This week we'll visit the constellation Canes Venatici. Created by Johannes Hevelius in 1687, this constellation represents the greyhounds, Asterion and Chara. Held on a leash by Boötes as he hunts the bear Ursa Major, these dogs help in the eternal pursuit around the north celestial pole. The brightest star in the constellation, Alpha Canum Venaticorum, or Cor Caroli, is said to mean the "heart of Charles" and was so named by Edmund Halley in honor of King Charles II of England.

Found within the boundaries of Canes Venatici are numerous deep-sky objects, including globular cluster M3 (nearly half the size of a full moon), the beautiful irregular Whirlpool Galaxy, M51, the aptly named spiral Sunflower Galaxy, M63, and spiral galaxies M94 and M106.

A little closer to home, in our own solar system, Mars is fast approaching a point in its orbit where it will be closer to the Earth than it has been, or will be, for thousands of years.  This summer will provide professional and amateur astronomers alike some of the best views of the Red Planet ever had.

Jupiter continues to suprise us with more moons, as 12 were discovered in the last month, bringing the total to 52!  While the smallest of the newly discovered Jovian satellites measures little more than half a mile wide, when asked if these very small objects deserve to be called moons, one astronomer was quoted as saying "...to me they're all natural satellites. Is a small dog not a dog because it is small?"

Here on Earth we find ourselves in the middle of National Dark-sky Week.  Founded by Jennifer Barlow, a high school student in Virginia, National Dark-Sky Week is intended to raise our awareness of the splendor of the night sky by having us temporarily turn off unnecessary outdoor lights. This will hopefully inspire us to use better, more responsible lighting systems that will lessen the detrimental effects of Light Pollution.

To learn more about National Dark-Sky Week, or any of wonders in Utah's Night Skies, go to www.utahskies.org, and while you're there, sign up for the FREE, fully illustrated weekly report.  Have a fine day and keep looking up!