• The bright star near the moon on July 24, 2012 is Spica in the constellation Virgo, and the other two bright lights are two planets, Mars and Saturn. The moon is in a more easterly location relative to the stars and planets tonight than it was last night. Of course it is! The moon moves continually toward the east in its orbit around Earth. Note the wonderful contrast of color between sparkling blue-white Spica, the red planet Mars and the golden planet Saturn. You can see these colors with the eye alone. Binoculars make the color contrast even more apparent.

• July 2012 guide to the five visible planets
• Looking for info on meteor showers? Click here
• Tonight's moon is in a fairly wide waxing crescent phase. It'll reach its half-lit first quarter phase on Thursday, July 26. The waxing crescent moon will be plumper - closer to first quarter phase - when it comes out after sunset tomorrow night.
• We got this comment from an online friend:
• I was driving down a lonely stretch of dark Georgia highway the other night heading west. This gave me plenty of hours and miles to contemplate the moon . . . Is there a formal name for the border of lunar night and day?
• There is indeed a name for this demarcation between light and dark on the moon. When you look at the moon in any phase other than full, you are in fact seeing portions of both the day side and night side of the moon. The name for this border between lunar night and day is the terminator line.
• If you're using a telescope or binoculars, and want to observe features on the

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