Weather permitting, there is a good show in the western sky after sunset at 7:18 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 4.
Go outside in early evening and face east to find the Summer Triangle, which consists of three particularly bright stars — Altair in Aquila the Eagle, Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, and Vega in Lyra the Lyre.
The triangle appears in early summer and shifts higher in the east, appearing high overhead in the late northern summer sky.
The stars of the Summer Triangle are not related. Altair is 17 light years away and rotates so rapidly it is shaped like an egg. Deneb, the 19th brightest star in the sky, is roughly 1,425 light-years from us. It is probably one of the most luminous stars in the entire Milky Way. Vega, the fifth brightest star in the sky, is 25 light years from us.
There is yet more to find in the summer sky. At 7:40 p.m. ever brilliant Venus shines 5 degrees above the horizon. A degree to the left (south) of Venus is Regulus the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Farther to the left (south) of Venus and Regulus is Mercury nearly 10 degrees above the horizon. Use the crescent moon to find Mercury, and use low power binoculars to make finding these objects easier. Bright Jupiter is an additional 13 degrees to left (south) of the moon and higher above the horizon.
