Your guide to the night sky
1 Aug Regulus is 1 finger-width to the upper left of Jupiter, low in the west at dusk.
3 Aug Mercury has climbed to within 3 finger-widths of Jupiter.
5 Aug Low in the west at dusk, Regulus, Jupiter and Mercury line up, separated by 1½ finger-widths.
6 Aug Mercury climbs to Jupiter’s upper right.
4 July High in the south before dawn, the Pleiades Cluster is 4 finger-widths above or to the upper right of the moon. Aldebaran is the same distance to the left. At its greatest elongation 27.1 degrees east of the sun, Mercury sets nearly an hour after sunset.
5 July The moon is to Aldebaran’s left this morning, and Orion the Hunter is not far below the moon. Follow a line through his belt 2 fist-widths to the lower left to the Dog Star, Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Mars and Venus stand side by side low in the east before dawn. Mars is less than 1 fist-width to Venus’ left.
2 June Tonight Venus is a little more than 2 finger-widths to the left of Pollux, forming a straight line with the Gemini Twins. Antares and the moon rise a few minutes after sunset.
14 June Before dawn, the Pleiades Cluster is less than a fist-width to the moon’s upper left.
2 May The moon is to Spica’s lower left this evening.
3 May High in the east at midnight, the full moon is midway between Spica, 2 fist-widths to the upper right, and Saturn, to the lower left.
4 May The moon rises shortly after sunset and is followed a little more than a half-hour later by Saturn.
2 April In the east, Jupiter, Regulus, the moon and Spica line up from upper right to lower left late tonight.
4 April This morning brings a total lunar eclipse. The eclipse begins as the moon enters Earth’s umbra at 1015 UT. Totality runs from 1157 to 1202 UT, with the last shadow leaving the moon at 1345 UT. Less than half the eclipse will be visible on the East Coast, 75 percent on the West Coast and 100 percent in Western Alaska and Hawaii.
1 Mar Just after sunset, the moon lies between Procyon, 1 fist-width to the right; the Gemini Twins, the same distance above; and Jupiter, farther to the lower left.
2 Mar Jupiter and the moon rise 2½ hours before sunset. The nearly full moon will be easy to spot, but wait until nightfall to look for Jupiter 3 finger-widths to the moon’s left.
1 Feb At dusk, the first stars visible near the moon are Procyon, 1 fist-width to the lower right, and Betelgeuse, 2 fist-widths to the upper right. Soon the Gemini Twins follow 1 fist-width to the upper left.
5 Feb Jupiter, Regulus and the moon line up in the east tonight.
1 Jan High in the east at sunset, the Pleiades Cluster is 1 fist-width above or to the upper left of the moon. Aldebaran is 3 finger-widths to the lower left.
2 Jan Gemini and Orion are high in the southeast by midnight.
3 Jan Just after dark, Gemini is to the moon’s lower left and Orion to its lower right.
5 Dec The brightest star in Taurus, Aldebaran, is 1 finger-width to the moon’s lower left at dusk. [Binoculars]
6 Dec By mid-evening, Aldebaran is 1 fist-width to the moon’s upper right, and Capella is 3 fist-widths to the upper left, with Pollux far below. Orion is to the moon’s lower right, with first-magnitude stars Betelgeuse 1 fist-width to the moon’s lower right, and Rigel at the opposite corner beyond the belt.
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3 Nov Mars is less than ½ finger-width above Kaus Borealis, the uppermost star in the dome of the Teapot constellation, Sagittarius. [Binoculars]
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2 Oct The bright star 2½ fist-widths above the moon is Altair.
3 Oct The moon lies between Altair, 2½ fist widths to the upper right, and Fomalhaut, 3½ fist-widths to the lower left.
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Arnold leaves behind Patricia, his wife of nearly 47 years; his daughter, Shelly; two grandchildren, Josephine, 7, and Kenneth, 5; and two brothers, Charles of Riverside, California, and John of Campbell, California.
Arnold Medalen and Purcy
Arnold and Patricia met as teenagers on a blind date and were inseparable from that point on. They married on July 10, 1970. Arnold received his Bachelors of Science degree in biology the following June, and their daughter, Shelly, was born that September.
Not long after graduating, Arnold began working for E&J Gallo Winery as a lab tech and finished his 33-year career with Gallo as a senior winemaker.
In retirement, Arnold became a substitute teacher for the Sylvan School District in Modesto, California, teaching middle school math and science.
An avid boater, Arnold joined California’s San Joaquin Delta Power Squadron in 1986. In 1997 Arnold was awarded Boater of the Year for his contribution to safe boating education.
After selling their boat, Arnold and Patricia decided to try RV-ing. They purchased a 40-foot Monaco Windsor and took many trips, making sure to plan one big trip each year with granddaughter, Josephine. Together, Arnold, Patricia, Josephine, and Purcy the cat visited Yellowstone, the Black Hills of South Dakota, Mount Rushmore, and planned to travel to the Grand Canyon this summer.
Through his column, Arnold shared his love of astronomy with members for two decades, and we hope that when you view the total eclipse this August or anytime you look up at the stars, you will take just a moment to remember his contributions to United States Power Squadrons.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
This NASA site covers everything space, including information about spaceflight and astronomy.
Stargazing Basics from Sky & Telescope
This site is for those just getting started in stargazing as well as more experienced stargazers who want to expand their viewing experience.
Space.com
This site has a variety of information about news, space flight and other space topics.
U. S. Naval Observatory & Astronomical Applications Department
These sites will interest more advanced stargazers; they include rise and set times for the sun and moon, as well as moon phases, eclipses, seasons and other data.
