This Week's Night Sky: Spy Saturn’s Icy Moon Dione
Look for Venus as a "morning star," the moon with a stellar teapot, and—if you're more ambitious—a glimpse of Pluto this week.
Late night on Monday, look for Pluto nestled with the southern constellation Sagittarius, which is now visible late nights in the southern horizon for those in the mid-northern latitudes.
But be aware that Pluto remains a difficult observing challenge. Lying 3 billion miles (4.9 billion kilometers) from Earth at the fringes of the solar system, it shines at a meager 14.1 magnitude and looks like a faint star. That means backyard sky-watchers need, at a minimum, a telescope with an 8-inch diameter mirror to glimpse the faint world.
Check out the Sky and Telescope website for a detailed finder chart that will help you pick Pluto out from the surrounding star field.
And when you see a speck, just remember that the
