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color. Mars glowers red, Saturn appears golden or yellow, while Spica sparkles blue-white.
• As for the whisker-thin waxing crescent moon, it'll set later after sundown the farther south and the farther west you reside on the globe on September 18, 2012. As seen from the far eastern part of the world - Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia - the moon shines quite close to the planet Saturn and the star Spica. Farther west - like in the Americas - the moon appears farther east on the sky's dome, or between Saturn and Mars.
• New moon fell two days ago, on Sunday, September 16, at 2:11 Universal Time. Usually you can see the moon within 24 hours of the new phase. But not in the autumn. From either of Earth's hemispheres, it's tough to spot the waxing crescent this soon after new moon in autumn. Meanwhile, it's easy to see a young moon, within 24 hours of new, in spring. Of course, the upcoming equinox on September 22 is the Northern Hemisphere's autumn equinox and the Southern Hemsiphere's spring equinox.
• So. Darn. We in the Northern Hemisphere will have a tough time spotting Mars and Saturn tonight - although you should look. Try! Especially if you have a very clear sky all the way to the western horizon after sunset, and especially if you have binoculars.
• Bottom line: Mars and Saturn are near the waxing crescent moon - low in the west after sunset - on September 18, 2012. But they're tough to spot from Earth's Northern Hemisphere. If you live south of the equator, watch for the young moon, Mars, Saturn and a bright star called Spica to beautify the nighttime on this near-spring evening.