• Don't expect to see the planet Neptune tonight (September 26, 2012), even though tonight's waxing gibbous moon shines fairly close to this world on the sky's dome. Even on the darkest of moonless nights, you need an optical aid to see Neptune, the eighth planet outward from the sun. Neptune now reigns as the farthest full-fledged planet in the solar system because Pluto was reclassified as a "dwarf planet" by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006.
• But, although you won't see Neptune tonight, you can use tonight's moon to get a feel for the whereabouts of Nep

tune and the zodiacal constellation Aquarius in the starry heavens. Aquarius lies to the north of the bright star Fomalhaut, which will be visible tonight - despite the moonlit glare.
• Because the ecliptic - the roadway of the sun, moon and planets - passes right through the constellation Aquarius, practiced sky gazers know any planet must be on or near this reference plane. And right they are, for Neptune will reside within one-half degree of the zodiacal star 38 Aquarii for the rest of this year. (One-half degree is about the width of a pencil at an arm length away.) This star, 38 Aquarii, is visible to the unaided eye as a faint speck of light in a dark country sky.
• Once the moon leaves the evening sky by the end of the first week in October, try locating Neptune in front of the constellation Aquarius, and near the 5.4-

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