"Good Night, Moon"

The Waxing Gibbous

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June 28, 2015
By Joe Rao

If you've ever struggled (click here) to identify Saturn in the night sky, be sure to look up tonight to get a clear view of the ringed planet.

About one hour after sunset, look toward the south-southeast sky to find the waxing gibbous moon. And hovering just a couple of degrees to the moon’s lower right you’ll see a bright yellowish-white "star" shining with a steady glow. And that will be Saturn.

Finding Saturn can often be a challenge for new stargazers. To the naked eye, Saturn really isn’t all that distinct, and many neophytes to astronomy may have over looked it without knowing exactly what it is. A nearby benchmark would certainly help to guide stargazers to it, and tonight the moon will serve that purpose....