The sky will be sparkling tonight at dusk! So much to see…start with Saturn and Venus low near the southwestern horizon. Slide up the ecliptic to spot Jupiter. Continue upward to find the Moon about to cross the meridian (and Uranus if you have binos or a telescope). And, finally continue the arc of the ecliptic to spot Mars.
We know you’re probably thinking, “Thanks for this, but what are the ecliptic and meridian?” Super easy—the ecliptic is the imaginary plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun extended out into space. From our Earthly perspective, it’s the apparent path the Sun, Moon and planets take through our sky. And, the meridian is another imaginary plane that runs from due north to the zenith overhead and down to the south, dividing our sky into halves. Celestial objects are highest in the sky when they’re crossing the meridian.
Want more info? Check out Sky & Telescope's article What is the ecliptic?
Graphic credit: SkySafari app