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Look up for the Moon, Saturn, and maybe the Milky Way

The first quarter Moon points the way to Saturn early this week and extremely clear skies might reveal the Milky Way as well.

Posted 2023-10-24T00:15:36+00:00 - Updated 2023-10-24T00:15:36+00:00

Tony Rice

, NASA Ambassador

The Moon is passing by Saturn in the evening sky early this week. On Monday, October 23, The Moon will be to the left and a bit down, about six degrees from Saturn, or about the width of your index to ring fingers on your outstretched hand. By Tuesday the Moon will have moved left, this time about 8 degrees from the Moon, less that the width of your outstretched fist.

This week has brought very clear night skies so far, clear enough to see the Milky Way from much of the area. While you're not going to be able to see it from light polluted places like downtown Durham or standing on the midway of the state fair, i was able to see it remarkably well from Chatham County last night, and an Apex suburb Monday night.

The annotated artist's concept illustrates the new view of the Milky Way. The galaxy's two major arms (Scutum-Centaurus and Perseus) can be seen attached to the ends of a thick central bar, while the two now-demoted minor arms (Norma and Sagittarius) are less distinct and located between the major arms.

Using infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have discovered that the Milky Way's elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two arms wrapping off the ends of a central bar of stars. Previously, our galaxy was thought to possess four major arms. (Image: NASA) — The annotated artist's concept illustrates the new view of the Milky Way. The galaxy's two major arms (Scutum-Centaurus and Perseus) can be seen attached to the ends of a thick central bar, while the two now-demoted minor arms (Norma and Sagittarius) are less distinct and located between the major arms. Using infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have discovered that the Milky Way's elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two arms wrapping off the ends of a central bar of stars. Previously, our galaxy was thought to possess four major arms. (Image: NASA)

Look for what might look like a long thin band of clouds running across the sky from the southwest to the northeast. It tends to be a bit brighter toward the southeastern horizon this time of year.

You're not looking at clouds, the National Weather Service is forecasting essentially cloudless skies overnight, but at some of the 100 billion stars that make up our galaxy. It appears as a band in our sky because we're looking out through the edge of the galaxy, here from our vantage point on one of the spiral arms measuring about 10,000 light years.