Aloha Gazers of the Stars! (and planets:-)
Find Venus in the west after sunset, it's the brightest object in the whole sky.
Look up above Venus until you spot the orangish-red planet, Mars and it's close approach to the brilliant, bluish star Regulus - the brightest star in Leo the Lion.
Cool facts: Regulus is 77 light years away (that's about 462 trillion miles!) AND it's a multiple star system of 4 suns that orbit each other! Amazing. Mars is approximately 140 million miles now.....that's only about 12 light minutes away.
Mars is like a run away train. Watch night by night as The god of War closes in on the royal King star, Regulus, then bypasses it at a swift pace. Mars continues racing toward Saturn and bypasses the ringed planet by August 2nd. I think Mars is getting ready for the Maui marathon or something. See more news below about Jupiter the planet of mystery.
Read about Jupiter's missing stripe..... http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/94107139.html diagram and Jupiter photo from Sky & Telescope.com
