Vega, one of the brightest stars of summer nights, is low in the east-northeast at nightfall and soars high overhead later on. It is about 25 light-years away. It's a bit bigger, brighter, and heavier than the Sun, but just 10 percent the Sun's age.
Weekly Stargazing Tips
Provided by StarDate.org. Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone, and are good for the entire Lower 48 states (and, generally, for Alaska and Hawaii).
May 27: Vega
May 28: Charting a Path
Cygnus, the swan, is a signpost for charting Earth's path through the galaxy. As you face Cygnus as it rises in the northeast, you're looking forward in our orbit around the Milky Way. The center of the galaxy is to the right, in Sagittarius.
May 29: First Glimpse
For most American skywatchers, the star Capella is just peeking into view in the morning twilight. It's bright, but it's quite low as the sky brightens. You need precise timing and a clear north-northeastern horizon to spot it.
May 30: Blue Moon
The Moon is full tonight. As the second full Moon of the calendar month, it's known as a Blue Moon. After major volcanic eruptions or big forest fires, the Moon can actually look blue. Such appearances are quite rare, however.
May 31: 'Sailing' Stars
Four stars in the constellation Corvus, the crow, form a small lopsided box that resembles a sail. It's in the south at nightfall. The star at the top left corner of the sail is Delta Corvi. Clockwise from there, the others are Gamma, Epsilon, and Beta Corvi.
June 1: Evening Planets
Pollux and Castor, the twins of Gemini, have a front-row seat for a planetary waltz this month. Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury are fairly close to the twins now, and will bunch up even closer during June. The group is in the west as evening twilight fades.
June 2: Menkent
From the southern latitudes of the United States, the upper half of Centaurus the centaur stands in the southern sky at nightfall. The brightest star in that part of the constellation is Menkent, the centaur's shoulder.