• As soon as darkness falls, look first for the moon, and then see if you catch two nearby star-like points of light. The brighter of the two is the planet Mars and the other is Zubenelgebnubi, the alpha star in the constellation Libra the Scales. The planet Saturn is also nearby, closer to the sunset glare.
• If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, the the moon, Mars and Zubenelgenubi sit low in the southwest corner of the sky at nightfall. They follow the sun beneath the horizon shortly after darkness falls. In the Southern Hemisphere, you can count on the moon, Mars and Zubenelgenubi to stay

out longer after dark. Moreover, at southerly latitudes, the planet Saturn and the star Spica lodge beneath the moon, Mars and Zubenelgenubi at nightfall. It's doubtful that Saturn and Spica will be visible from northerly latitudes, because they're buried too low in the glare of evening twilight.
• The precise position of the moon relative to Mars and Zubenelgenubi varies, depending upon your place on the globe. As viewed from much of Europe or Africa, the moon resides more or less midway between Mars and Zubenelgenubi, making a triangle with these star-like lights. Farther east - like in the Middle East, Asia, Indonesia, Australia or New Zealand - the moon appears on the other side (west) of Zubenelgenubi, so look for Libra's alpha star to pop out between the moon and Mars.

(Continued on page 17)