COLUMBIA, S.C. — There will be plenty of things to view in the night sky this week but, you might have to avoid clouds some nights as we remain in a pretty active weather pattern.
The first thing that will be pretty easily viewable will be the Waxing Gibbous Moon over the next few days. Both Wednesday and Thursday night (I would suggest Wednesday for better viewing), the moon will be in the sky next to the Pleiades Star Cluster. This group more commonly known as the "Seven Sisters" is named for the seven prominent starts in the cluster.
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Speaking of the Pleiades, this cluster is found in our recommended constellation of the week: Taurus. Also known as "The Bull", this constellation is the oldest known constellation, with references to it dating back as far as 17 thousand years ago! It will be visible each night in the eastern sky after sunset right above Orion.
As we look towards the beginning of the next work week, we have 2 things to view across the Midlands. The first is the Full Moon "The Wolf Moon". This will occur on Monday. Also on Monday will be the first of two International Space Station Flyovers. Monday's will be very good for viewing.
Monday's ISS Pass Details:
TIME: 7:08 PM | LENGTH: 4 Minutes | DIRECTION: Southwest to the Northern sky
There will be an even better pass on Tuesday in the evening that I would recommend viewing, especially with clear conditions expected across the Midlands.
Let's finally talk about the weather. Viewing over the next few days will just be okay. You'll be dealing with quite a few clouds as we see multiple weather systems passing through the region. Wednesday and Friday will likely be partly cloudy if you wish to view the Moon. Past that, I'd really suggest just waiting for this Monday and Tuesday to view the Full Moon and the ISS with completely clear conditions expected.
