The bull is charging into the evening sky. Taurus is in full view by about 11 o’clock, low in the east. He stands high in the south before dawn. He’s rising earlier each night, and will be in view all night long by about Thanksgiving.

All the stars rise four minutes earlier each night – a result of Earth’s motion around the Sun. Earth makes one full turn on its axis against the background of distant stars every 23 hours and 56 minutes. So, if you looked at the sky every 23 hours and 56 minutes, and you could see through the daytime glare, you’d always see the same stars in the same position.

But during that period, Earth moves along its orbit around the Sun. The distance it covers means the planet has to turn four extra minutes for the Sun to reach the same position in the sky. That makes a day 24 hours long. And it also means that the background stars rise and set four minutes earlier on our 24-hour clock.

As a result, every star and constellation is in prime evening view at different times of the year. For Taurus, it’s fall and early winter – the time the bull charges across the evening sky.

For now, look for Taurus beginning in late evening. Its brightest star is Aldebaran, the bull’s eye. His face is outlined by a V-shaped pattern of stars to the upper right of Aldebaran. And his shoulder is the sparkly little Pleiades star cluster, well above Aldebaran.

More about Taurus tomorrow.

Script by Damond Benningfield