In the following night sky maps, the Milky Way is drawn as a red-purple brush stroke that represents billions of stars and interstellar gases. From dark-sky locations—in the absence of overbearing artificial light—we see a soft band that stretches overhead from horizon to horizon. We are like the starry-eyed child in the picture above. Find dark-sky locations locally as well as here and here.
This star chart captures celestial seasonal change: The sweep of the Milky Way arcs from the southwest horizon, deepening at nightfall, close to 7:30 p.m. Find summer stars and constellations low in the western sky in evening twilight. To observe the stars and Venus before they set, arrive at a view of the southwest to northwest horizons by about 6:50 p.m. Planet Venus will be visible in the southwest until close to setting at 7:37 p.m. Below Venus, we might catch a glimpse of red star Antares, the heart of Scorpius the Scorpion, before it sets at 7:17 p.m. To the right, west-northwest, orange Arcturus is the brightest star in the sky at dusk. Vega, above, near zenith, is nearly as bright. Spot the Big Dipper, Ursa Major. Notice the body and head of the Great Bear sketched beyond the Dipper’s handle. Follow the pointer stars, Merak and Dubhe, to Polaris, the North Star.
In early evening, look up in an easterly direction for the Great Square of Pegasus. Both The Great Square and The Summer Triangle are in the western sky until around midnight. The stars scattered over the diagram simply suggest the heightened possibility of shooting stars. More likely in the hours after midnight, the Leonid meteor shower is active from November 6 to 30.
Note that Halloween, observed on October 31, is an astronomical holiday, marking the halfway point between Autumnal Equinox and Winter Solstice, September 22, 2024, and December 21, 2024, respectively.
Eastern Daylight Time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 3, when we return to reading time by the Sun, Eastern Standard Time. In autumn, we “fall back” an hour. Sunrise on November 3 is 6:29 a.m., sunset 4:45 p.m. Let’s vote to keep EST year ‘round.
