 a.m.

July's southernmost moonrise for East Lansing occurs 41 degrees south of east today at 8:42 p.m., about 36 minutes before sunset. We must wait a few minutes until the disk of the nearly Full Moon appears above our horizon. At nightfall the Moon appears within the stars of Sagittarius, the Archer. At 11:00 p.m., use binoculars to see the 3rd-magnitude stars Delta Sagittarii, or Kaus Media, the middle star of the Archer's Bow, a quarter of a degree to the lower right of the Moon's edge, and Gamma Sgr, the tip of the arrow, just over 3 degrees right of Delta. About 5 degrees below these stars lies 2nd-mag. Epsilon Sgr or Kaus Australis, the southern star of the Bow. These three stars also comprise the spout of the modern asterism of the Teapot. At week's end, the Moon will rise late, allowing us to see these stars in a dark moonless sky.

From East Lansing, the Full Moon rises 38 degrees south of east at 9:36 p.m., nearly 20 minutes after sunset. Wait several minutes to see the reddened disk of the Moon appear on the horizon. The reddening effect occurs even in perfectly clear, haze-free air, and is caused by the preferential scattering (by air molecules) of the shorter wavelengths of light (violet, blue, and green), leaving the redder light to make it through the atmosphere best of all. Notice also the pronounced flattening of the lunar disk just as it rises, caused by the greater refraction of light from the bottom of the Moon's disk compared to the top. (Light from a source lower in the sky is bent more as it comes through Earth's atmosphere.) At 11 p.m., the four stars of the handle of the Teapot lie 4 to 9 degrees to Moon's upper right. The red star Antares passes due south, 21 degrees up, at 10:52 p.m., and the Moon follows almost exactly three hours later, 20 degrees up in south, at 1:53 a.m.

As the evening sky darkens, look low in west for the first-magnitude star Regulus, with faint Mars 6.5 degrees to its lower right. You'll need binoculars and an unobstructed horizon to spot Saturn 12 degrees lower right of Mars. From East Lansing, the Moon rises 33 degrees south of east at 10:19 p.m., just over an hour after sunset. Wait several minutes to see the Moon's flattened reddish disk actually appear above the horizon.

An hour after sunset, Mars is low in west, 6 degrees lower right of Regulus. One and a quarter hours before sunrise on Thursday, find Venus low in ENE, with Aldebaran, eye of Taurus, 14 degrees upper right, and the Pleiades star cluster 14 degrees above Aldebaran. The two stars marking the tips of the Bull's horns are 6 degrees upper left of Venus and 2 degrees below. On Friday, Venus will pass between the horns, 1.4 degrees upper left of the southern one.

This evening a telescope shows two of Jupiter's moons, Europa and Callisto, closely paired west of the planet, and Io closer in on the same side. Ganymede, the brightest, is by itself on the east side. On Saturday evening, the two largest moons, Ganymede and Callisto, will appear far enough out to observe through binoculars as faint "stars" west (right) of the planet, while Europa will be closer in on the east. That night Io will remain hidden in Jupiter's shadow until 9:16 p.m. PDT.

Mars and Regulus are separated by no more than 5 degrees at dusk July 14-29, and will appear closest, about ¾ of a degree apart, on July 21 and 22. But both are getting lower each night. Use binoculars to follow them as they sink into bright twilight a little north of west. Choose a vantage point where landscape features won't block your view.

The red star Antares, heart of the Scorpion, passes due south, 21 degrees up, at 10:33 p.m. (for East Lansing), in deep twilight. The Moon doesn't rise until quite late, so as the sky darkens further, enjoy the sight of the beautiful constellation of the Scorpion at its best in the southern sky. The hooklike tail ends with a striking pair of stars 0.6 degree apart, 17 degrees lower left of Antares. The pair passes due south just over an hour after Antares and 11 degrees lower. Binoculars show a pair of open star clusters (known as M 7 and M6, after the famous 18th-century French astronomer Charles Messier who catalogued them) 4 degrees apart, with each cluster 5 degrees upper left of the end of the tail. Follow the Milky Way through the Scorpion's tail, upward past the Teapot, and through the Summer Triangle of Vega-Deneb-Altair well up in the east. Don't dilly-dally, the Moon rises at 12:06 a.m.!

Tonight from East Lansing, MI, the Moon, approaching Last Quarter, rises about 11 degrees north of east within half an hour after midnight, at 12:28 a.m. EDT. The Moon climbs to its high point 57 degrees up in south at 7:10 a.m., within an hour after sunrise on Monday, and sets just after 2 p.m.

