In these times of reduced social interaction and spending more time with our immediate families, we have a great opportunity, if the weather cooperates, to go out in our backyard and admire the nighttime skies. 

At this time, Venus is the very bright light in the west. The brightest star in the south is Sirius in the constellation Canis Major. Higher and a little bit west of Sirius is the constellation Orion, the hunter. The key part to look for is his belt, three bright stars in a straight line. Orion is roughly hourglass shaped.

Go to heavens-above.com, enter Houston as your location, and ask for a sky chart for the time and date that you will be observing. After 8 p.m. would work. Find a dark, comfortable place and enjoy the sky with the chart as your guide.

As a precaution, the observatory is currently closed due to COVID-19.

Author: Aaron ClevensonEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I am the observatory director at the Insperity Observatory in Humble ISD. I am also an adjunct astronomy professor at Lone Star College-Montgomery where I teach solar system astronomy and stars and galaxies astronomy. I am the author of the astronomy textbook, “Astronomy for Mere Mortals.” I am a past president of the North Houston Astronomy Club, and was the chair of Astronomy Day in Southeast Texas in 2015 and 2016. He is an observing program director with The Astronomical League, coordinates their Master Observer Progression Awards, and has authored six of their observing programs.

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