Q-90.1's Backyard Astronomer

The early evening sky will speckle with more stars. Among them, a long panorama of bright planets can be seen in the south.

All this week, the sunlit side of the Moon will seem to grow as it gradually slips eastward among the stars.

This week, the Crescent Moon makes its appearance and passes by both Venus and Jupiter.

One of the most well-known meteor showers of the year reaches peak activity on the night of August 12 and morning of August 13.

Every 26 months, Mars and Earth line up on one side of the sun in an opposition. This is also when the two planets reach their closest approach.

On Friday, July 27, the Moon will become full and you can see it get close to the planet Mars.

As evening twilight fades into night, look for three bright stars high in the east that are great for starhopping to areas of interest.

The ringed planet, Saturn, is at its closest approach to Earth. How much magnifying power does it take to see the rings?

About 90 minutes after sunset, look high in the eastern sky for a beautiful blue-white star. Its name is Vega, and no it’s not in honor of a 1970s Chevrolet.

With the bright Moon drowning out faint nebula and galaxies, this is a good week to look for planets.

By June 20, the moon will appear in the south soon after sunset and look half illuminated. Many call this a half moon, but it's really a first quarter moon.

During the month of June, one of the most distinctive constellations is Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, because it lies high in the sky early in the evening.

Look to the south this week to see a "star" with a steady light and a reddish hue, a dead giveaway that you're actually looking at the planet Mars.