Massachusetts residents might notice a bright red star close to the moon Monday night this week.
That star is known as Antares, or alpha Scorpii, the most prominent star in the constellation Scorpius, according to space.com. It is among the 20 brightest stars that can be seen in the northern hemisphere.
Antares is a red supergiant, meaning that it is a massive star nearing the end of its life. A red supergiant’s ruddy hue results from the relatively cool temperature stars have as they burn out.
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Though Antares is visible in the northern hemisphere for most of the year, we are entering the part of the year during which it appears brightest. While June and July offer the best viewing conditions, it will be easy to locate in the southern part of the sky Monday night due to its proximity to Earth’s moon.
Antares will rise above the southern horizon in the Massachusetts sky around 12:25 a.m. on Tuesday and remain visible until sunrise. It can be spotted by looking above and to the right of the moon.
The moon is currently a waning gibbous and will be approximately 80% illuminated over the next two nights.
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