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The largest globular star cluster in the galaxy, Omega Centauri, stands low in the south-southwest at nightfall for skywatchers in the far-southern United States. It looks like a tiny smudge of light. Binoculars reveal a few of its millions of stars.

Venus and Aldebaran huddle close, low in the east at first light the next few days. Venus is the Morning Star, with fainter Aldebaran directly below it. Venus will slide to the lower left, and stand side by side with Aldebaran on Tuesday and Wednesday.

✨ 📷 Only a few spots are left for our September Astrophotography Workshop, but August has lots of room for you! Find out more here: ow.ly/ttaZ50WnVel

Three tiny constellations stairstep up the eastern sky at nightfall. From bottom to top, they are Equuleus, the little horse; Delphinus, the dolphin; and Sagitta, the arrow. Under dark skies, both Delphinus and Sagitta are easy to pick out.

The constellation Scutum poses to the upper left of teapot-shaped Sagittarius as night falls. Under dark skies, you can see that it is enwrapped in the hazy veil of the Milky Way.

🔴 The first successful Mars mission flew past the planet 60 years ago! Astronauts and cosmonauts first met in space 50 years ago! Join us this week for details on both of these milestones, plus a dim planet and much more, right here — on StarDate! ow.ly/elzx50WoTOB

The Dumbbell Nebula, a colorful bubble of gas expelled by a dying star, is in Vulpecula, the fox, which is in the east at nightfall. The nebula is about halfway between Deneb and Altair, the stars that mark the bottom of the Summer Triangle.

The planet Saturn appears near the Moon early tomorrow. It looks like a bright star with a hint of golden color just below the Moon at dawn. The planet fades from view as the sky brightens.

A bright trio lines up low in the east at first light tomorrow. The brightest member is Venus, the Morning Star, with the star Aldebaran close to its upper right. Star cluster NGC 1647 is closer to the right of Venus - you need binoculars to see it. [NGC 1647; Roberto Mura, CC]

🌓 The Moon is at last quarter today, at 7:39 p.m. CDT. It lines up at a right angle to the line from Earth to the Sun, so sunlight illuminates half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way. [Image: Moon, as seen from the ISS; Credit: NASA / JSC]

A great eagle soars high overhead on summer nights: the constellation Aquila. Its brightest star, Altair, forms the lower right point of the summer triangle. Look for the wide triangle of bright stars high in the east in the early evening.

The Moon and the Seven Sisters huddle up in the wee hours tomorrow morning. The Moon will “occult” some of the sisters, the brightest stars of the Pleiades star cluster. The stars form a tiny dipper at the shoulder of Taurus, the bull. [NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute]

Venus is shining as the brilliant Morning Star now. It lines up close to the crescent Moon before dawn the next couple of days. It looks so bright in part because it’s blanketed by clouds that reflect the sunlight that strikes them, hiding the surface. [clouds on Venus; NASA/JPL]

A giant storm on the Sun last year caused chaos in Earth orbit! A giant storm on Jupiter inches its way around the planet! We'll share details on these and a whole lot more, this week — on StarDate! ow.ly/K93j50WsFAW

The brightest objects in the night sky team up early tomorrow: the Moon and planets Venus and Jupiter. Venus is the Morning Star, to the upper right of the Moon. Slightly fainter Jupiter is to the lower left of the Moon. You will need a clear horizon to spot it.

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, stands close to the crescent Moon in tomorrow’s dawn twilight. It looks like a bright star, but it’s so low in the sky that you will need a clear horizon to spot it.

The glowing band of the Milky Way arches high across the sky on summer nights. At nightfall, it stretches from almost due north, high across the east, to almost due south. It stands directly overhead by midnight. You must avoid city lights to see it. #MilkyWay

🌞 Explore the Sun with McDonald Observatory in our July livestream - All about the Sun! Weather permitting, we'll show you live views of the Sun, discuss its cycle, how it creates auroras on Earth, and much more. Hope you can join us! ow.ly/PUub50Wueuv #livestream #solar #auroras

The Moon is new today, so it is lost from sight as it crosses between Earth and the Sun. It will return to view in a couple of nights as a thin crescent low in the western sky shortly after sunset. [NASA / Goddard]

Pluto, everyone’s favorite dwarf planet, lines up opposite the Sun this week. It rises around sunset and remains in view all night, and shines brightest for the whole year. Even so, it is so faint that you need a telescope to spot it.