Alpheratz, the brightest star in the constellation Andromeda, can guide you to the Andromeda Galaxy, the closest large spiral galaxy to our Milky Way galaxy.
On April 8 and, 9, 2022, you'll find the a 1st-quarter moon near Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini the Twins. Also nearby is Procyon, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Minor the Lesser Dog.
Why is the Geminid meteor shower best around 2 a.m.? It's because that's when the shower's radiant point - near the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini - is highest in the sky.
If you look in a clear western sky at dusk and early evening, you should spot the waxing crescent moon. Notice that its lighted crescent points toward the sunset.
The side of the moon we see from Earth appears 50% illuminated tonight. For all of Earth, the moon rises around midday and sets around midnight. Plus the moon's lighted side points right at Mars tonight!
Larry Sessions has written many favorite posts in EarthSky's Tonight area. He's a former planetarium director in Little Rock, Fort Worth and Denver and an adjunct faculty member at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He's a longtime member of NASA's Solar System Ambassadors program. His articles have appeared in numerous publications including Space.com, Sky & Telescope, Astronomy and Rolling Stone. His small book on world star lore, Constellations, was published by Running Press.