A waxing crescent moon appears high in the southern sky on the evening of July 4. Enjoy the fireworks and also look for the moon, residing in the zodiacal constellation Virgo.

The brightest star, Spica, is nearby, below and to the left of the moon. Spica is the constellation’s brightest star.

There are no planets in the evening sky. They are all in the morning sky and you have to be up around 3 o’clock to see them. The brightest Venus is in the extreme eastern sky, above the hard to see Mercury, which is nearly too close to the rising sun to see on the horizon.

High in the southeastern sky is the brilliant Jupiter. And some distance away to the west is the ringed-planet Saturn.

Between Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets, is the distinct fainter reddish planet Mars.

It will only be a few months before Mars, Jupiter and Saturn make their way into our evening sky and are thus easier to spot.