By Erich Karkoschka
Venus is setting at 7:30 pm. Its visibility increases as the sun is setting earlier. On the 5th, the moon is 4 degrees from Venus. On the 25th, Venus passes Antares 3 degrees north.
Saturn is prominent all evening. Its rings are 10 times narrower than their 43 arc-seconds extent. Views of its six brightest satellites are best at the current geometry.
Jupiter becomes the brightest evening star as its rising times moves from 10 pm to 8 pm. It is at its northernmost location in Taurus, transiting 80 degrees high.
Mars rises just before midnight. Its motion in Gemini can be seen as the triangle with Pollux and Castor constantly changes shape. With magnitude 0 and 9 arc-second size, it becomes a worthwhile object in telescopes.
Uranus and Neptune are visible in the evening sky between Saturn and Jupiter. Uranus is easy to locate 5 degrees south of the Pleiades.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) is magnitude 2 with a 5 degree tail. Starting on the 11th, it becomes visible and moves higher in the early evening sky, but fades rapidly towards the end of the month. The best compromise between altitude and magnitude may occur around the 16th, while the best dark sky without moonlight will start on the 19th. It moves from Virgo through Serpens into Ophiuchus at 7 degrees per day first, slowing to 2 degrees per day later. Its fast motion can be seen in a telescope within a minute.
The Draconid meteor shower may have a special high peak for half an hour around midnight of the 7th.