At dusk Mars is within 3 degrees lower right of Regulus and closing. Use binoculars. Overnight Mercury passes inferior conjunction on the near side of the Sun, and will emerge at month's end or in early August, below Venus in morning twilight.

Here's a chance, with just a pair of binoculars, to observe all four of the moons of Jupiter discovered by Galileo. Tonight there are two moons on each side of the planet. From east to west (left to right) in binoculars, their order is Ganymede-Europa-Jupiter-Io-Callisto.

From much of the U.S. in the predawn hours of Thursday, the waning crescent Moon occults, or covers, some stars of the Pleiades cluster. A grazing occultation of the brightest member, 3rd-mag. Alcyone (Eta Tauri) is visible within a narrow track from central TX (2:41 a.m. CDT), across southeast OK, northwest AR, southeast MO, southern IL, and northwest IN. Then the one- to two-mile wide graze path (where the star blinks on and off as it passes behind mountains and through valleys on the Moon's northern limb) enters Michigan just west of the Indiana-Ohio border about 3:50 a.m. EDT, and leaves MI three minutes later, near the tip of the "Thumb" (in Huron County east of Saginaw Bay). Crossing Lake Huron, the track cuts across Canada's Bruce Peninsula and Georgian Bay. The track described is the northern limit of the occultation. Places NW of that line will see no occultation at all as the star glides past the Moon's northern limb. Places SE of that line see a total occultation. Examples: East Lansing, MI sees a very narrow miss near 3:51 a.m. EDT, but Detroit has the star hidden by the Moon during 3:43-3:57 a.m. Jackson, MI sees an even shorter occultation, 3:47-3:53 a.m. The graze of Alcyone will be visible in binoculars and spectacular through a telescope, as it occurs along the Moon's dimly earthlit limb, near the northern cusp of the crescent.

From East Lansing, the crescent Moon, about one-fourth full, rises 34 degrees north of east at 1:50 a.m. EDT Thursday morning. By 3:00 a.m., the Moon is 10 degrees up, with the beautiful Pleiades cluster glittering just to its left, and the star Merope due to slip behind the Moon's bright side within 5 minutes. A telescope will be needed to see stars disappear at the bright limb, but binoculars will suffice to observe their reappearances at the Moon's dimly earthlit upper limb. From East Lansing, the easiest and most spectacular events to observe are:

3:34 a.m.: Merope (mag. 4.1) reappears at Moon's dark limb. 3:51 a.m.: Alcyone (mag. 2.9) narrowly misses Moon's northern (upper left) limb. 4:55 a.m.: Atlas (mag. 3.6) reappears at dark limb. 4:56 a.m.: Pleione (mag. 5.1) reappears at dark limb.

The easternmost and lowest members of the nine named stars of the Pleiades cluster, Atlas and Pleione are the father and mother of the Seven Sisters. Moon and cluster slowly separate as dawn brightens.

For information on these events, with maps of visibility and times for various cities, visit http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota and click on "Occultations of the 7 Brightest Pleiads for North America." If you're near a graze path, you can get details from webmaster@lunar-occultations.com.

An hour after sunset from the latitude of Boston and East Lansing, MI, look for Mars and Regulus only 5 degrees up, 12-13 degrees north of due west. Faint Mars is 1.2 degrees to the right of brighter Regulus. Fainter Mars is to the right of Regulus. Binoculars may be required to observe the pair, especially from northern U.S. From the northern Tier, they're only 2.5 degrees up an hour after sunset, and at an earlier stage of twilight. From the latitude of Atlanta and Los Angeles, they're nearly 8 degrees up, about 10 degrees north of west an hour after sunset, and may be seen with unaided eye. Choose your vantage point carefully so you can follow their closest approach next two evenings. On Friday and Saturday at dusk, Mars will pass within three-quarters of a degree upper right, then above, Regulus.

On Friday morning, 1¼ hours before sunrise, look in the east, for Aldebaran, eye of Taurus, 11 degrees right of the Moon. Brilliant Venus is 19 degrees to Moon's lower left.

On Saturday an hour before sunup, face ENE to find Venus about 8 degrees below the Moon.

Sunday morning is your last easy chance for the thin old crescent Moon. An hour before sunup, or shortly after 5 a.m. in Michigan, look very low in east-northeast, 7 degrees left of Venus.

