R U Ready?

Early risers will have a great opportunity to watch how the moon moves rapidly across the sky this week. To see the quick movement of the moon , observers need a set of bright markers across the sky, exactly the kind of signposts in the night sky this week. Two bright stars and three bright planets mark the moon’s path across the sky. Let’s start by looking for the moon tonight (Jan. 22). Many people are surprised that the moon cannot always be seen in the sky, and this evening is an example of that. In most places tonight the moon will not rise until after midnight. Watch for it rising slowly above the eastern horizon. Most of the motion you see the moon make in a single night is due to Earth's rotation. The moon is also moving across the background of the stars, but too slowly to be seen with the naked eye. Once the moon clears the horizon, look carefully around it. You should see a bright star, Spica, just below it, and a reddish object above and to its left. Th...