As the night grows late, and 2024 approaches \u2013 or perhaps after you\u2019ve enjoyed the midnight countdown, and the new year is aready here \u2013 take a moment to look at the sky. Even if the fireworks are all over, you\u2019ll still see some beautiful and colorful lights.
\nAt midnight, the Moon is in the east. Sunlight illuminates three-quarters of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way, so it\u2019s nice and bright. Its glare washes out the view of many fainter stars \u2013 especially those close to the Moon. But plenty of bright lights will shine through.
\nHigh in the south, for example, look for Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. It should be twinkling more than any other star, shifting from red to blue to pure white. And if you\u2019re in the southern parts of the country \u2013 south of about Dallas \u2013 you might also spot Canopus, the second-brighest star. It\u2019s directly below Sirius, just above the horizon.
\nOrion stands to the upper right of Sirius. It may be the most beautiful of all constellations \u2013 and the easiest to find. Look for a short diagonal line of three stars \u2013 Orion\u2019s Belt. It\u2019s inside a rectangle of brighter stars.
\nAnd if you want a light that\u2019s brighter still, look in the west for Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. It far outshines everything else in the sky at that hour except the Moon \u2013 teaming with the Moon to bookend the sky on the final hours of 2023.
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Script by Damond Benningfield
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