dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) (07/19/85)
The crescent moon in the west can guide you to a planet and a star. More on the moon, Mercury and Regulus -- after this. July 19 The Moon, Mercury and Regulus If you've been looking for the moon in the EVENING, you know it hasn't been there. The moon was visible before dawn earlier this week. It passed between the Earth and sun on Wednesday -- and on that day was invisible in the solar glare. But now the moon is back in the evening sky just after sunset. It appears as a slim crescent, with most of its lighted half facing the other way. On the next two evenings, the moon can guide you to a planet and a star. The planet is Mercury -- innermost to the sun in our solar system -- and the least observed of all the bright planets. The star is Regulus, heart of the lion in the constellation Leo. Friday evening, when the sky is just beginning to turn dark, look for the moon in the west. It'll be a slender crescent -- called a young moon. The planet Mercury will be below the moon in the west. The star Regulus will be side by side with the moon Friday evening. Saturday evening, the moon will have moved in its orbit around Earth. We'll see it higher in the west after sunset -- a slightly fatter crescent. Saturday evening, the moon, star and planet will make a diagonal line coming up from the western horizon. The moon will be highest in the sky, with Regulus in the middle -- and Mercury lowest in the sky. Few people have seen the elusive planet Mercury -- this may be your chance. Script by Deborah Byrd. (c) Copyright 1984, 1985 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin