The very bright “star” you see in the eastern sky after sunset is actually the planet Jupiter. It is just coming off opposition when it was directly opposite the sun in our sky as we passed closest to Jupiter, so it is still brighter than its already usual very bright appearance — brighter than any real star in our night sky.
The brightest real star is Sirius in the constellation Canis Major. If you’re facing Jupiter in the east between 7 and 9 p.m., Sirius will be much lower in the sky and to the right of Jupiter, i.e., in the southeast.
kAm%96 @C:6?E2E:@? x 49@D6 7@C E96 244@>A2?J:?8 DE2C 492CE 😀 724:?8 E96 D@FE9\D@FE9H6DE E@ 2=D@ W32C6=JX :?4=F56 E96 @E96C 8:2?E A=2?6E $2EFC?[ H9:49 😀 =@H 😕 E96 H6DE\D@FE9H6DE 2>@?8 E96 5:> DE2CD @7 !:D46D 36=@H E96 vC62E $BF2C6 @7 !682DFD] $2EFC? 😀 2E E96 G6CJ C:89E 6586 @7 E96 DE2C 492CE] %96 K6?:E9 WDEC2:89E @G6C9625X A@:?E 😀 2E E96 E@A 46?E6C @7 E96 492CE]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E9:D @C:6?E2E:@?[ $:C:FD @? E96 492CE 2AA62CD E@ 36 5:C64E=J 36=@H yFA:E6C[ :7 ?@E 2 =:EE=6 E@ E96 =67E @7 yFA:E6C] $F49 2C6 E96 A64F=:2C:E:6D @7 C6AC6D6?E:?8 2 92=7\5@>6 D
kAmpD H6VG6 366? A2DD:?8 3J yFA:E6C 😕 @FC 72DE6C[ :??6C @C3:E[ E96 A=2?6E 92D 366? >@G:?8 C6EC@8C256 W324:?:] %9:D 😀 ;FDE 2 >2EE6C @7 @FC A6CDA64E:G6[ @7 4@FCD6] yFA:E6C 5@6D?VE C62==J >@G6 324@E:@? 😀 2? @AE:42= :==FD:@? E92E 😀 D:>:=2C E@ H92E J@F D66 H96? J@F A2DD D=@H6C >@G:?8 G69:4=6D @? E96 9:89H2J 2?5 4@>A2C6 E96:C A@D:E:@? H:E9 C6DA64E E@ E96 @3;64ED 😕 E96 5:DE2?46] t2CE9 92D E96 :?D:56 72DE6C EC24< 2?5 E96 DE2CD 2C6 E96 324<8C@F?5 D46?6CJ[ 3FE[ 29[ H92E 362FE:7F= D46?6CJ E96J 2C6Pk^Am
kAmyFA:E6C H:== >@G6 C6EC@8C256 😕 v6>:?: F?E:= 62C=J |2C49] x? 2 v@@8=6 D62C49 @7 yFA:E6CVD C6EC@8C256 >@E:@?[ E96 px ~G6CG:6H[ FD:?8 G2C:@FD 2DEC@=@8J D:E6D 2D :ED D@FC46D[ D2:5 E92E yFA:E6C H2D 😕 C6EC@8C256 😕 E96 ?6IE K@5:24 4@?DE6==2E:@? @G6C Wr2?46CX] (6==[ yFA:E6C 😀 567:?:E6=J 😕 v6>:?: 2?5 😀 36=@H v6>:?:VD 3C:89E6DE DE2C[ !@==FI]k^Am
kAm%96 v@@8=6 px E96? H6?E @? E@ DE2E6 E92E yFA:E6C H@F=5 36 😕 C6EC@8C256 282:? E9:D J62C 7C@> pAC:= E@ pF8FDE 😕 {6@] yFA:E6C H@?VE 24EF2==J 36 4=@D6C E@ {6@ E92? r2?46C F?E:= E96 >:55=6 @7 a_af 2?5 yFA:E6C H@?VE DE2CE C6EC@8C256 >@E:@? 282:? E9:D J62C F?E:= E96 >:55=6 @7 s646>36C 2?5 :E H:== 36 😕 r2?46C[ ?@E {6@]k^Am
kAmx7 E9:D 😀 2? 6I2>A=6 @7 E96 AC@>:D6 @7 px[ E96? H6VC6 😕 C62= 566A EC@F3=6 2D >2?J @7 E96 >2;@C 4@CA@C2E:@?D 6>365 px E9C@F89@FE E96:C DJDE6>D 3FE :E 😀 2 8@@5 6I2>A=6 @7 Q82C3286 :?[ 82C3286 @FEQP %@ <66A E96 v@@8=6 =2HJ6CD 92AAJ[ E96C6 😀 2 5:D4=2:>6C 36=@H E96 px ~G6CG:6H E92E D2JD Qpx C6DA@?D6D >2J :?4=F56 >:DE2<6D]Qk^Am
k9bmtJ6 @? E96 >@@?k^9bm
kAm%96 >@@? 😀 2E ?6H A92D6 E@52J[ D@ H6V== 368:? E@ D66 E96 E9:? H2I:?8 4C6D46?E G:D:3=6 =@H 😕 E96 D@FE9H6DE 3J %F6D52J @C (65?6D52J] p DE:== E9:? 4C6D46?E >@@? H:== 36 ;FDE E@ E96 C:89E @7 $2EFC? 27E6C DF?D6E @? %9FCD52J 2?5 E96 >@@? H:== >@G6 4=@D6C E@ $2EFC? 2D E96J D6E 😕 E96 H6DE[ 5:D2AA62C:?8 😕 E96 92K6 =2J6C 3J 23@FE h A]>]k^Am
kAm%96 >@@? H:== 36 2E 7:CDE BF2CE6C W=@@<:?8 92=7 =:E @? E96 C:89E D:56X ?6IE $F?52J[ y2?] ad] %H@ 52JD =2E6C[ E96 H2I:?8 8:33@FD >@@? H:== 36 ?6IE E@ E96 !=6:256D DE2C 4=FDE6C] %96J H:== >2J36 32C6=J 7:E H:E9:? E96 D2>6 7:6=5 @7 G:6H @7 J@FC =@H\A@H6C 3:?@4F=2CD]k^Am
kAm~? E96 ?:89E @7 y2?] b_[ E96 2=>@DE\7F== >@@? H:== 36 2=>@DE 5:C64E=J 36EH66? !@==FI 2?5 yFA:E6C[ D@ E96 EC:@ H:== >2<6 2 D9@CE6C 2?5 D9@CE6C EC:2?8=6 2D E96 ?:89E AC@8C6DD6D[ 36:?8 5:C64E=J =:?65 FA 3J ` 2]>] 2?5 E96? 2 C6G6CD65 EC:2?8=6 H96? E96J D6E 2 3:E 27E6C dib_ 2]>]k^Am
k9bm$AC:?8 D9@HD @? E2A 2E A=2?6E2C:F>k^9bm
kAmq2<6CD7:6=5 r@==686VD DAC:?8 D6>6DE6C 3682? E9:D H66< 2?5 DAC:?8 D4965F=6 @7 D9@HD 2E E96 (:==:2> |] %9@>2D !=2?6E2C:F> 368:?D H:E9 E96 ?6H6DE D9@H[ Q|@@? q2D6i %96 }6IE $E6A[Q @? u63] `h] %96 ?6IE C68F=2C 6G6?:?8 D9@H H:== 36 E96 6G6C\A@AF=2C Qq=24< w@=6Di %96 ~E96C $:56 @7 x?7:?:EJQ @? |2C49 d]k^Am
kAm~E96C D9@HD E9:D D6>6DE6C H:== :?4=F56 Qs6DE:?2E:@? |2CDQ W|2C49 `hX[ Qx?4@>:?8PQ WpAC:= hX 2?5 Q$FA6CG@=42?@6DQ WpAC:= abX]k^Am
kAmp5>:DD:@? 😀 S`a[ S`_ 7@C D6?:@CD 2?5 49:=5C6? 286D d E@ `a J62CD @=5] %:4<6ED H:== 36 2G2:=23=6 D@@? 7@C E96D6 D9@HD 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^G2==:E:I]4@>^A=2?6E2C:F>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?^A=2?6E2C:F>k^2m]k^Am
kAmp=D@ @? E96 D4965F=6 😀 E96 =:>:E65\6?8286>6?E Q|6D>6C:42Q D9@H[ H9:49 H:== 36 @776C65 u63] e 2?5 f] %9:D AC6D6?E2E:@? 762EFC6D 9JA?@E:4 bs >@E:@? 2CE 7C@> =625:?8 G:DF2= 2CE:DED D6E E@ E96 >FD:4 @7 vC2>>J ?@>:?66 y2>6D w@@5]k^Am
kAmp55:E:@?2= A6C7@C>2?46D H:== 36 96=5 |2C49 `b 2?5 `c 2?5 pAC:= `_ 2?5 “]k^Am
kAmp5>:DD:@? 😀 Sbh]h_] ‘:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E:4<6ED]>6D>6C:42]4@>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<4/>