Planets
Mars is becoming visible for more of the night these days, rising around 1 AM all week and appearing high in the pre-dawn sky. It is no longer close to Venus, which rises later this week. Look for Venus to shine brightly just before dawn. Jupiter remains up for most of the night, setting just before dawn. Its earlier rising time this week means that it will be at its highest point and in prime position for observation early in the night. Both Saturn and Mercury are too close to the Sun after sunset for easy viewing. If you want to try for either planet, you will need to use binoculars. Look to the west within an hour of sunset for your best chances.
Moon
The Moon will be waxing and visible throughout more and more of the night this week. The Full Moon will happen on Friday afternoon and thus will look more or less full on both Thursday and Friday nights.
Stars
Any night of the year, your best bet for reliable stars are those stars known as the circumpolar stars. These stars, lying far to the north, never set throughout the night but instead are seen to rotate around 
the North Celestial Pole and Polaris (for more information on Polaris, see this article). While some of the circumpolar constellations are faint and difficult to observe through city lights, others are more prominent. Alongside the Big and Little Dippers (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, respectively), the easiest circumpolar constellation to spot is Cassiopeia. Look for a distinctive “M” or “W” shape in the north – Cassiopeia will be on its side, looking like a “3” during the early night. It will turn to the “M” direction from about 3 AM onward (see the image at right for a view of Cassiopeia at about this time, facing north).
the North Celestial Pole and Polaris (for more information on Polaris, see this article). While some of the circumpolar constellations are faint and difficult to observe through city lights, others are more prominent. Alongside the Big and Little Dippers (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, respectively), the easiest circumpolar constellation to spot is Cassiopeia. Look for a distinctive “M” or “W” shape in the north – Cassiopeia will be on its side, looking like a “3” during the early night. It will turn to the “M” direction from about 3 AM onward (see the image at right for a view of Cassiopeia at about this time, facing north).Spectacular Sights
Prominent Jupiter offers more than one spectacle this week. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, look for the Moon close to this bright planet. Jupiter will be to the left of the Moon on Tuesday and to the right on Wednesday.
If you have a telescope good enough to see Jupiter’s moons, you will have a chance to not see those moons on Wednesday night (technically Thursday morning). Between 12:43 AM and 2:29 AM, none of the four bright Jovian moons will be visible. The moons move quickly around Jupiter, all at different speeds, so catching Jupiter with no moons is a rarity.
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