The Last Vestiges of the Winter Sky

The young Moon graces the last vestiges of the winter sky this week, creating a beautiful pattern in the west for several evenings in a row. The big, bold constellations of winter including Orion, Taurus and Canis Major, and the very distinctive asterism the Winter Triangle are sinking lower each evening into the glow of the sunset sky, and on May 4th, 5th and 6th the Moon enters the picture to create a spectacular evening picture.

I have been doing Star Parties and outdoor presentations on astronomy the last few weeks, and the change from week to week has been dramatic. There is a natural change to the sky each evening, as the constellations and bright stars along the celestial equator and zodiac (ecliptic) move approximately 1 degree westward toward the sunset. At the same time, the length of each day is growing, meaning that these great winter constellations are disappearing rapidly into the glare of sunset. But there is nothing to worry about -- they will make their way around the sky to rejoin the view in the early morning, and continue the great ritual of the sky changing slowly from one season to the next.