On Monday morning, skywatchers in New England are in the best position in the U.S. to catch a glimpse of a very old Moon. From Boston, civil twilight (Sun 6 degrees below horizon) occurs at 4:56 a.m. EDT, with the Moon 32 degrees N of E and just over 3 degrees up. The very thin crescent, 19.6 hours before New, is 17 degrees lower left of Venus and within 9.6 degrees of the Sun. Will anyone see it with unaided eye?

From East Lansing, MI, farther west in the same time zone, civil twilight occurs at 5:49 a.m. EDT, with the Moon still 32 degrees N of E but just 3 degrees up and within 9.2 degrees of the Sun and 18.7 hours before New. Look 17 degrees lower left of Venus.

At civil twilight in Palm Springs CA on Monday at 5:24 a.m. PDT, the Moon is only 2 degrees up and just 8 degrees above the Sun. Binoculars, exceedingly transparent skies, and an unobstructed view of the horizon 30 degrees north of east will be needed to glimpse the hairline Moon just 16 hours before New.

Update: Back on Fri. May 26, I hiked up the South Lykken Trail above Palm Springs, CA to attempt a sighting of the old crescent, 17-1/4 hours before New. Despite extensive preparations, which included making observations of sunrise from the site on previous mornings (so I would know exactly where on the horizon to look for the Moon), I was stymied by marine haze. But on Sat. May 27, I did succeed in spotting the young Moon, within 22 hours after New. My location was on Gene Autry Trail, across from the Desert Sun building. I also made advance preparations from that site, making timed observations of the star Pollux as it set late one evening several days before. The star previewed nearly the same track as the Moon on May 27, and, looking beyond a radar installation toward the San Gorgonio Pass, I was able to spot the very thin Moon through binoculars pretty quickly.

New Moon occurs at 12:31 a.m. EDT Tuesday morning, and can't be seen overnight, either at dusk today or at dawn tomorrow.

From East Lansing at civil twilight (when Sun is 6 degrees below horizon) at 9:39 p.m. EDT, the Moon has almost set, even though it is 10 degrees from the Sun, and nearly 20 hours old. If the Moon were the same distance directly above the Sun, that would improve our chances of seeing it. But in summer or early fall, the young Moon in the western sky shifts farther south (left) each night, and not much higher. We must wait an extra night or two before getting an easy look at the Moon. In contrast, in winter or early spring, the young Moon ascends much higher each night. In all seasons, the Moon at First Quarter phase (half full in the evening sky and 90 degrees east of the Sun, about a week after New Moon) previews the Sun's position three months, or one season, in the future.

From East Lansing 45 minutes after sunset (or 9:50 p.m. EDT), the Moon is only 3 degrees up, 18 degrees north of west. Regulus and Mars are within 3 degrees apart, within 5 to 8 degrees to Moon's upper left. Binoculars!

From East Lansing 45 minutes after sunset, the 3-day-old Moon is 7 degrees up, 7 degrees north of west. Mars and Regulus are 3 to 7 degrees to Moon's lower right. Binoculars! Bright Jupiter shines in SW. The Moon will reach this part of the sky on Aug. 1. Tonight is the broad peak of the long-lasting annual Delta Aquarid meteor shower.

Before nightfall, look in west to see Denebola, tail of Leo, the Lion, within 13 degrees to upper right of the setting crescent Moon. Moon's brightness doesn't overpower the Milky Way yet. After nightfall, look for "clouds of steam" rising from the spout of the Teapot in the southern sky and passing through the Summer Triangle east of overhead.

Around nightfall, binoculars might pick up two of Jupiter's satellites: Ganymede, the brightest and largest, to the west (right) of the planet, and Europa, nearly as far to the east. A telescope reveals two moons closer in on the west side of Jupiter: Io and fainter Callisto, until Io passes behind the planet at 9:39 p.m. PDT, an event best seen from western U.S.

On Monday morning an hour before sunrise, find bright Venus low in ENE, and, using binoculars, watch for the rising of Mercury 7 degrees below. Mercury is in the foreground, on the near side of the Sun, while Venus is now on the far side, just over twice as far from us. In coming days, watch Mercury brighten and approach within 2.2 degrees below Venus on Aug. 10 and 11, and then fall back. This is not a true conjunction because neither planet passes the other. It's a quasi-conjunction!

An hour after sunset, locate the fat crescent Moon in SW and notice Spica within one degree upper right. Bright Jupiter shines some 16 degrees to Moon's upper left. Binoculars show that the star Alpha in Libra, 5 degrees to Jupiter's left, is actually a double star.

Please send any comments, suggestions, or questions to Shane Horvatin: horvati3@msu.edu