Venus is the first "star" out every night — blazing in the west before the sky is even fully dark. The moon grows all week, reaching first quarter Wednesday and gliding past red Antares Thursday and Friday nights, then hanging above the Milky Way's core over the water. Perseid stragglers still streak through late, once the moon sets. The sun's gone a little after 8, fully dark by about 9:40. Grab one of the rocking chairs at Swim Beach, right next to the Food Truck Park — or head up to The Lookout, where there's a second set of chairs and a higher horizon. Give your eyes 15 minutes, then work your way around:
Straight upThe Summer Triangle. The brightest star nearly overhead is Vega; Deneb sits toward the northeast of it, Altair lower toward the southeast.
South, over the waterThe Milky Way core, rising from the "Teapot" of Sagittarius about two fists above the horizon (a fist at arm's length is about 10°). Early in the week the moon's still slim enough to leave it visible — catch it before the weekend brightens the sky.
SouthwestAntares, the red heart of Scorpius, a quarter of the way up — and this week's headliner: the half-lit moon slides right past it Thursday and Friday nights. Moon, red star, rocking chair.
WestVenus blazes low right after sunset — the first light out, brighter than anything else — and slips away by about 9:45. Well above it, orange Arcturus, about halfway up.
NorthwestThe Big Dipper, standing on its handle. Follow the arc of the handle and it points you back to Arcturus.
NorthThe two stars on the front of the Dipper's bowl point to Polaris, the North Star, a third of the way up. It never moves.
NortheastCassiopeia's sideways "W" is climbing — and the Perseids radiate from just below it through Sunday the 23rd. Past their peak now, but stragglers still streak anywhere in the sky once the moon sets late. Don't stare at one spot.
East, for the night owlsSaturn rises over the water by about 10:30. Early risers get the pre-dawn lineup — Saturn high in the south, reddish Mars, and very bright Jupiter climbing out of the eastern twilight in the hour before sunrise.
